Census of Canada, 1891

The third national census for Canada began on April 6, 1891 and it contained a total of 216 questions across 9 schedules. Only Schedule 1, which includes names has survived. The location for each household was only recorded on Schedule 3. Since that schedule no longer exists, there is no way to know exactly where a family lived.

Like the 1871 and 1881 Censuses, the 1891 Census counted sea-going vessels, temporary housing, homes under construction, and uninhabited homes in Schedule 1. Institutions were enumerated separately from homes, and appear together in a single block of responses (microfilm reel T-6427).

Unlike previous censuses, the 1891 Census recorded:

Some of the pages were out of order when they were microfilmed. For example, pages in a sub-district might appear in this sequence: 1, 2, 5, 6, 3, 4, etc.

List of districts and sub-districts

Select a province to get a listing of the census districts for that province, followed by a list of sub-districts and their descriptions.

Instructions to enumerators

Statistical summary

Column headings

Column 1. Vessels and shanties
A count of the vessels or shanties. To be numbered in the order visited by the enumerator.

Column 2. Houses in construction
A count of the houses in construction. To be numbered in the order visited by the enumerator.

Column 3. Houses uninhabited
A count of the houses uninhabited. To be numbered in the order visited by the enumerator.

Column 4. Houses inhabited
A count of the houses inhabited. To be numbered in the order visited by the enumerator.

Column 5. Families
A count of the family or household. Two or more families that occupied the same house were to be numbered separately.

Column 6. Names
Were to be entered with the surname (or last name) first.

Column 7. Sex
Denoted by the letter “m” for male and “f” for female.

Column 8. Age

Column 9. Married or widowed
Denoted by the letter “m” for married or “w” for widow or widower.

Column 10. Relation to head of family
Denoted by the letter “w” for wife, “d” for daughter, “s” for son or “dom” for domestic.

Column 11. Country or province of birth

Column 12. French Canadians
The number of French Canadians and French Acadians.

Column 13. Place of birth of father

Column 14. Place of birth of mother

Column 15. Religion

Column 16. Profession, occupation or trade

Column 17. Employers

Column 18. Wage earner

Column 19. Unemployed during week preceding census

Column 20. Employer to state average number of hands employed during year

Instruction

Column 21. Read

Column 22. Write

Infirmities

Column 23. Deaf and dumb

Column 24. Blind

Column 25. Unsound of mind
The degree of the infirmity needed to have reached the stage of incapacity to be noted.

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