The census, a useful tool for the researcher
The novice researcher seeks to improve his knowledge of his ancestors. As a first step, he will search the offices of the national archives and the libraries of genealogical societies to find the names, dates and location of marriages of his ancestors. Many volumes are available to carry out this task, such as the Tongue, Lebo and Drouin collections. As a result, he will be able to complete the first step of a direct ascending line or a genealogy of his descendants.
But, shouldn’t the ultimate goal of the research be to learn about the life of those who preceded us? How they lived? Were they farmers, carpenters or solicitors? Could they read and write? That is when the census becomes a useful research tool.
The first three censuses were taken in 1666, 1667 and in 1681. At that time, two types of data were gathered by the census taker who would survey towns and villages. In the first register, referred to as the «personal census», there was recorded information relative to the family and its belongings. The second register, «the agricultural census» as the name indicates, recorded statistics pertaining to the fields the types of crops, the area of the farm land and quantities harvested.
The source for these documents may be qualified as «manuscripts», Notarized acts and parish registers still remain reliable sources for certain specific information. But for a given ancestor, as an example when referring to the 1861 census, you can discover information that different religious registries does not reveal. It may include the number of strangers living with a family, the recording of a physical disability amongst certain family members, their belongings, or other information that enables us to identify the life styles of our great-great grand parents. Also, by comparing previous censuses, we can evaluate and determine whether economic condition improves from one period to another. You can also determine when children leave the home, confirm birth dates or the death of a member, and know the names of neighbors, hired hands and much more information unavailable from other sources.
Listed below are some links connected to census data bank from either, Quebec, the Atlantic Provinces and North-Eastern United States. As we learned, you will find this source of historical information a very worthwhile source of information.
Suggestions :
- Canada census 1901
- Canada census 1911
- 1851 Census (Canada-East, Canada-West, New-Brunswick et Nova Scotia)
- The Upper St. John River Valley
- Le Centre de Généalogie
- http://genealogie.org/doc.htm#bases (inscription requise, consultation gratuite)
- Lower-Canada Census 1851 – Kamouraska County
- Family Search
- Automated genealogy