Finding Great-Grandpappy
Last Thursday the Library and Archives Canada released the 1911 Census and genealogists couldn't be more pleased. In the Archives' newsletter, our great and glorious National Archivist, Ian Wilson, thanks his "colleagues at Statistics Canada for helping us provide this unique opportunity to view our past," and I can't help but think that he is saying this rather snarkily as the Chief Statistician, Ivan P. Fellegi has come out vocally against the release of the 1905 and 1911 censuses to the Archives citing privacy concerns and legal ambiguities, and refused to hand them over. Dick. The Archives had to go to the Supreme Court to get the 1905 documents that were supposed to come to them by law in 1997 and the 1911 should have been released in 2003. Anyway, with Bill S-18, becoming law on June 28, Censuses from 1911 to 2001 WILL be released after 92 years as they are supposed to.
The original paper records were microfilmed and the originals were destroyed. What a brilliant idea that was: the microfilms are often pretty crap. But from what I have seen so far are more or less legible and at least they can be accessed. The Archives has scanned the microfilm and you can bring up pdfs of the pages. They are arranged by districts (no nominal index available but give genealogists a few months and I am sure they will start popping up) so for now you will need to have a pretty clear idea where your family was at the time the census was taken and patiently search the name column. But, if you know or can figure out the Province-District-Subdistrict they were in you are golden.
For example, if your family happens to be from Ontario, in the District Hastings West, Sub-District Rawdon Township, Springbrook Village you can find them, although not until Page Seven:
It's as easy as that. So get out there and fill in the blanks in your family tree.
rgsc.
posted by Rgscarter @ 3:47 PM
9 Comments:
That's pretty cool, I gave it s quick shot trying to find my Grandmother but I had a lot of trouble actually reading what was on the page, it just seemed to difficult to read the last names.
Either way, cool link, I'm going to forward it to my father, he might have a better time tracking her down.
The censuses are great - if you can find what you are looking for. I have used earlier ones and they tell you all kinds of good stuff - including relationships, preofession, income, religion, literacy, how much livestock owned etc. etc. But it all depends on the fields included on the census, how good a notetaker the returns officer was (for the page that I posted little was included), and if you can make out what is written. Some of it is pretty illegible, eh. I am having a hard time making out all the field names let alone the handwritten part. It really helps to know what you are looking for and being able to decipher the letters. Remember that the spellings (and other details, esp. birthdates) and not always correct. Not so bad when you are looking for Bateman - non-Anglo names may lead to some difficulties. Nevertheless, an amazing resource.
Yeah one of the entries I was pretty sure was dziadek, or something close to that, which is Polish for Grandfather.
Either, my father knows more of the relatives names and birthdates so he would probably be better suited to pick out the pattern.
Rod (and Mark), you are going to find this fascinating!!! I decided to look up my great-great-grandfather, John Sawyer Black (John S. Black) in the 1911 Census. He resided in Glenelg, Grey South, Ontario. (I just attended a family reunion of over 400 of his 800+ descendants in the beginning of July in Kimberly Ontario, near Glenelg.) So I'm looking through a couple of scanned Census sheets and not finding the last name Black when I happen to glance at who the person conducting the Census is -well, it is John S. Black, my great-great-grandfather!!! Isn't that amazing??!! I should have thought this from the very beginning as I knew he was heavily involved with the township council for over 30 years but I just never put two and two together!! This is amazing!!!
PS. He was 75 at the time the Census was conducted...what a workhorse!!
The man had 800+ descendants, that's what I call a workhorse! Hoooyyyy-ooooo!
Ha ha...sigh...
Okay, so my Mom just told me (as I should have remembered) that he was the Clerk for the township for 38 or 58 years (she can't remember which) so that is why his name is there.
Man, finding that just made my day!!!
Wow Claire - that is pretty awesome that your great-great-grand was the enumerator. It makes sense that they used trusted local officials to do the work.
I am currently on the hunt for my grandfather who was apparently living in another small town at the time of the census but it has taken me quite a while to download the pgs - but these ones are wicked clear. I may post a pic of one just to show the difference.
It is great that it made your day - ARCHIVES RULE!!! Go out and hug yourself an archivist and show your appreciation.
Post a Comment
<< Home