Canada, Nova Scotia Census, 1861 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This census was taken in 1861.

Record Description
Census schedules were taken on large sheets of paper with preprinted rows and columns. They are bound into volumes, arranged by county, then by township and enumeration district.

Record Content

 * Key genealogical facts found in the 1861 Nova Scotia Census are:
 * Name
 * Gender
 * Marital status
 * Race
 * Residence
 * Profession
 * Family members

How to Use the Records
This census records the birthplace for each person, along with his or her age, and other personal information. Since the census attempted to record all the people living in a household, it may identify individuals for whom other records simply do not exist.

Record History
The Census contains the 1861 census for the province of Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia census day was March 30th, 1860. Census takers were asked to record information about all those who were in each household on the census day, as well as any who have died since that day. A census taker might have visited a house on a later date, but the information he collected was supposed to be about the people who were in the house on the census day. Enumeration was by census district.

Census districts were voting districts, not counties, although most have the same names as counties. For the most part, census districts were synonymous with cities and counties, and subdistricts were synonymous with towns, townships, and city wards. Villages, small towns, and parishes were generally enumerated as part of the township in which they were located. Census district and county boundaries were not always the same, and there were many variations from location to location.

Why this Record Was Created
Canadian census records were taken to enumerate the population for representation, taxation, and other purposes.

Record Reliability
The accuracy of the census depended on the knowledge of the informant and the care of the enumerator. Realize that the information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or even by a neighbor. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately falsified.

Related Web Sites
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Related Wiki Articles
Canada Census

Sources of Information for This Collection:
"Census of Canada, 1861," database, FamilySearch; from Canada. Board of Registration and Statistics. "Census of Canada, 1861," Public Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. FHL microfilm, 296 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Examples of citations
"Nova Scotia Census, 1861." database and images, FamilySearch: accessed April 1, 2011. entry for Joseph J Brown; citing Census Records, digital folder number 4108915 image 00163; Canada Board of Registration and Statistics, Public Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.