Canada, Nova Scotia Census, 1861 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Canada Nova Scotia

What is in this Collection?
These records include the 1861 census for the province of Nova Scotia. The census day was March 30, 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 township and enumeration district.

Census takers were asked to record information about all those who were in each household on the census day, as well as any who have died since that 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 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, and there were many variations from location to location.

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.

Sample Images
Census records usually contain the following information:


 * Name
 * Gender
 * Marital status
 * Race
 * Residence
 * Profession
 * Family members

How do I Search the Collection?
Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page].

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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, Now What?

 * FamilySearch has a large collection of Nova Scotia records. Use the information you found in this census index to find other records like births or marriages.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, Now What?

 * Don't forget to try searching for your person by using spelling variations of his or her name.

Citing This Collection
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