Argyle Township Court House & Archives

1827 Census Returns

These are the only census records we hold which are not on microfilm. These returns are published in book form: Census of Nova Scotia – 1827 Census of District of Pictou – 1818 [sic], comp. by Allan C. Dunlop, Public Archives of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, November 1979. The ATCHA call number is 929.3716 Cen.

The 1827 census information is presented in tabulated form, in alphabetical order province-wide, and only the genealogical material has been compiled. Each page has 12 columns containing the following specific information from left to right on each family:

COLUMN CONTENT
NAME Name of the head of family
A Religion
B Occupation
C Town or village
D Males in household
E Females in household
F Male servants
G Female servants
H Total people in household
J Births in the family in year ending 1 October 1827
K Female marriages in the family in year ending 1 October 1827
L Deaths in the family in the year ending 1 October 1827

Note:
There is no column labeled “I”

The information in each column is coded, either with letters or numbers, the explanation of which is given on pp. 2-4 of this publication.

The 1817 Census of the District of Pictou is included in this publication in recognition of the International Gathering of the Clans held in Nova Scotia during the summer of 1979. It is in tabulated form, alphabetical order, and coded. In the seven columns on each page one finds the name of the head of the household, and the total number of people per household, broken down into five age and gender related categories.

1838 Census Returns

The surviving 1838 census returns for the entire province are on one reel of microfilm: Public Archives of Canada Microfilm Reel No. M-3136, Nova Scotia Assessment & Census Records – 1838.

The returns on this reel are ordered as follows:

Pictou Co., Halifax Co. & City, Cape Breton Island, Annapolis Co., Colchester Co., Digby Co., Guysborough Co., Hants Co., Kings Co., Lunenburg Co., Queens Co., Shelburne Co., Yarmouth Co.
The eleven columns on each family offer the following information, in order from left to right:

  1. Names of heads of families
  2. No. of male heads of families
  3. No. of female heads of families
  4. Occupation
  5. No. of male children under six years of age
  6. No. of female children under six years of age
  7. No. of males under 14 years of age
  8. No. of females under 14 years of age
  9. No. of males above 14 years of age, not heads of families
  10. No. of females above 14 years of age
  11. Total number in family

1851 Census Returns

ATCHA has a copy of the three reels of microfilm which contain the only surviving 1851 census returns for the province. The microfilm reel numbers are as follows:

  • City of Halifax, Public Archives of Canada Microfilm No. M-3137
  • Halifax, Co., Microfilm No. M-3138
  • Kings Co. area, Microfilm No. M-3139

These returns include the following information of genealogical interest:

  1. Names of heads of families
  2. Inhabitants of various ages, with 6 sub-categories (each of which in turn is broken down into male and female columns):
  • No. under 10 years of age (M/F)
  • From 10 to 20 years of age (M/F)
  • From 20 to 30 years of age (M/F)
  • From 30 to 40 years of age (M/F)
  • From 40 to 50 years of age (M/F)
  • Above 50 years of age (M/F)

The 1851 census also contains other information in the form of schedules having to do with mills and factories; manufactured articles; religious denomination; agriculture; fisheries; property value and assessments; births, deaths and marriages; occupation; improved land (e.g. number of acres of dyke land) and so on.

1860-61 Census Returns

ATCHA has 21 reels of microfilm containing the 1860-61 census returns for Nova Scotia. The microfilm reel numbers for each county are as follows:

  1. Annapolis Co. – Returns have not survived
  2. Antigonish Co. – Returns have not survived
  3. Cape Breton Co., Public Archives of Canada Microfilm No. M-875
  4. Colchester Co. – Polling places nos. 1-2, Microfilm No. M-1167 and Polling places nos. 3-13, Microfilm No. M-1168
  5. Cumberland Co. – Microfilm No. M-1169
  6. Digby Co., Microfilm No. M-882
  7. Guysborough Co., Microfilm No. M-874
  8. Halifax City – Polling places nos. 1-6, Microfilm No. M-1165
  9. Halifax Co. – Polling places nos. 7-22, Microfilm No. M-1166 and Polling places nos. 23-33, Microfilm No. M-1167
  10. Hants Co., Microfilm No. M-880
  11. Inverness Co., Microfilm No. M-876
  12. Kings Co., Microfilm No. M-881
  13. Lunenburg Co., Microfilm No. M-886
  14. Pictou Co. – Polling places nos. 1-10, Microfilm No.M1170 and Polling places nos. 11-22, Microfilm No. M-1171
  15. Queens Co., Microfilm No. M-885
  16. Richmond Co., Microfilm No. M-877
  17. Shelburne Co., Microfilm No. M-884
  18. Sydney Co., Microfilm No. M-879
  19. Victoria Co., Microfilm No. M-878
  20. Yarmouth Co., Microfilm No. M-883
  21. Various returns for all parts of NS, Microfilm No. M-887

The 1860-61 census provides us with the names of heads of families, followed by 146 numbered columns of information on each household as follows:

1-3) male (M), female (F) and total population in household
4-5) births since 30 March 1860, M & F
6-115) these columns on the census forms indicate both the number of living people, and the deaths since 30 March 1860, in each household according to age group and gender, as follows:

  • Number of living children under one year of age, M & F, and deaths for this age group, M & F
  • Number living (& deaths) over one and under two, M & F
  • Number living (& deaths) over two and under three, M & F
  • Number living (& deaths) over three and under four, M & F
  • Number living (& deaths) over four and under five, M & F
  • Number living (& deaths) over five and under 10, M & F
  • Number living (&) over 10 and under 15, M & F, plus “married” or “single” for the living
  • Number living (& deaths) over 15 and under 20, M & F, plus “married,” “single” and “widow/widower” for the living in this and all remaining age groups
  • Number living (& deaths) over 20 and under 30 and so on, in 10-year increments, up to over 90 and under 100, M & F
  • Number living (& deaths) over 100, M & F

116-117) Ages not given, M & F
118-119) Deaths (ages not given) M & F
120-123) Males (married, single, widowers and total)
124-127) Females (married, single, widows and total
128) Grand total
129-130) Deaths, M & F
131-132) Deaf and dumb, M & F
133-134) Blind, M & F
135-136) Lunatics, M & F
137-138) Idiots, M & F
139-140) Cannot read, over 5 and under 15 years of age, M & F
141-142) Cannot read, above 15 years of age, M & F
143-144) Cannot write, over 5 and under 15 years of age, M & F
145-146) Cannot write, above 15 years of age, M & F.

The 1860-61 census also contains other information in the form of schedules pertaining to religious denomination, agricultural produce, stock, fisheries, occupation, deaths and causes thereof, and so on.

1871 Census Returns

ATCHA has 32 reels of microfilm containing the 1871 census returns for Nova Scotia. The microfilm reel numbers for the 1871 census returns for each county in Nova Scotia are as follows:

  1. Annapolis Co., Public Archives of Canada Microfilm No. C- 10542, C-10543 & C-10544
  2. Antigonish Co., Microfilm No. C-10562 & C-10563
  3. Cape Breton Co., Microfilm No. C-10567, C-10568 & C-10569
  4. Colchester Co., Microfilm No. C-10557, C-10558 & C-10559
  5. Cumberland Co., Microfilm No. C-10555, C-10556 & C-10557
  6. Digby Co., Microfilm No. C-10544 & C-10545
  7. Guysborough Co., Microfilm No. C-10563 & C-10564
  8. Hants Co., Microfilm No. C-10395 & C-10540
  9. Halifax (West), Microfilm No. C-10550, C-10551, C-10552 & C- 10553
  10. Halifax (East), Microfilm No. C-10553, C-10554 & C-10555
  11. Inverness Co., Microfilm No. C-10564, C-10565 & C-10566
  12. Kings Co., Microfilm No. C-10540, C-10541 & C-10542
  13. Lunenburg Co., Microfilm No. C-10548, C-10549 & C-10550
  14. Pictou Co., Microfilm No. C-10559, C-10560 & C-10561
  15. Queens Co., Microfilm No. C-10547 & C-10548
  16. Richmond Co., Microfilm No. C-10569 & C-10570
  17. Shelburne Co., Microfilm No, C-10547
  18. Victoria Co., Microfilm No. C-10566 & C-10567
  19. Yarmouth Co., Microfilm No. C-10545, C-10546 & C-10547

The 1871 census is the first to provide the names of all the members of a family instead of just that of the head of the household. It also gives everyone’s age at the time the census was taken. The microfilm edition of the census is organized so that all nine schedules for each district are brought together as a unit. The schedules are as follows:

  1. Nominal return of the living. Of particular interest to genealogists, this schedule includes the names of everyone in each household; sex; age; born within last 12 months; country or province of birth; religion; origin (such as Scotch, Irish, French, etc.); occupation; marital status; married within last 12 months; attending school; over 20, able to read and write; deaf and dumb, blind, or of unsound mind.
  2. Nominal return of deaths within the last 12 months
  3. Return of public institutions, real estate, vehicles and implements
  4. Return of cultivated land, of field products and of plants and fruits
  5. Live stock, animal products, home-made fabrics and furs
  6. Return of industrial establishments
  7. Return of products of the forest
  8. Return of shipping and fisheries
  9. Return of mineral products

1891 Census Returns

ATCHA has 15 reels of microfilm containing the 1891 census returns for Nova Scotia. The microfilm reel numbers for the 1891 census returns for each county in Nova Scotia are as follows:

  1. Annapolis Co., Public Archives of Canada Microfilm No. T-6308
  2. Antigonish Co., Microfilm No. T-6308 & T-6309
  3. Cape Breton Co., Microfilm No. T-6309 & T-6310
  4. Colchester Co., Microfilm No. T-6310 & T-6311
  5. Cumberland Co., Microfilm No. T-6311 & T-6312
  6. Digby Co., Microfilm No. T-6312 & T-6313
  7. Guysborough Co., Microfilm No. T-6313
  8. Halifax Co., Microfilm No. T-6313, T-6314 & T-6315
  9. Halifax City, Microfilm No. T-6314
  10. Hants Co., Microfilm No. T-6315 & T-6316
  11. Inverness Co., Microfilm No. T-6316 & T-6317
  12. Kings Co., Microfilm No. T-6317 & T-6318
  13. Lunenburg Co., Microfilm No. T-6318 & T-6319
  14. Pictou Co., Microfilm No. T-6319 & T-6320
  15. Queens Co., Microfilm No. T-6320
  16. Richmond Co., Microfilm No. T-6320
  17. Shelburne Co., Microfilm No. T-6320 & T-6321
  18. Victoria Co., Microfilm No. T-6321
  19. Yarmouth Co., Microfilm No. T-6321 & T-6322

The only surviving schedule of returns for 1891 is the nominal return of the living. The information collected includes the names of everyone in each household; sex; age; marital status; relation to head of family; country or province of birth; French Canadian; place of birth of father & mother; religion; occupation; employer; wage earner (i.e. employee); unemployed during week preceding census; employer to state average number of hands employed during year; [able to] read; [able to] write; deaf and dumb; blind; of unsound mind.

1901 Census Returns

ATCHA has 12 reels of microfilm containing the 1901 census returns for Nova Scotia. The microfilm reel numbers for the 1901 census returns for each county in Nova Scotia are as follows:

  1. Annapolis Co., Public Archives of Canada Microfilm No. T-6446 & T-6447
  2. Antigonish Co., Microfilm No. T-6447
  3. Cape Breton Co., Microfilm No. T-6447 & T-6448
  4. Colchester Co., Microfilm No. T-6448
  5. Cumberland Co., Microfilm No. T-6449
  6. Digby Co., Microfilm No. T-6449 & T-6450
  7. Guysborough Co., Microfilm No. T-6450
  8. Halifax Co., Microfilm No. T-6450, T-6451 & T-6452
  9. Hants Co., Microfilm No. T-6452
  10. Inverness, Microfilm No. T-6452 & T-6453
  11. Kings Co., Microfilm No. T-6453
  12. Lunenburg Co., Microfilm No. T-6453 & T-6454
  13. Pictou Co., Microfilm No. T-6454 & T-6455
  14. Richmond Co., Microfilm No. T-6455
  15. Shelburne Co., Microfilm No. T-6455 & T-6456
  16. Queens Co., Microfilm No. T-6455 & T-6456
  17. Victoria Co., Microfilm No. T-6456
  18. Yarmouth Co., Microfilm No. T-6456 & T-6457

There are two schedules on this microfilm, one containing information of particular interest to genealogists, such as name, age, sex, etc., and the other containing information on buildings and real estate.

Schedule #1, Population, has 34 columns in which the following information is found:

  • Identification number given to each household and to each family polled within a district
  • Name, sex, colour, relation to head of family, marital status, birth date, age
  • 6 columns on citizenship, nationality and religion
  • 5 columns on occupation
  • 6 columns for wage earners (items such as number of months employed, earnings, etc.)
  • 6 columns on education and languages spoken by those five years of age and over
  • Infirmities

Schedule #2, Buildings and Lands, Churches and Schools, has 37 columns in which the following information is found:

  • For each entry, there is a page and line reference to Schedule 1, followed by the name of a specific community or the street name in larger communities. This means that the place of habitation of everyone polled in 1901 can be identified.
  • Houses (under construction, vacant and inhabited)
  • Institutions
  • Number of families in house or institution
  • Number of rooms in house or institution for each family
  • Number of inmates in institutions, exclusive of families, officers & employees
  • 7 columns on real estate owned and 7 columns on real estate leased or otherwise held
  • 3 columns on church or place of worship
  • 3 columns on Sunday school and 3 on public school
  • Enumeration information (date, etc.)