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Questions asked on the 1901 census of Canada
(The names of all family members are listed)


Each census enumeration district (eg town, city or township) is divided into a number of smaller areas. These sub-districts usually have between 10 and 15 pages of personal census and there can be a large number of sub-districts in an enumeration area, depending on popuation numbers, but usually there are about 5 to 10 sub-districts.

Two Schedules from this census are available on microfilm - 1. Population and 2. Buildings and Lands, Churches and Schools. Each of the sub-districts usually begins with Schedule 2. In some other provinces or territories the two scheduels were separated from each other and placed on different films but in the same order.

If you know an exact street address or the concession and lot numbers of the property you can speed up your search by first reading Schedule 2 and only reading the Personal Schedule for the sub-districts that match your property.

Of special interest in this census are the 'date of birth', 'year they came to Canada' (if born elsewhere), and the 'relation to the head of family'. The date of birth should be accepted with caution because you do not know who was the informant, if they were telling the truth or if they knew the truth. It seems that many inaccurate dates were given.

NOTE: Parts of this census have either had the ink fade or has been poorly photographed leaving many pages difficult or impossible to read.

SCHEDULE No. 1. -- POPULATION
Note: The page number and line number of the head of the family are used to refer to Schedule 2.

NUMBERED IN ORDER OF VISITATION
1. Dwelling house
2. Family or Household

PERSONAL DESCRIPTION
3. Name of each person in family, or household on 31st March 1901
4. Sex
5. Colour
6. Relation to head of family or household
7. Single, married, widowed or divorced
8. Month and date of birth
9. Year of birth
10. Age at last birthday

CITIZENSHIP, NATIONALITY AND RELIGION
11. Country or place of birth - a 'u' (for urban) or 'r' (for rural) may be included in this box
12. Year of immigration to Canada
13. Year of naturalization - 'pa' entered in this column indicates that the person has applied for papers, but has not yet reached the full status of citizenship.
14. Racial or Tribal origin
15. Nationality
16. Religion

PRINCIPAL PROFESSION OR TRADE
17. Profession, occupation or trade or means of living of each person (If person has retired from profession or trade, add "r" for retired)
18. Living on own means
19. Employer
20. Employee
21. Working on own account

WAGE EARNER
22. Working at trade in factory or in home. (Specify by "f" for factory and "h" for home, or both as the case may be)
23. Months employed at trade in factory
24. Months employed at trade in home
25. Months employed in other occupation than trade in factory or home
26. Earnings from occupation or trade $
27. Extra earnings (from other than chief occupation or trade) $

EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE OF EACH PERSON 5 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER
28. Months at school in year
29. Can read
30. Can write
31. Can speak English
32. Can speak French
33. Mother tongue (If spoken)
34. Infirmities (If infirmity dates from childhood, add "from childhood,")
a. Deaf and Dumb
b. Blind
c. Unsound mind

SCHEDULE No. 2. -- BUILDINGS AND LANDS, CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS
Note: Questions 1 and 2 refer to Schedule 1.
1. Page
2. Line
3. Place of Habitation
(The following examples are listed for the enumerator as a guide.)
a. Name of Municipality, Township or Parish
b. Range or Concession, Lot, or Cadastral number
c. Street and house number
d. or other description

HOUSES
4. In construction
5. Vacant
6. Inhabited

INSTITUTIONS
7. Special or legal name
8. Number of buildings
9. Number of families in house or institution
10. Number of rooms in house or institution for each family
11. Number of inmates in institution, exclusive of families, officers and employees

REAL ESTATE OWNED
12. Grand total of acres
13. Number of town or village lots
14. Number of dwelling houses
15. Number of stores, warehouses etc.
16. Number of barns, stables and other outbuildings
17. Number of silos and capacity in cubic feet
18. Number of manufacturing establishments

REAL ESTATE LEASED OR OTHERWISE HELD
19. Grand total of acres
20. Number of town or village lots
21. Number of dwelling houses
22. Number of stores, warehouses etc.
23. Number of barns, stables and other outbuildings
24. Number of silos and capacity in cubic feet
25. Number of manufacturing establishments

CHURCH OR PLACE OF WORSHIP
26. Religious denomination
27. Number of communicants
28. Seating capacity of ediface

SUNDAY SCHOOL
29. Religious denomination
30. Number of officers and teachers
31. Number of scholars

PUBLIC SCHOOL
32. Number of rooms
33. Number of Teachers
34. Number of Scholars
35. Date of visit
36. The reason, if not enumerated, on first visit
37. Date when enumerated
Census Index

CanGenealogy.com > Hugh Armstrong's Genealogy Site Index