Canada Census, 1871 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The census day for Canada in this year was April 2, 1871.

Census schedules were taken on large sheets of paper with preprinted rows and columns. The schedules were organized by province and then by census districts and subdistricts. It contains the following nine schedules arranged within subdistricts:


 * Nominal return of the living
 * Nominal return of the deaths within last twelve months
 * Return of public institutions, real estate, vehicles, and implements
 * Return of cultivated land, field products, and plants and fruits
 * Live stock, animal products, home-made fabrics, and furs
 * Return of industrial establishments
 * Return of products of the forest
 * Return of shipping and fisheries
 * Return of mineral products

Following the Constitution Act, 1867, census taking became a federal mandate. The first census was set for 1871 and every ten years thereafter. Thus, the first national Canadian census was conducted in 1871.

Enumeration was by census district, except for Prince Edward Island, which was enumerated by lot number. 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.

The national government of Canada has taken censuses every ten years since 1871 and every five years since 1971. The 1871 census covers the four original provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. The first coast-to-coast census was taken in 1881. Newfoundland was not part of Canada until 1949. For Newfoundland few 19th-century censuses that list names have been found. They mostly contain statistical summaries.

National census records are arranged by province and within provinces by census districts and subdistricts. Census districts are voting districts, not counties. Although a voting district may have the same name as a county, it may not include the same townships. In some provinces, townships are equivalent to census sub-districts.

Since the boundaries varied from census to census, it is not easy to tell which census district an eastern Canadian township or western Canadian village was in. Contemporary maps of the census districts have been lost or destroyed.

Microfilm copies are available at many repositories and through interlibrary loan. Generally, more recent censuses are more complete. They can provide information missing in other records.

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

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Important genealogical information in the 1871 census includes:


 * Full name
 * Age
 * Sex
 * Born within the last 12 months
 * Birthplace
 * Religion
 * Ethnic origin
 * Occupation
 * Married or widowed
 * Town, village, township, or subdistrict of residence

How to Use the Records
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:


 * Ancestors name
 * Birth place
 * Approximate birth year

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
If you have found the information that you are looking for, you can do the following:


 * The age can be used to calculate approximate birth year
 * Use the residence and the birthplace for each person, along with his or her age, to then search other record types.

Unable to Find Information?
If you are unable to find the information that you are looking for, consider the following information to help further your research:


 * Search available indexes before using the census records. As indexes may be incomplete or incorrect, if you have reason to believe your ancestor should have been in the census, search the census even if your ancestor is not in the index.
 * Gazetteers published in the 1880s sometimes list the "electoral county" or census/voting district rather than the county where a city or village was located. If you still cannot determine the census district, you may need to search several neighboring census districts to find your ancestor.
 * When there are no census indexes, look for your ancestor’s location in other kinds of indexes. See Canada Church Records, Canada Directories, Canada Emigration and Immigration, Canada Genealogy, and Canada Land and Property Records and in Wiki articles of the provinces.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Searchable Online Data Canadian Genealogy &amp; History
 * Library and Archives Canada

Related Wiki Articles

 * Canada
 * Canada Census

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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
"Canada Census, 1871." index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 4 April 2012), John Mason, age 29; citing Census Records, reference 181 page 5 line 6 Canadian film C_1126; National Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario,FHL microfilm, 293 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.