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Canada Census 1851

Discover your ancestor in the 1851 Canadian census.

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Discover your ancestor in the 1851 Canadian census.

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Who

First name(s)

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What can these records tell me?

Each result in this collection will provide you with a transcript and image of the original census form. From the transcripts, you may learn the following details:

First name(s)
Last name
Sex
Age
Birth year
Birth place
Religion
Relationship to head of household
Subdistrict
District
Province
Image source – external link to image

Images, hosted at the Library and Archives Canada, will often be able to provide additional details.

See the following sections to learn more about the 1861 census and deciphering the images.

Discover more about these records

Following the Act of Union in 1841, the Province of Canada was formed. It consisted of Canada West (Ontario) and Canada East (Quebec). The 1851 census also collected population details for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. While the census for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia was collected in 1851, the census for Canada West and Canada East did not get underway until 12 January 1852.

From this census, information was gathered on 2,312,919 individuals, broken down by place as follows:

Canada East – 890,261
Canada West – 952,004
New Brunswick – 193,800
Nova Scotia – 276,854

Unfortunately, the original paper records of this census were destroyed in 1955 following the microfilming done by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. The process and quality of the microfilming were not consistent and has resulted in some images being of poor quality.

The following sections provide breakdowns of column headings by province found on the images from the 1851 census. Please keep in mind that terms used to describe ethnic origin and mental capacity are reflective of the time period and are not considered reflective of current usage.

To navigate the images to see all the columns pertaining to a particular individual, you will need to click on the image link found in the transcript (Source image) and then manipulate the URL there. For example, if your ancestor were located on this page, http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e094/e002346999.jpg, you would edit the number in the URL so that instead of ending in -6999 it ended in -7000, allowing you to see the next page.

Canada West (Ontario) – Schedule A – Urban personal census

Column 1 – Names
Column 2 – Profession, trade, or occupation
Column 3 – Place of birth
Column 4 – Religion
Column 5 – Residence if out of limits
Column 6 – Age at next birthday
Column 7 – Sex, male
Column 8 – Sex, female
Column 9 – Married or single
Column 10 – Widowers or widows
Column 11 – Colored persons
Column 12 – Residents, members of family (male)
Column 13 – Residents, members of family (females)
Column 14 – Residents, not members of family (male)
Column 15 – Residents, not members of family (female)
Column 16 – Members of family absent (male)
Column 17 – Members of family absent (female)
Column 18 – Deaf and dumb
Column 19 – Blind
Column 20 – Lunatics
Column 21 – Attending school (male)
Column 22 – Attending school (female)
Column 23 – Births in 1851 (male)
Column 24 – Births in 1851 (female)
Column 25 – Deaths in 1851 (male)
Column 26 – Deaths in 1851 (female)
Column 27 – Deaths in 1851, age and cause of death
Column 28 – Houses (brink, stone, frame, log, etc.)
Column 29 – Houses, number of stories
Column 30 – Houses, number of families occupying
Column 31 – Houses vacant
Column 32 – Houses being built
Column 33 – Horses
Column 34 – Cows
Column 35 – Sheep
Column 36 – Pigs
Column 37 – Carriages for pleasure
Column 38 – Carriages for hire
Column 39 – Quantity of land attached to tenement
Column 40 – Shop, stores, inns, taverns, schools, etc.
Column 41 – Manufactures of all kinds – mills, ship yards, etc., their produce, etc., and whether worked by steam or water
Column 42 – Number of hands employed
Column 43 – Remarks

Canada West (Ontario) – Schedule A – Rural personal census

Column 1 – Names
Column 2 – Profession, trade, or occupation
Column 3 – Place of birth
Column 4 – Religion
Column 5 – Residence if out of limits
Column 6 – Age on next birthday
Column 7 – Sex (male)
Column 8 – Sex (female)
Column 9 – Married or single
Column 10 – Colored persons
Column 11 – Indians, if any
Column 12 – Residents, members of family (male)
Column 13 – Residents, members of family (female)
Column 14 – Residents, not members of the family (male)
Column 15 – Residents, not members of the family (female)
Column 16 – Members of family absent (male)
Column 17 – Members of family absent (female)
Column 18 – Deaf or dumb (male)
Column 19 – Deaf or dumb (female)
Column 20 – Blind (male)
Column 21 – Blind (female)
Column 22 – Lunatics (male)
Column 23 – Lunatics (female)
Column 24 – Attending school (male)
Column 25 – Attending school (female)
Column 26 – Births in 1851 (male)
Column 27 – Births in 1851 (female)
Column 28 – Deaths in 1851 (male)
Column 29 – Deaths in 1851 (female)
Column 30 – Deaths in 1851, age and cause of death
Column 31 – Houses (brick, stone, frame, log, shanty, or other kind of residence)
Column 32 – Houses, number of stories
Column 33 – Houses, number of families living in the house
Column 34 – Houses, vacant
Column 35 – Houses, building
Column 36 – Shops, stores, inns, taverns, etc.
Column 37 – Public buildings
Column 38 – Places of worship
Column 39 – Information as to mills, factories, etc., their cost, power, produce, etc.
Column 40 – Number of persons usually employed therein
Column 41 – General remarks by the enumerator

Canada East (Quebec) – Schedule A – Urban personal census

The headings on these forms are printed in French; the English translation has been provided below.

Column 1 – Names of persons in the house
Column 2 – Profession, status, or occupation
Column 3 – Place of birth
Column 4 – Religion
Column 5 – Residence if outside of limits
Column 6 – Age at next birthday
Column 7 – Sex (male)
Column 8 – Sex (female)
Column 9 – Married or single
Column 10 – Colored persons
Column 11 – Indians, if any
Column 12 – Residents, members of family (male)
Column 13 – Residents, members of family (female)
Column 14 – Residents, not members of the family (male)
Column 15 – Residents, not members of the family (female)
Column 16 – Members of family absent (male)
Column 17 – Members of family absent (female)
Column 18 – Deaf or dumb (male)
Column 19 – Deaf or dumb (female)
Column 20 – Blind (male)
Column 21 – Blind (female)
Column 22 – Lunatics (male)
Column 23 – Lunatics (female)
Column 24 – Attending school (male)
Column 25 – Attending school (female)
Column 26 – Births in 1851 (male)
Column 27 – Births in 1851 (female)
Column 28 – Deaths in 1851 (male)
Column 29 – Deaths in 1851 (female)
Column 30 – Deaths in 1851, age and cause of death
Column 31 – Houses (brick, stone, frame, log, or other types of constructions)
Column 32 – Houses, number of stories
Column 33 – Number of families in the house
Column 34 – Houses, vacant
Column 35 – Houses, under construction
Column 36 – Shops, stores, inns, taverns, etc.
Column 37 – Public buildings
Column 38 – Place of worship
Column 39 – Information as to mills, factories, etc., investment, power, production, etc.
Column 40 – Number of persons generally employed therein
Column 41 – General remarks of the enumerator

Canada East (Quebec) – Schedule A – Urban personal census (2nd variation)

The headings on these forms are printed in French; the English translation has been provided below.

Column 1 – Names of persons in the house
Column 2 – Profession, status, or occupation
Column 3 – Place of birth
Column 4 – Religion
Column 5 – Residence if outside of limits
Column 6 – Age at next birthday
Column 7 – Sex (male)
Column 8 – Sex (female)
Column 9 – Married or single
Column 10 – Widowers or widows
Column 11 – Colored persons
Column 12 – Residents, members of family (male)
Column 13 – Residents, members of family (female)
Column 14 – Residents, not members of the family (male)
Column 15 – Residents, not members of the family (female)
Column 16 – Members of family absent (male)
Column 17 – Members of family absent (female)
Column 18 – Deaf and dumb
Column 19 – Blind
Column 20 – Lunatics
Column 21 – Attending school (male)
Column 22 – Attending school (female)
Column 23 – Births in 1851 (male)
Column 24 – Births in 1851 (female)
Column 25 – Deaths in 1851 (male)
Column 26 – Deaths in 1851 (female)
Column 27 – Deaths in 1851, age and cause of death
Column 28 – Houses (brick, stone, frame, log, etc.)
Column 29 – Houses, number of stories
Column 30 – Number of families in the house
Column 31 – Houses, vacant
Column 32 – Houses, under construction
Column 33 – Horses
Column 34 – Cows
Column 35 – Sheep
Column 36 – Pigs
Column 37 – Carriages for pleasure
Column 38 – Carriages for hire
Column 39 – Quantity of land attached to tenement
Column 40 – Shops, stores, inns, taverns, schools, etc.
Column 41 – Manufactures of all kinds (mills, construction sites, etc., their produce, etc. and whether worked by steam or water)
Column 42 – Number of person employed
Column 43 – Remarks

Canada East (Quebec) – Schedule A – Rural personal census

The headings on these forms are printed in French; the English translation has been provided below.

Column 1 – Names of persons in the house
Column 2 – Profession, status, or occupation
Column 3 – Place of birth
Column 4 – Religion
Column 5 – Residence if outside of limits
Column 6 – Age at next birthday
Column 7 – Sex (male)
Column 8 – Sex (female)
Column 9 – Married or single
Column 10 – Colored persons
Column 11 – Indians, if any
Column 12 – Residents, members of family (male)
Column 13 – Residents, members of family (female)
Column 14 – Residents, not members of the family (male)
Column 15 – Residents, not members of the family (female)
Column 16 – Members of family absent (male)
Column 17 – Members of family absent (female)
Column 18 – Deaf and dumb (male)
Column 19 – Deaf and dumb (female)
Column 20 – Blind (male)
Column 21 – Blind (female)
Column 22 – Lunatics (male)
Column 23 – Lunatics (female)
Column 24 – Students (male)
Column 25 – Students (female)
Column 26 – Births in 1851 (male)
Column 27 – Births in 1851 (female)
Column 28 – Deaths in 1851 (male)
Column 29 – Deaths in 1851 (female)
Column 30 – Deaths in 1851, age and cause of death
Column 31 – Houses (brick, stone, frame, log, or other types of construction)
Column 32 – Houses, number of stories
Column 33 – Number of families in the house
Column 34 – Houses, vacant
Column 35 – Houses, under construction
Column 36 – Shops, stores, inns, taverns, etc.
Column 37 – Public buildings
Column 38 – Places of worship
Column 39 – Information as to mills, factories, etc., investment, power, production, etc.
Column 40 – Number of person usually employed therein
Column 41 – General remarks of the enumerator

New Brunswick – Schedule no. 1 – Personal census

Column 1 – Dwelling
Column 2 – Name
Column 3 – Sex
Column 4 – Relationship
Column 5 – Age
Column 6 – Race
Column 7 – Rank or occupation
Column 8 – Date of entering the colony
Column 9 – Sick or infirm
Column 10 – Remarks

New Brunswick – Schedule no. 2 – Parish information (no names of individuals)

Column 1 – Inhabited houses
Column 2 – By how many families inhabited
Column 3 – Houses now building
Column 4 – Uninhabited houses
Column 5 – Stores, barns, and outhouses
Column 6 – Number of births in preceding year
Column 7 – Number of deaths in preceding year
Column 8 – Number of children attending grammar schools
Column 9 – Number of children attending parish schools
Column 10 – Estimated quantity of cleared land
Column 11 – Tons of hay cut
Column 12 – Bushels of wheat raised
Column13 – Bushels of barley raised
Column 14 – Bushels of oats raised
Column 15 – Bushels of buckwheat raised
Column 16 – Bushels of Indian corn raised
Column 17 – Bushels of peas and beans raised
Column 18 – Bushels of turnips raised
Column 19 – Bushels of potatoes raised
Column 20 – Bushels of other roots raised
Column 21 – Number of neat cattle
Column 22 – Number of cows, how many milked
Column 23 – Quantity of butter
Column 24 – Number of horses
Column 25 – Number of sheep
Column 26 – Number of swine
Column 27 – Number of churches and places of worship
Column 28 – Number of schools
Column 29 – Number of saw mills, and hands employed
Column 30 – Number of grist mills, and hands employed
Column 31 – Number of tanneries, and hands employed
Column 32 – Number of foundries, and hands employed
Column 33 – Number of weaving and carding establishments and hands employed
Column 34 – Number of hand looms
Column 35 – Number of yards of woolen cloth manufactured
Column 36 – Number of factories, other than the above, and hands employed
Column 37 – Value of leather manufactured
Column 38 – Value of candles manufactured
Column 39 – Value of candles manufactured
Column 40 – Value of wooden ware manufactured, other than cabinet makers
Column 41 – Value of soap manufactured
Column 42 – Value of chairs and cabinet ware manufactured
Column 43 – Value of fish caught, and quantities
Column 44 – Value of hats manufactured
Column 45 – Value of iron castings manufactured
Column 46 – Quantity of coal raised
Column 47 – Quantity of iron smelted
Column 48 – Number of breweries
Column 49 – Number of gallons of malt liquor manufactured
Column 50 – Casks of lime burnt
Column 51 – Number of grindstones
Column 52 – Tons gypsum quarried
Column 53 – Quantity of maple sugar manufactured

Nova Scotia – Heads of families

Column 1 – Heads of families

Buildings

Column 2 – Number of inhabited houses
Column 3 – By how many families inhabited
Column 4 – Number of houses now building
Column 5 – Number of uninhabited houses
Column 6 – Number of stores, barns, and outhouses

Inhabitants of various ages

Column 7 – Number of males under 10 years of age
Column 8 – Number of females under 10 years of age
Column 9 – Number of males between 10 and 20 years of age
Column 10 – Number of females between 10 and 20 years of age
Column 11 – Number of males between 20 and 30 years of age
Column 12 – Number of females between 20 and 30 years of age
Column 13 – Number of males between 30 and 40 years of age
Column 14 – Number of females between 30 and 40 years of age
Column 15 – Number of males between 40 and 50 years of age
Column 16 – Number of females between 40 and 50 years of age
Column 17 – Number of males above 50 years of age
Column 18 – Number of females above 50 years of age
Column 19 – Number of married persons of both sexes
Column 20 – Number of widowers
Column 21 – Number of widows
Column 22 – Number of rate payers
Column 23 – Number of paupers

Deaf and dumb

Column 24 – Males
Column 25 – Females

Blind

Column 26 – Males
Column 27 – Females

Lunatics

Column 28 – Males
Column 29 – Females

Idiots

Column 30 – Males
Column 31 – Females

Indians

Column 32 – Males, including children
Column 33 – Females, including children

Colored persons

Column 34 – Males, including children
Column 35 – Females, including children

Assessments

Column 36 – Amount of assessment for county rates
Column 37 – Amount of assessment for poor rates
Column 38 – Highest rate for poor and county
Column 39 – Lowest rate for poor and county

Value of property

Column 40 – Assessed value of real estate
Column 41 – Probable value of real estate
Column 42 – Assessed value of personal estate

Births, deaths, and marriages

Column 43 – Number of births in the preceding year
Column 44 – Number of deaths in the preceding year
Column 45 – Number of marriages in the preceding year

Numbers engaged in various occupations

Column 46 – Number of clergymen or ministers
Column 47 – Number of doctors
Column 48 – Number of farmers
Column 49 – Number of mechanics
Column 50 – Number of merchants and traders
Column 51 – Number of persons engaged in the fisheries
Column 52 – Number of seamen registered
Column 53 – Number of persons employed at sea
Column 54 – Number of persons engaged in lumbering

Places of worship

Column 55 – Number of churches and places of worship
Column 56 – Denomination

Improved land

Column 57 – Number of acres of dyke land
Column 58 – Average value
Column 59 – Number of acres of other than improved land

Schools and pupils

Column 60 – Number of schools in district
Column 61 – Number of children attending schools

Numbers of various religious denominations

Column 62 – Church of England
Column 63 – Catholics
Column 64 – Kirk of Scotland
Column 65 – Free Church
Column 66 – Presbyterian Church of N.S.
Column 67 – Baptists
Column 68 – Methodists
Column 69 – Congregationalists
Column 70 – Universalists
Column 71 – Lutherans
Column 72 – Sandemanians
Column 73 – Quakers
Column 74 – Other denominations

Agricultural

Column 75 – Number of tons of hay cut
Column 76 – Number of bushels of wheat raised
Column 77 – Number of bushels of barley raised
Column 78 – Number of bushels of rye raised
Column 79 – Number of bushels of oats raised
Column 80 – Number of bushels of buckwheat raised
Column 81 – Number of bushels of Indian corn raised
Column 82 – Number of bushels of peas and beans raised
Column 83 – Quantity of millet and forage

Produce

Column 84 – Number of bushels of potatoes raised
Column 85 – Number of bushels of turnips raised
Column 86 – Number of bushels of other root crops raised

Agricultural stock

Column 87 – Number of neat cattle
Column 88 – Number of milk cows
Column 89 – Number of horses
Column 90 – Number of sheep
Column 91 – Number of swine

Fisheries

Column 92 – Number of vessels engaged in the fisheries
Column 93 – Number of men on board
Column 94 – Amount of tonnage engaged in the fisheries
Column 95 – Number of boats engaged in the fisheries
Column 96 – Number of men on board
Column 97 – Number of nets and seines
Column 98 – Quantity of dry fished cured
Column 99 – Quantity of salmon caught and cured
Column 100 – Quantity of shad caught and cured
Column 101 – Quantity of smoked herrings caught and cured
Column 102 – Quantity of mackerel caught and cured
Column 103 – Quantity of herrings caught and cured
Column 104 – Quantities of alewives caught and cured
Column 105 – Value
Column 106 – Quantity of fish oil
Column 107 – Value

Mills and factories

Column 108 – Number of saw mills
Column 109 – Value
Column 110 – Number of hands employed
Column 111 – Number of grist mills
Column 112 – Value
Column 113 – Number of hands employed
Column 114 – Number of tanneries
Column 115 – Value
Column 116 – Number of hands employed
Column 117 – Number of foundries
Column 118 – Value
Column 119 – Number of hands employed
Column 120 – Number of weaving and caring establishments
Column 121 – Value
Column 122 – Number of hands employed
Column 123 – Number of breweries and distilleries
Column 124 – Value
Column 125 – Number of hands employed
Column 126 – Number of hand looms
Column 127 – Value
Column 128 – Number of other factories
Column 129 – Value
Column 130 – Number of hands employed
Column 131 – Number of steam mills or factories

Articles manufactured

Column 132 – Number of yards of fulled cloth manufactured last year
Column 133 – Number of yards of cloth not fulled
Column 134 – Number of yards of flannel
Column 135 – Value of boots and shoes manufactured
Column 136 – Value of leather manufactured
Column 137 – Value of candles manufactured
Column 138 – Value of soap manufactured
Column 139 – Value of agricultural implements manufactured
Column 140 – Value of chairs and cabinet ware manufactured
Column 141 – Value of carriages manufactured
Column 142 – Value of other wooden ware manufactured
Column 143 – Value of iron castings manufactured
Column 144 – Quantity of coal raised
Column 145 – Quantity of iron smelted
Column 146 – Value

Abbreviations

Within in the census, you may come across some abbreviations. Here are some common ones found within:

Provinces

C.E. – Canada East
C.W. – Canada West
L.C. – Lower Canada
U.C. – Upper Canada

Religion

B.C. – Bible Christian
C. (of) E. – Church of England
C. (of) S. – Church of Scotland
E.M.C. – Episcopal Methodist Church
F.C. – Free Church, Presbyterian
M.E.C. – Methodist Episcopal Church
P.C.L.P. – Presbyterian-Canada and Lower Provinces
P.F.C. – Presbyterian Free Church
R.C. – Roman Catholic
R.P. – Reformed Presbyterian
U.P. – United Presbyterian
W.M. – Wesleyan Methodist

Weights and measures

A – Acres
B wheat – Buckwheat
Bsh – Bushels
Galls – Gallons
Cwts / quint – Hundredweight
Lbs – Pounds
Yds – Yards

Search tips

Narrowing your results

If your searches are returning too many results, try including another name in your search by using the Other household member search field. If you know another person that would have been living with your relative at the time of the census, searching by your ancestor’s name with this additional household member’s name will help to greatly narrow your search results.

Deciphering the image

For images that are difficult to decipher, refer to the breakdown of column headers on the search screen to assist you.
If the image continues to prove difficult to read, try downloading the image and opening it an image editing program on your computer. Increase the contrast and experiment with various settings to improve legibility.

How to view previous and next images

To navigate the images to see all the columns pertaining to a particular individual, you will need to click on the image link found in the transcript (Source image) and then manipulate the URL there. For example, if your ancestor were located on this page, http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e094/e002346999.jpg, you would edit the number so that instead of ending in -6999 it ended in -7000, allowing you to see the next page.

Useful links and resources

Canada census 1861
Canada census 1871
Canada census 1881
Canada census 1891
Canada census 1901
Canada census 1911