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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>The Canadian
census indices<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Following my
recent email about free access to census material at Automated Genealogy
(<a href="http://www.automatedgenealogy.com">www.automatedgenealogy.com</a>) I
have been sent the following additional information about Canadian censuses.
I hope it will prove of interest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>-o0o-<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>The Canadian
census indices are very comprehensive and they are all free to access (except
1861 and 1871 - see below notes). The earlier census years are very important
for research on UK people who migrated to Canada before 1911.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Library and
Archives Canada (LAC) (<a href="http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/">http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/</a>)
has the images on-line for the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>1851/52 for Canada
East (now Quebec)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>1851/52 for Canada
West (now Ontario)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>1881 for all of
Canada<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>1891 for all of
Canada<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>1901 for all of
Canada<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>1906 for the
Northwest Provinces - Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>1911 for all of
Canada<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Only the censuses
of 1881 and 1891 are name searchable. 1881 uses the sometimes difficult Utah
index: inspires creativity. The Catalogue of Census Returns on microfilm
1666-1901 digitized on the LAC site gives a list of what years are available in
any given census locality.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>The 1861 and 1871
Canadian censuses are particularly valuable for gaining an insight into how
one’s ancestors lived. These census forms asked many questions other than
the basic ones. Especially in rural areas, which comprised much of early
Canada, one may learn what crops were harvested, how much land was under what
cultivation, what farm animals the family owned (and even slaughtered), what
farm equipment they owned, what kind of houses they lived in and much more.
1871 had up to 9 schedules. Needless to say not all questions were pertinent to
each family.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>The 1871 census on
the LAC site is a transcription of only the Heads of the family in Ontario from
Schedule 1 but it does give reasonable identifying information about the head
and gives the complete reference to where the family is found in the census.
The 1861 and 1871 censuses for Canada have not been put on line but they have
been microfilmed and include all schedules. These and the other microfilms are
available from LAC on inter-library loan, both within and outside Canada. The
Canadian Genealogy Centre in LAC has a section on 'How to Access LAC Records.'
One does need to have an idea of where in Canada to look in the instances of
1861 and 1871 censuses. Fortunately, the bulk of migration went to Ontario and
the Heads of Family index is invaluable for that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>1901, 1906 and
1911 can only be searched by the geographic area not the name. However, as
stated in the previous email, the website <b>Automated Genealogy</b> has had a
large number of volunteers index these records by name. Their site links to the
images on Library and Archives Canada.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>1851 has many
areas missing. These apparently were lost or destroyed. Unfortunately, the very
important (early migration-wise) Simcoe County is one of these areas. If one
knows the general area where the people one is looking for were resident in
1851/52, it is not a terribly onerous job to search image by image. Even if you
know only “Canada West” (now Ontario), population was not high in
those days and some perseverance will work! Automated Genealogy is in the
process of indexing the 1851/52 censuses that encompass Canada East and West
and the Maritimes provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward
Island also. These are still incomplete but are searchable to the current
extent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>As an aside, the
attestation papers of Soldiers of WWI have also been digitized and are on line
(free access). The actual service records are also available from LAC as
photocopies but this is on a fee per page basis. Many of our volunteers were
British-born fellows. I even obtained from another database the service records
of my great grandfather's two brothers who were with the Northwest Mounted
Police in 1880s (free access for the whole shot!).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Roger Lewry</span><span
style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>FFHS Archives
Liaison</span><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>archives.liaison@ffhs.org.uk</span><span
style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>The
Federation of Family History Societies is a Company Limited by Guarantee</span></i><i><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Company
Number 2930189 (England & Wales) - Registered Charity Number 1038721</span></i><i><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Registered
Office: Artillery House, 15 Byrom Street, Manchester, England M3 4PF</span></i><i><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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