Canada, Quebec Census, 1861 - FamilySearch Historical Records

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.

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.

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

Canadian census records were taken to enumerate the population for representation, taxation, and other purposes.

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.

Record Content
Records found in the 1861 Québec Census may include:


 * Names of family members
 * Profession, trade, occupation
 * Place of birth
 * Marital Status
 * Religion
 * Residence if out of limits
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Residents that are members of the family or not members of family
 * Births in 1860
 * Deaths in 1860
 * Type of house

How to Use the Record
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name of head of household
 * Approximate year and place of residence

Search the Collection
To search this collection using the index:

Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Using the Information
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.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in French or English. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:

French Wordlist

Related Websites

 * Canada History Links
 * Canada Historic Maps
 * OGSPI 1861 Census Menu
 * Quebec Genealogy Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Canada Census
 * Quebec
 * Quebec Census

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.