GETTING THE MOST OUT OF ONTARIO CENSUS REPORTS

    
Introduction

Comments on Ages, problems with Names or Places and the use of Alternate Forms.

The Census Reports

Lists of all questions asked in each census

1842 1848 1850 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901

Selected References

Terms and Abbreviations

Copyright © 1996 Hugh L. Armstrong

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INTRODUCTION
   

	Census reports can contain a wealth of information for the genealogist. 
Unfortunately accessing and extracting complete and accurate information may be a 
problem. This article is intended to give you an accurate list of the questions that 
were asked on the censuses, give suggestions that assist in your searches and provide 
assistance in understanding what is in the returns

	Province wide censuses were taken in 1842, 1848, 1850, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 
1891 and 1901. Others have been taken after 1901 but are not avaliable to us yet. 
Census information is supposed to be confidential for one hundred years however the 
1891 and 1901 censuses were released after ninety-two years so we would normally expect 
that the 1911 census would be released in the next few years. However, claims that 
censuses after 1901 were taken under a statute providing that the information collected 
would never be released, have created doubt that any further personal censuses will be 
released. 

	The 1842, 1848 and 1850 censuses were not complete listings of the population 
but heads of family only. The 1851 to 1901 censuses were intended to be complete 
listings of the population.

	If you are unsure where your ancestors lived or are unsure of how long they 
remained in a certain location there are other resources to assist you.

	Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid OCFA. The OCFA lists the name and place of burial 
only - no dates - but there are well over 2 million names entered. Unfortunately a few 
branches of the Ontario Genealogical Society have not agreed to make their cemetery 
listings available to this most useful project. These include the Toronto and Halton-Peel 
branches. 

	If your ancestor was in Ontario in 1871 check the census indexes which have 
been published. (see 1871 - INTRODUCTION of details). This is an excellent source 
and easy to use.

	Other starting places would be voter, assessment and jury lists, directories 
or phone lists. Many of these are available in the Canadian Institute for Historical 
Microproductions CIHM collection. This is a collection of microfiche that includes 
many manuscripts of genealogical or historical interest. The CIHM collection is available 
at many Canadian universities. 

	The site Early Canadiana OnLine has images of over 3000 books and pamphlets that
document Canadian history to the late 19th century. 

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AGES
	There are many problems with the accuracy of the ages given on a census. Lack 
of records left it up to memory, the person in the household acting as informant may 
not know or remember and only guess at the age, people lied and copying errors were made 
as ages were written into the final record.

	Also the question asked varied. In 1851 and 1861 they were how old will you be at 
your next birthday while from 1871 on they were asked how old are you.

	Finally the date the census was supposed to be taken varied and could introduce 
an apparent varation of one year particularly in 1851. This is a list of the days they were 
taken:

              12 Jan 1852        2 Apr 1871         6 Apr 1891
              14 Jan 1861        4 Apr 1881        31 Mar 1901

	It is best to take age + or - 5. Never assume it is given accurately.

	The 1851 census was taken nine months late. This not only added an extra year to 
some ages but also created the possibility that an immigrant family could show up in two 
censuses - one on either side of the Atlantic. As this was the year my great-great grand-
parents came to Canada I have found them in the Yorkshire, Eng. and Etobicoke, Ont. censuses.
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NAMES
                   
	Many problems arise with the use and spelling of names in censuses such as:

	a) some were people illiterate and would not know how to spell their own names,
	b) an enumerator would not know how to spell certain names or would hear it 
	   incorrectly due to accents,
	c) in the process of transposing information from one form to another mistakes 
	   were made,
	d) children were listed by an abbreviated name but by their proper name as an 
	   adult. Some people used their first given names on one census but their middle 
	   name on the next,
	e) people would not like their given names and would alter or completely change 
	   it (eg my grand father Cornwallis went by Wallace), and
	f) some enumerators listed married women as Mrs. - no given name

	On the plus side I have come across two enumeration sub-districts where married 
women were listed by their maiden name.
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PLACES
	Before searching through census returns you should have a clear understanding of 
the geography of the enumeration district. This should include a map showing county, 
townships, municipalities and wards. Reading a local history can forewarn of difficulties 
that may arise.

	Problems that I have encountered include:

	a) place name are changed (eg. Ottawa was Bytown; Kitchener was Berlin),
	b) geographic boundries change - particularly in the early years,
	c) in later censuses towns and cities are listed separately from townships, and
	d) municipalities bordering on counties or townships may have their citizens 
	  listed different enumeration districts.
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ALTERNATE FORMS
	There were at least two alternate forms used. One was used in the 1861 and is 
explained in the introduction to that census. The other was used in the 1930's when there 
was copying census records on damaged or decaying paper. The 1931 form was used to enter 
data from older censuses.