Sources: Census Reports

by F.E. McConvey

Published 10 February 1988

One of the best data aids in the quest for your family tree is a census report.

Before the British controlled this vast expanse of land known as New Brunswick, it was under French domination. Therefore, the earliest reports available for the year 1617, 1686, 1693, 1695, 1698, 1701, 1703, 1714, 1731 and 1733 cover the Acadian families.

the British took a census during the years of 1762, 1763, 1776, and 1783. Unfortunatelky, for the most part, these reports are useless to the genealogist, except as statistical reports, because no names were recorded. On occassion, the names of the heads of households might be given.

After the creation of this province in 1784, there was no census taken until 1824. In the interim, there were some enumerations in scattered locations. At the Provincial Archives the following reports are available.

1803--Parish of Prince William; Hopewell; Sackville and Westmoreland.

1820-- Botsford; Dorchester.

1821-- Grand Manan (names the head of household and spouse).

1824-- Sackville.

During the years of 1824, 1834, and 1840, a census was undertaken on a province-wide scale. Regrettably, not one name was written down.

Not until 1851 was any detail recorded during an enumeration. This one supplies the names and ages of every family member, occupations, origins and the dates they arrive in this province. With each successive census the amount of information increased.

Census records are usually held by the government until 100 years has lapsed. Until the last year or so, only the reports to 1881 were available to researchers. There were some attempts by geanealogists to have the data released after a period of seventy-five years. At this time I have been unable to confirm where this have been accomplished, but I do know that the 1891 census is now available to the public.

It must be remembered that although census records are official documents, they do not always provide accurate information. There may be misspelled names or incorrect ages.

For example, my great-great-grandmother was six years younger than her husband in 1851. By 1861 there was only a difference in year. The 1871 census showed her as three years younger. When 1881 rolled around she became a year older that her spouse and finally in 1891 they were the same age.

On many occassions the handwritting of the enumerator is extremely difficult to decipher. But, by and large, census reports provide the best means for establishing family relationships. My own feeling is that the most recent reports tend to reflect the greatest accuracy because education was more widespread in the later generations.

You should also be aware of the fact that census reports for some parishes have become lost through carelessness, fires, etc. In this area the 1861 report for St. James Parish is missing.

Census reports from 1851 to 1891 are available on microfilm at the Provincial Archives in Fredericton. In addition to regular hours, theya re open on Saturdays for the conenience of those who work throughout the week.

Your local library can also order films on an inter-library laon. The librarian will have the forms to be completed.

Researchers throughout New Brunswick have been busy producing alphabetical editions of the census reports that have been made available in books. This is a slow, tedious project, but the number of volumes in gradually increasing. For anyone who can devote a few hours of time on a regular basis, this is an extremely worthy project.

The following census publications may be purchased from the Provincial Archives.:

1851	Kings County Vol. 1 (Parishes of Norton, Studholm, Sussex and Upham)
1851	Kings County Vol. II (Parishes of Kingston, Westfield, Greenwich, Hampton and Springfield)
1851	Albert County
1851	Carleton County
1851	Charlotte County Vol. I (Parishes of Campobello, Grand Manan, Pennfield, St. Andrews, Saint David, and West Isles)
1851	Charlotte County Vol.II (Parishes of Saint George, Saint James, Saint Patricks and Saint Stephen)
1851	Westmoreland County Vol. I
1851	Westmoreland County vol. II
1851	York County
1851	St. John County Vol. I (A-K, all parishes)
1851	St. John County Vol. II (L-Z, all parishes)
1851	Restigouche County
1851-1881	Alnwich, Northumberland County
1851-1881	Kingston Parish, Kings County
1851-1881	Saint Mary's, York County
1861	Gloucester County
1861	Restigouche County
1871	Gloucester County
1871	Restigouche County
1871	Fredericton
1881	Gloucester County
1881	Kingston Parrish, Kings County

These books are also available at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John.

It is extremely simple for mistakes for appear in works of this nature because of illegibility of the original records and/or the researchers not being familiar with the names in a locality. The 1851 census for Charlotte County is no exception.

The folling errors have been noticed and should be corrected in your copy.

St. Andrews Parish (Vol. 1)

Page 159 HIGGINS, page 84. this is the family of ROLAND and SOPHIA (LANE) HUGGINS.

SOPHIA (LANE) HUGGINS.

Page 189 (MACKEE), page 77. This should read MARKEE, ANDREW, CATHERINE (THOMAS) NIXON (NICKSON).

Page 199, NICKERSON, page 100. This is the family of JAMES and CATHERINE (THOMAS) NIXON (NICKSON)

Page 199, NICKERSON, page 95., SAMUEL and JANE NIXON (NICKSON) were the parents of JAMES NIXON (NICKSON).

ST. DAVID'S PARISH (VOL. II)

Page 251 FOWLE, page 27. This the family of SARGEANT and DESIRE (TRIM) TOWLE.

If anyone has discovered any other names that require adjustment, please let me know so I can pass the information onto the readers.

QUERIES

20. WILLIAM LITTLE m. ANN GREENLAW on Sept 29 1819 in St. Andrews. He d. Dec. 16, 1872 and she d. Nov.18, 1871. Seek parents of both. Their dau. SUSANNAH (1821-1900) m. JOHN J. BARTLETT. Would like to correspond with anyone working on these families.

Note: In-Laws, Outlaws and Kinfolk articles have been published on this site with the permission of the St. Croix Courier. Special thanks goes to the Courier for allowing me to reprint my mother's articles.