Census

 

The Grace Schmidt Room collection includes personal census information for the following counties:

 

  • Waterloo

  • Wellington

  • Huron

  • Perth

 

Please note that Wilfrid Laurier University Library has the census information for all of Ontario. The GSR only carries census information for the counties shown above.

 

 

 

Census Years Available

 

1816-1840 - Gore District Microfilm (not all years available)
1842 - Waterloo County returns are missing from the census
1851 - Parts of North Dumfries are missing from the census
1861
1871
1881
1891
1901
1911

 

 

  

Census organization

 

The province has been divided into census districts and, in turn, into sub-districts. The districts were based upon cities and counties. Villages and small towns were enumerated within their county. Unincorporated villages will be found in their township entry.

 

 

 

Ontario Census Returns – Sources of Information

 

The following publication contains helpful information about Ontario census returns, their content and organization:

 

Merriman, Brenda Dougall
Genealogy in Ontario: searching the records (revised). 2002
(Toronto: Ontario Genealogical Society, 2002)

929.3713 Merri 2002
Location: Main REF, & GSR & OGS

(older circulating copies are in Main NF)

 

 

 

Specific Census Information

 

 

Prior to 1842

 

Before 1842, a census was taken annually by township assessors. Some of these census and assessment records have survived for the Gore District. They are available on 5 microfilms in the GSR. A list of the contents is also available. Waterloo County records date from 1816 until 1840.

 

These census and assessments listed the head of household only. The size of the family, age statistics and agricultural information were also included.

 

 

1842 Census Returns

 

The 1842 census was the first province-wide census, listing the heads of households only. Other information was included, for example, age statistics on family members, birthplaces, religion and agricultural information.


The 1842 census are on 2 microfilms in the GSR. Unfortunately, many returns have not survived.

 

 

1851 Census

 

The 1851 census was the first census to name all household members, enumerated in January 1852.

 

From 1851, the census listed members of a household with age, place of birth, occupation, religious affiliation, marital status, etc.

 

 

1871 Census

 

By the 1871 census, a column for origin was included. It indicated the ethnic heritage of the father.

 

 

1901 Census

 

The 1901 census has a column asking for the year of emigration to Canada.

 

 

 

Census Indexes

 

 

Waterloo County 1851 & 1861

 

Volunteers have created indexes for the following Waterloo County townships/towns:

 

  • Galt (Town), 1851

  • Waterloo Township 1851

  • Wellesley Township 1851

  • Wellesley Township 1861

 

These publications can be located in the KPL catalogue by doing a keyword search using the terms “census” and the year.

 

 

Ontario 1871 (including Waterloo County)

 

An index of the 1871 census of Ontario was undertaken as a project of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) to mark the organization’s 25th anniversary in 1986.

 

Copies are kept in the books collection belonging to the Waterloo Region Branch of the OGS in the GSR. Several volumes have been published since 1986. These publications can be located in the KPL catalogue by doing a keyword search using the terms “census” and the year.

 

The head of each household has been listed, with complete data concerning age, sex, birthplace, religion, ethnic origin and occupation. A coded reference to the municipality and page number to find the original entry on the microfilm is also listed. They also indexed any individual with a surname different from the head of family, designating such a person a “Stray”.

 

Since the completion of these books, members of the Waterloo Region Branch of the OGS have created an 1871 Ontario Census Heads of Household Alpa Version. It is available on the OGS computer in the GSR. The database is a total alphabetical index of the 1871 census files created by the OGS. You can search the whole database for a surname regardless of the county.

 

Instructions for access to this database are kept with the OGS computer in the Grace Schmidt Room.

 

Online indexing of the Ontario 1871 federal census is available on the Library and Archives Canada website.

 

 

Ontario (Federal) Census 1881

 

A searchable index and digitized images of the 1881 federal census are available on the Library and Archives Canada website.

 

Online indexing of the Canadian 1881 census is also available through familysearch.org and select the “Advanced Search” tab, then select “Census” located on the left hand side menu and lastly select “1881 Canadian Census” from the drop down menu on the search form).


OGS and other commercially produced indexes are easily found by doing a KPL catalogue keyword search with the term “census” and the year of the census desired. If the county is also known, that can be included as a keyword term for a catalogue search

 

 

Ontario (Federal) Census 1901

 

Online indexing of the Ontario 1901 federal census is available on the Library and Archives Canada website.

 

OGS and other commercially produced indexes are easily found by doing a KPL catalogue keyword search with the term “census” and the year of the census desired. If the county is also known, that can be included as a keyword term for a catalogue search.

 

 

Ontario (Federal) Census 1911

 

Online indexing of the Ontario 1911 federal census is available on the Library and Archives Canada website.

 

OGS and other commercially produced indexes are easily found by doing a KPL catalogue keyword search with the term “census” and the year of the census desired. If the county is also known, that can be included as a keyword term for a catalogue search.

 

 

 

Databases

 

The Ancestry Library Edition database contains indexes and digitized images for several Canadian censuses, namely:

 

  • 1851 Canada West, Canada East, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

  • 1871 Ontario (index only)

  • 1891 Canada

  • 1901 Canada

  • 1911 Canada

 

Ancestry Library Edition is available on research computers in all KPL locations.  There is no remote access to this database.