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How to Recognize your Canadian Ancestor (view source)
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To answer this question, ask yourself: | To answer this question, ask yourself: | ||
'''Q1'''. Is the possible match person living in the right place to be my ancestor? | |||
'''Q2'''. Is this event in the right time period to be within the lifetime of my ancestor? | |||
*Is the possible match person too young or too old to have been my ancestor? | *Is the possible match person too young or too old to have been my ancestor? | ||
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*Do the ages of the children seem logical, or are they too young or too old to be my ancestor's children? | *Do the ages of the children seem logical, or are they too young or too old to be my ancestor's children? | ||
'''Q3'''. Is this the right spouse? To verify the name of a wife, check marriage records, birth records of her children, land records, cemetery records, church records, and probate records. | |||
'''Q4'''. Are the economic conditions of this person consistent with the known family history? It is highly unusual for a wealthy person to suddenly be farming in a poor section of the county on a small rented acreage, or a poor person to suddenly be a noted county official, living in a mansion. The following records give a good indication of the economic condition of the family. | |||
*Census records: see the column listing property values. | *Census records: see the column listing property values. | ||
*Tax lists: see property tax and personal property taxed. | *Tax lists: see property tax and personal property taxed. | ||
*Land records: see acreage of lands owned, and number of properties owned. | *Land records: see acreage of lands owned, and number of properties owned. | ||
'''Q5'''. Do the relatives and associates of your ancestor appear in records with the possible match? | |||
*Check land records of the possible match person for neighbors and witnesses of deeds to see if their names are the same people you know associated with your ancestor. | *Check land records of the possible match person for neighbors and witnesses of deeds to see if their names are the same people you know associated with your ancestor. | ||
*Check marriage records of the possible match person and his children to see if the bondsmen and witnesses are persons who you know associated with your ancestor. | *Check marriage records of the possible match person and his children to see if the bondsmen and witnesses are persons who you know associated with your ancestor. | ||
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'''Q6'''. Is the possible match person affiliated with the church you know your ancestor belonged to? | |||
*Does the possible match person appear in Presbyterian church records, but you know your ancestor was a Quaker? | |||
*Is there evidence that the possible match person changed religions, such as from Quaker to Presbyterian? Was he or she a Quaker originally, but then married out of the faith and was disowned? | |||
'''Q7'''. Could the possible match person, living in a neighboring county, be my ancestor? | |||
County and electoral district boundaries changed over the years. One of the purposes of the census was to determine the population and redefine the boundaries of electoral districts. | |||
*The eastern provinces (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island) had distinct county and township boundaries. | |||
:Electoral and census districts were usually named after existing counties and townships, and roughly followed their boundaries. | |||
*The prairie and western provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories) were organized by administrative districts, towns, and municipalities. | |||
:Electoral and census districts and boundaries may not correspond with the names and boundaries of existing towns. | |||
For more information about how census boundaries and county or district boundaries may be different, see How Canadian National Censuses Are Organized. | |||
'''Q8'''. Why is the name of the possible match person spelled differently from my ancestor's name? The name of a person was commonly spelled differently in different documents. For more information, see Name Variations. | |||
=== Tip 3. If I am still not sure I have found my ancestor, what should I do next? === | |||
Choose | |||