Ontario and Nova Scotia, Census, 1800-1842

This database is an index to various local censuses taken between 1800 and 1842 in Canada, primarily in the Nova Scotia and Ontario provinces. Information contained in this data set includes the name of the individual, the township, district, county, and/or province in Canada under which the individual is found in the census, the page number on the microfilm the individual is found on, and the year of the census. Note: each entry may not contain all of this information.

Census records are valuable sources for genealogists because they help us locate people in a specific time and place. Many of the census records indexed here are located at the Family History Library (FHL) in book and/or microfilm format. Use the information gathered from this index to search the Family History Library Catalog by searching first by locality and then for census records for the year in which your ancestor was found. It is important to use this index to locate the original record because original records often contain more information than do their indexes.

The confederation of Canada occurred in 1867, making the 1871 census the first official national census. National censuses have been taken every ten years since 1871 and every five years since 1971. Although 1871 is the year of the first national census, pre-1871 census records exist for some areas of Canada as many areas had provincial and local censuses taken. Some areas even have census records dating back to colonial times. This data set is part of those pre-1871 records where the censuses were taken by provincial and local governments.