Manitoba Census

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Canada

Manitoba

Census

Online Records

Records at Ancestry.com and FindMyPast can be used free-of-charge at a Family History Center near you.

Hudson's Bay Company Census Records

The Hudson’s Bay Company Archives has census returns for the years 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1835, 1838, 1840, and 1843 which are indexed.

• Hudson's Bay Company Archives
  • Resources
  • Name Indexes
• Manitoba census records, 1831-1870 Contains Manitoba censuses (Red River) for 1870 (vol. 3), 1831-1847 (vol. 1), 1849, 1832-1833 (vol. 2) and 1856 (incomplete, vol. 3).
  

Library and Archives Canada

• Hudson Bay Company Archives, 1827 Red River Settlement Census
• 1881 Census of Canada from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• Census of Canada, 1891 from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• 1901 Census of Canada from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• 1901 Census records for Manitoba, Automated Genealogy Index
• Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• 1911 Census of Canada from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• 1911 Census records for Manitoba, Automated Genealogy Index
• Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1916 from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• Census of Canada, 1921 from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1926 from Library and Archives Canada Index and images.
• Western Manitoba Census Page

FamilySearch

• Manitoba census records, 1831-1870 Contains Manitoba censuses (Red River) for 1870 (vol. 3), 1831-1847 (vol. 1), 1849, 1832-1833 (vol. 2) and 1856 (incomplete, vol. 3).
  
• Red River Settlement and province of Manitoba typed card index to the nominal census returns, 1832-1870
• Canada Census, 1881 Index and Images.
• Canada Census, 1891 Index only. Also at FindMyPast, index, ($).
• Canada Census, 1901 Index only. Also at FindMyPast, index, ($).
• Canada Census, 1911 Index only. Also at FindMyPast, index, ($).
• Canada Census, 1916, index
• Canada, Prairie Provinces Census, 1926, index and images.

Ancestry.com ($)

• 1921 Census of Canada, index and images. ($)
• 1916 Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, index and images, ($)
• 1911 Census of Canada, index and images. ($)
• 1906 Census of Canada, index and images. ($)
• 1901 Census of Canada, index and images. ($)
• 1891 Census of Canada, index and images. ($)
• 1881 Census of Canada, index and images. ($). Included as part of the Northwest Territories.
• Manitoba, Canada, Census Indexes, 1832-1856 & 1870, index and images. ($).
• 1916 Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, index and images. ($). Included as part of the Northwest Territories.
• Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, index and images. ($). Included as part of the Northwest Territories.

FindMyPast ($)

• 1881 Census of Canada, index, ($).
• Canada Census, 1891, index, ($).
• 1891 Census of Canada ($) Index and Images.
• Canada Census, 1901, index, ($).
• Canada Census, 1911, index, ($).

My Heritage ($)

• 1916 Canada Census of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba at My Heritage, index and images

History

A census is a count and description of the population. Censuses have been taken by the colonial, provincial, and national governments of Canada for a variety of reasons, including taxation and levying for militia service.

Census records can provide family relationships, age, year of birth, description of property, religion, and place of birth. Microfilm copies are available at many repositories and through interlibrary loan. Generally, more recent censuses are more complete. They can provide information missing in other records. Use census information with caution because information (which may have been given by any family member) may be incorrect or deliberately falsified.

The national government of Canada has taken censuses every ten years since 1871 and every five years since 1971. The 1871 census covers the four original provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. The first coast-to-coast census was taken in 1881.

Additional censuses were taken in the Prairie Provinces in 1906, 1916, 1926, and so on.

Early Censuses

1827-1856 Hudson's Bay

The pre-1870 census returns of Manitoba (Red River Settlement) list the heads of households and some other information such as, age, religion, country of birth, married or widowed, number of sons and daughters, and agricultural data (for example, the number of livestock, the number of buildings, and the number of acres under cultivation). Almost all of these censuses were taken by the Hudson’s Bay Company.

The Hudson’s Bay Company Archives has census returns for the years 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1835, 1838, 1840, and 1843 which are indexed.

• Hudson's Bay Company Archives
  • Resources
  • Name Indexes
  • Manitoba census records, 1831-1870 Contains Manitoba censuses (Red River) for 1870 (vol. 3), 1831-1847 (vol. 1), 1849, 1832-1833 (vol. 2) and 1856 (incomplete, vol. 3).
    

The Provincial Archives of Manitoba for the years 1832, 1833, 1838, 1840, 1843, 1846–1847, 1849, and 1856 (incomplete). These are available on microfilm at the National Archives of Canada and the Family History Library.

Index

• Morin, Gail, editor. Red River Settlement Censuses Index for 1827, 1828,1829,1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1835, 1838, 1840 and 1843. WorldCat Also includes the Enumeration of the Village of Grantown or White Horse Plains and the Swampy Indian Settlement and Saulteaux Indian Settlement. Pawtucket, Rhode Island: Quentin Publications, 1998.

1870 Census

The first census of Manitoba with names of each member of the household was taken in 1870. It includes name, age, birthplace, religion, and citizenship. There is a surname index to this census.

Indexes

• Jonasson, Eric, compiler. Surname Index to the 1870 Census of Manitoba and Red River. WorldCatWinnipeg: Wheatfield Press, 1981.
  
• Morin, Gail, compiler. 1870 Manitoba Census. WorldCat Pawtucket, Rhode Island: Quentin Publications, 2003.

Contents

These censuses list a large proportion of the population. Unfortunately, portions of some have been lost, and some geographical areas within the provinces were missed by the census takers.

The 1871 and later censuses list for each member of the household:

• Name.
• Age.
• Occupation.
• Religious affiliation.
• Birthplace (country or province).

The 1871 and 1881 censuses list for each person:

• Father’s origin or ethnic background.
• The 1891 census, in addition, asks:
• If persons are French Canadian.
• For parents’ birthplaces.

The 1891 and later censuses ask for a person’s:

• Relationship to head of household.

The 1901 census asks for:

• A complete birth date, not just the year.
• The year the person immigrated to Canada.
• The year of naturalization.

The father’s racial or tribal origin, not whether the person was of French Canadian descent.

The 1901 and 1911 census also contains a buildings and lands schedule for each locality. This schedule gives a city street address or a farm land description—such as township and range, or township, concession, and lot number—for most families.

The 1921 Canadian Census was released to the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) on June 1st, 2013 from Statistics Canada. According to the legislation, 92 calendar years must have elapsed before the census is released to the LAC.

Prairie Censuses

The 1906 and later censuses ask for:

• Surname
• Given Name(s)
• Gender
• Age
• Marital Status
• Place of Birth
• Relationship

The 1916 and 1926 added ethnic origin. The 1926 and census added year of immigration.

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