Census of Canada, 1891

Search Help

• Database
• Search Screen
• How to Interpret the Results
• How to Obtain Copies
• Other Resources
• Census Districts and Sub-Districts

Database

This research tool provides access to 4,833,239 references to the Census of Canada, 1891. Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca/Default.aspx?lcid=4105) compiled the names of individuals appearing in the census. The records have been digitized and are searchable by name.

The database entries reflect the original language used in the documents. This information was not translated.

Important note: Given that some of the names are very difficult to read, some information in the database may be incorrect and/or incomplete. In your search, consider using slight variations on the spelling of the name. Errors and corrections can be reported to the Canadian Genealogy Centre by clicking on Suggest a correction on the item display page.

Search Screen

The search screen allows you to search by name of person or by place. The 1891 Census was conducted according to census districts and sub-districts, and the records were compiled accordingly. Therefore, knowledge of the districts and sub-districts is of great value in locating either an individual or a geographic location. To provide assistance with district names and sub-district descriptions, a list of census districts and sub-districts is provided.

The search screen allows you to search by

Surname
Given Name (s)
Age
Keywords
Province
District Name
District Number
Sub-District Name

This multi-fielded search screen offers a larger number of variables on which you can search the database, all of which can be used in combination. To use the fields in combination you should note that the default Operator is "AND."

The Province field is a dropdown list allowing you to retrieve all the returns for a specific province. This field can also be used in combination with the district and sub-district fields.

District Name is the official name given to the Census District by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. In some cases, District names correspond to County names.

A District Number was assigned to each census district by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics for administrative purposes. A District Number can be used to quickly retrieve a previous result by using it in combination with a province.

Sub-District Names were assigned to areas within each census district. Again, the names of Sub-Districts often correspond with place names within a county, and can include ward, town, village or parish names.

Please note that the sub-district, division and page numbers were not captured when the index was created by Ancestry.ca. Should you wish to consult the census on microfilm, please use our Catalogue of Census Returns on Microfilm 1666-1901 to obtain the microfilm reel number.

For some cities, some wards or suburban areas were enumerated in the surrounding county/district. For example, parts of Ottawa were enumerated in Carleton County. Thus, be careful not to overly limit your search when looking for a particular city.

For all locations, use the list of census districts and sub-districts to find district names and numbers and sub-district names. You can then search with this information which will produce more specific results. If you are uncertain of the sub-district name, try searching by district name or number only. This will help you find all sub-districts regardless of spelling variations of place names.

The Keyword search field allows you to search any of the above fields alone or in combination. When you have entered your search terms, click on "Submit." The number of hits found will be shown at the top of the results screen.

How to Interpret the Results

Your search results will be posted as a results summary list from which you will be able to obtain more detailed descriptions.

Results Summary List

The results summary list contains the following fields:

Name (Surname and given name(s))
Age
Province
District Name
Sub-District Name

You can export the results to a portable storage device or to your computer.

Click on the underlined name of the person of interest to you to access the detailed description.

Detailed Description

The detailed description contains the following fields:

Name
Sex
Age
Marital Status
Province
District Name
District Number
Sub-District Name
Household Number
Reference

You can view the images in PDF or JPEG format. Click on the appropriate link to see a digitized image of the page of interest to you.

To open a PDF file, you must download the free Acrobat Reader software available from Adobe Systems Incorporated (http://get.adobe.com/reader/). If you have trouble installing or using Acrobat Reader, visit the Adobe Acrobat Reader support page (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/help/011-300-e.html#a).

When you open a PDF image, the image will be displayed inside the current browser window. Use the "Back" button to return to the list of available images.

You can print the images or save the images on your own computer.

To print a copy of a scanned image in JPEG format, right click on the image, select copy, then paste to your word processing software, using the Edit: Paste Special Feature: Device Independent Bitmap.

How to Obtain Copies

You can print the images or save them on your computer. Use the following access link for other options, such as borrowing microfilm.

How to Access Library and Archives Canada Records

Other Resources

Other archival census records exist. Consult Census and Enumerations to obtain more information about these records