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1851 East and West Canada Census Questions

In 1850-51, Canada East was roughly what is today the province of Quebec, and Canada West was the present day southern Ontario. In some years, they were also referred to as Lower Canada and Upper Canada.

In the 1851 East and West Canada Census every person who stayed in the house on the night of Sunday, 11 January 1851, as well as individuals who usually lived at the house, but were absent on that night, were to be enumerated. Enumerators asked the following questions.


Column Question
1 Names of inmates
2 Profession, Trade or Occupation
3 Place of birth
4 Religion
5 Residence, if out of limits
6 Age next birthday
Sex (7-8)
7 Male
8 Female
9 Married or Single
10 Coloured persons - Negroes
11 Indians, if any
Residents - Members (12-13)
12 Male
13 Female
Residents - Not Members (14-15)
14 Male
15 Female
Members absent (16-17)
16 Male
17 Female
Deaf and Dumb (18-19)
18 Male
19 Female
Blind (20-21)
20 Male
21 Female
Lunatics (22-23)
22 Male
23 Female
Attending School (24-25)
24 Male
25 Female
Births during the year 1851 (26-27)
26 Male
27 Female
Deaths during the year 1851 (28-30)
28 Male
29 Female
30 Age and Cause of Deaths
Houses (31-35)
31 Brick, Stone, Frame, Log, Shanty, or other kind of residence
32 Number of stories
33 Number of families occupying
34 Vacant
35 Building
36 Shops, Stores, Inns, Taverns, etc
37 Public Buildings
38 Places of Worship
39 Information as to Mills, Factories, etc, their cost, power, produce, etc
40 Number of persons employed therein
41 General remarks of enumerator

Additionally, there was an agricultural census which enumerated land, farm buildings, farm animals, crops, and such. Much of the 1851 East and West Canada census for the agricultural questions no longer exists.

To save an Adobe Acrobat copy of the 1851 East and West Canada census questions click here. Use the back arrow to return here after the download.

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