Census of 1842, Canada West
This Census was the Ontario counterpart of the Quebec Census in the same year. It was taken on the same date (February 1, 1842) and had questions about:
- individuals who came from different countries (England, Ireland, the United States)
- how long they had been in the province
- the number of bee hives
- types of factories and their power sources
Incorrectly labeled microfilms
On microfilm C-1344, pages for North Dumfries and Galt, Gore District, were incorrectly labelled as St. David’s, Toronto. They are also indexed that way in this database.
On microfilm C-1345, the names of the sub-district and district were not written on some pages. They are labelled on the microfilm as “Census Returns, 1842, Canada West, Unidentified Sheets”. If you can't find a person’s name in the database, try searching without a place.
List of districts and sub-districts
See the tables defining this census' districts and sub-districts.
Instructions to enumerators
Statistical summary
Column headings
A pre-printed or hand-written form was used, with headings written in English.
The columns were not numbered and the headings do not appear on every page.
Please note that when describing ethnic origin or mental capacity, some terms were used by the enumerators in 1842 and do not reflect current usage when describing a person’s background.
Column 1. Houses with their local situations in any range, concession, street, etc.
- Houses inhabited
- Houses vacant
- Houses under construction
Column 2. Name of the head of each family
Column 3. Proprietor of real property
Column 4. Non-proprietor of real property
Column 5. Tenant entitled to vote at any election in city, town, etc.
Column 6. Trade or profession
Column 7. Total number of inmates in each family, male and female, currently residing in the house
Column 8. Number of persons belonging to the family, male or female, and temporarily absent from the province
Column 9. Number of natives of England belonging to each family
Column 10. Number of natives of Ireland belonging to each family
Column 11. Number of natives of Scotland belonging to each family
Column 12. Number of natives of Canada belonging to each family of French origin
Column 13. Number of natives of Canada belonging to each family of British origin
Column 14. Number of natives of continent of Europe or otherwise, specifying the same separately
Column 15. Number of natives of the United States of America
Column 16. Number of years each person has been in the province when not native thereof
Column 17. Number of aliens not naturalized
Column 18. Number of persons in the family, five years of age and under
- Male
- Female
Column 19. Number of persons in the family, above five and under fourteen years of age
- Male
- Female
Column 20. Male
-
14 and under 18
- Married
- Single
-
18 and not 21
- Married
- Single
-
21 and not 30
- Married
- Single
-
30 and not 60
- Married
- Single
-
60 and upwards
- Married
- Single
Column 21. Female
-
14 and not 45
- Married
- Single
-
45 and upwards
- Married
- Single
Column 22. Number of deaf and dumb people in each family, and the occupation for which they show the greatest aptitude
- Male
- Female
Column 23. Number of blind persons in each family
- Male
- Female
Column 24. Number of idiots in each family
- Male
- Female
Column 25. Number of lunatic persons in each family
- Male
- Female
Column 26. Number of persons in each family belonging to Church of England
Column 27. Number of persons in each family belonging to Church of Scotland
Column 28. Number of persons in each family belonging to Church of Rome
Column 29. Number of British Wesleyan Methodists in each family
Column 30. Number of Canadian Wesleyan Methodists in each family
Column 31. Number of Episcopal Methodists in each family
Column 32. Number of other Methodists in each family
Column 33. Number of Presbyterians not in connection with the Church of Scotland in each family
Column 34. Number of Congregationalists or Independants in each family
Column 35. Number of Baptists and Anabaptists in each family
Column 36. Number of Lutherans in each family
Column 37. Number of Quakers in each family
Column 38. Number of Moravians and Tunkers in each family
Column 39. Number of Dutch Reformed Church in each family
Column 40. Number of Jews in each family
Column 41. Number of persons of all other religious denominations not herein enumerated in each family
Column 42. Number of male coloured persons in each family
Column 43. Number of female coloured persons in each family
Column 44. Number of male farm servants employed in each family
Column 45. Number of other male servants in private families
Column 46. Number of other female servants in private families
Column 47. Number of persons engaged in trade or commerce
Column 48. Number of persons in each family subsisting on alms or paupers
Column 49. Number of acres or arpents of land occupied by each family
Column 50. Number of acres or arpents of improved land occupied by each family
Column 51. Produce raised by each family during the last year, and estimated in Winchester bushels
- Wheat
- Barley
- Rye
- Oats
- Peas
- Indian Corn
- Buckwheat
- Potatoes
Column 52. Number of hives of bees kept by each family last season
Column 53. Number of pounds of maple sugar made by each family last season
Column 54. Livestock owned by each family
- Neat Cattle
- Horses
- Sheep
- Hogs
Column 55. Number of yards of fulled cloth manufactured in the domestic way in the same family
Column 56. Number of yards of linen, cotton, or other thin cloth, manufactured in the domestic way in the same family
Column 57. Number of yards of flannel or other woolen cloth, not fulled, manufactured in the domestic way in the same family
Column 58. Number of pounds of wool procured during the last year in each family
Column 59. Under what tenure such land is held by each family
Column 60. Rate of seigneurial rent paid for land held “à titre de cens”
Column 61. Average money rent of farm, farmed by each family
Column 62. Proportion of produce allowed to the proprietor for land held on lease or cultivated on shares by each family
Column 63. Number of colleges, academies and convents in each parish, township, extra-parochial place, ward or division of the town, etc.
Column 64. Number of elementary schools in every such place
Column 65. Number of scholars at each such college, academy, convent or elementary school
- Male
- Female
Column 66. Number of taverns or houses of public entertainment in every such place
Column 67. Number of stores where spirituous liquors are sold in every such place
Column 68. Number of grist mills in every such place
Column 69. Number of pairs of mill stones in each mill
Column 70. Number of oatmeal mills in every such place
Column 71. Number of barley mills in every such place
Column 72. Number of saw mills in every such place
Column 73. Number of oil mills in every such place
Column 74. Number of fulling mills in every such place
Column 75. Number of carding mills in every such place
Column 76. Number of thrashing mills in every such place
Column 77. Number of paper mills in every such place
Column 78. Number of iron works in every such place
Column 79. Number of trip hammers in every such place
Column 80. Number of nail factories in every such place
Column 81. The weight of nails so manufactured in such place
Column 82. Number of distilleries in every such place
Column 83. Number of breweries in every such place
Column 84. Number of tanneries in every such place
Column 85. Number of pot and pearl ash manufactories in every such place
Column 86. Number of manufactories of any sort in every such place, containing any machinery moved by wind, water, steam or animal power, specifying the purposes to which such machinery is applied, and by what power it is moved
Column 87. Average price of wheat in every such place since last harvest
Column 88. Average price of agricultural labour per day throughout the year
Column 89. Additional inquiry, with reference to the distribution of school money—number of children between five and sixteen in each family
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