Canada, New Brunswick Census, 1861 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This census was taken in 1861 for the census year 1860

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

This collection contains the 1861 census for the province of New Brunswick. At this time New Brunswick was considered a separate colony from the rest of the old Province of Canada. This census was created separately and differs from the form used in the other areas of the Province of Canada. 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.

The recording of names for the 1861 New Brunswick census was by census district. For the most part, census districts were identical with cities and counties, and sub districts were identical 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.

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.

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

Citation for This Collection
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Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in the 1861 New Brunswick Census are:


 * Full name of family members
 * Gender
 * Relationships of all individuals in household to head of household
 * Age
 * Place of birth
 * Residence
 * Occupation

How to Use the Records
This census records the birthplace or ethnic origin 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.

Beginning Your Search

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


 * Name of ancestor
 * Year of birth
 * Place of birth

Searching 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 compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Using the information


 * Use the age to calculate the year of birth. When calculated, you can search within the New Brunswick, Provincial Returns of Births and Late Registrations collection, or the New Brunswick, Births and Baptisms. You can also use the year of birth, to help you find the names of the parents in the birth record.

Can't Find Information?


 * Check for spelling errors in your search.
 * Search for the name of the spouse (if your ancestor was married) instead of your ancestor's name.

Related Web Sites

 * Campobello, New Brunswick Census Index

Related Wiki Articles

 * Canada Census
 * New Brunswick Census
 * New Brunswick Genealogy

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
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A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"New Brunswick Census, 1861", index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 31 March 2011), William A Moore, 1861; citing Census Records, digital folder 5,108,520; image number 00151; Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.