Canada, Prince Edward Island Census, 1861 - FamilySearch Historical Records

= Prince Edward Island Census 1861 =

Date Range
This census was taken in 1861 for the census year 1860.

Why this Collection Was Created
Canadian census records were taken to enumerate the population for representation, taxation, and other purposes.

Collection History
The Census contains the 1861 census for the province of Prince Edward Island. Census takers were asked to record information about all those who were in each household on the census day. A census taker might have visited a house on a later date, but the information he collected was supposed to be about the people who were in the house on the census day. Enumeration was by census district. Census districts were voting districts, not counties, although most have the same names as counties. For the most part, census districts were synonymous with cities and counties, and sub districts were synonymous with towns, townships, and city wards. Villages, small towns, and parishes were generally enumerated as part of the township in which they were located. Census district and county boundaries were not always the same and there were many variations from location to location.

Collection Content Collection Description
Census schedules were taken on large sheets of paper with preprinted rows and columns. They are bound into volumes, arranged by county, then by township and enumeration district.