Canada, Quebec Census, 1861 - FamilySearch Historical Records

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For guidelines to use in creating wiki articles that describe collections of images and indexes produced by FamilySearch, see: FamilySearch Wiki: Guidelines for FamilySearch Collections pages

Collection Time Period
This census was taken in 1861 but reflects the population in the year 1860.

How to Use the Records
Use the census to obtain the names and ages of family members, which can be used to calculate birth or marriage dates; the town and county where they lived; those currently living with the family, and any relatives that may have lived nearby. The census may identify persons for whom other records do not exist.

Record Description
Census schedules are on large sheets of paper with preprinted rows and columns. The schedules were organized by province and then by census districts and sub districts.

Record Content

 * Key genealogical facts found in the 1861 Québec Census are:
 * Names of people living in the household
 * Profession, trade, occupation
 * Marital Status
 * Race and Birthplace
 * Size and type of residence
 * Deaths in the household during the census year (1860)
 * Education level of children in the household

Record History
The Census contains the 1861 census for the independent province of Québec. At this time Québec was referred to as “Canada East.” The census taker took the information on the census day starting March 30, 1861. Census takers were asked to record information about all those who were in each household on the census 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 sub districts 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 Collection 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 Censuses Canada Census 1851 Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. '''Create a link to the “How to Cite FamilySearch Collections” wiki article by typing the phrase “A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections”. Create the link using the name of the article: A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections”.''' We are encouraging wiki users to add sample citations to the articles. Please post this text in Normal font: Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above. Please add the following examples to the article:
 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

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Style Guide
For guidelines to use in creating wiki articles that describe collections of images and indexes produced by FamilySearch, see: FamilySearch Wiki: Guidelines for FamilySearch Collections pages

Sources of Information for This Collection:
To assist wiki patrons with making citations that describe their findings, create a bibliographic source citation that describes the digital collection following the instructions referenced below.

"Census of Canada, 1961," 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.

Instructions for creating these sources, including how to add information about individual archives is found in the wiki article: “How to Create Bibliographic Source Citations for FamilySearch Historical Records Collections"

Example showing a general statement and details of several archives:

England, Cheshire, school records, 1796-1950,” database, FamilySearch; 2009, from Great Britain, Board of Education. "School Records." Cheshire Record Office, Chester (England). FHL microfilm, 41 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.


 * Acton (near Nantwich) National School (Cheshire). School registers for Acton (near Nantwich), 1877-1920. Cheshire Record Office, Chester, England. FHL microfilm 1894886, Items 4-5; 2299012, Items 1-2.
 * Alderley Edge Day School (Cheshire). School registers, 1875-1915. Cheshire Record Office, Chester, England. FHL microfilm 1894886, Item 8.