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:

• whether someone was French-Canadian
• place of birth of both mother and father
• whether someone was an employer or an employee
• whether they were unemployed in the week before the census

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.

• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec

Instructions to enumerators

• Manual Containing the Census Act and the Instructions to Officers Employed in the Taking of the Third Census in Canada, 1891. Ottawa: Department of Agriculture, Census Branch, 1891

Statistical summary

• Census of Canada, 1890-91 = Recensement du Canada, 1890-91

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

• At last birthday.
• For children under one year of age, fractions were used (for example, to indicate 2 months, "2/12" was written).

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

• For people born outside of Canada, the name of the country of origin (for example, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, and so on).
• For people born in Canada, the name of the province.

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

Column 13. Place of birth of father

• If the father was born outside of Canada, the name of the country was entered.
• If the father was born in Canada, the name of the province was entered.

Column 14. Place of birth of mother

• If the mother was born outside of Canada, the name of the country was entered.
• If the mother was born in Canada, the name of the province was entered.

Column 15. Religion

• The religion to which an individual claimed to belong, written in full.
• Abbreviations were used if the name was too long.

Column 16. Profession, occupation or trade

• More than one profession, occupation, or trade can be listed.
• Sons following in the profession or occupation of their father were to have the same description as their father entered into the census.
• Individuals studying a profession or trade were to be noted as students of that profession or trade.
• Individuals in college were to be entered as students; however, school children were not to be entered as students.
• For those who had no other occupation aside from a share of the household work, a symbol for nothing-to-be-recorded was entered.

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.