Canada, New Brunswick Census, 1861 - FamilySearch Historical Records

This wiki article describes a collection that is scheduled to be posted for free online at FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site.

Collection Time Period
This census was taken in 1861 for the census year 1860.

Collection History
The Census 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. Enumeration was by census district. 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.

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.

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

Collection 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.

Collection 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 district.

Collection Content
Some of the key genealogical facts found in the 1861 New Brunswick Census are:


 * Name
 * Gender
 * Relationships of all individuals in household to head of household
 * Race (ethnic origin) or birthplace
 * Residence
 * Profession
 * Family members

How to Use the Collection
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.

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Canada Census