Census Sunday: The Vanasse Family and the 1921 Census

1921 census of Canada (Chichester Township, Quebec) [1]

My paternal grandmother Julie Vanasse was enumerated on the 1921 census of Canada. [2] She, her parents and some of her siblings lived in rural Chichester, Pontiac County, Quebec.

Julie was born on 31 August 1896, so her presence on the 1921 census marks her third appearance on a federal Canadian census.

Cropped version of 1921  Chichester Township census

The family’s surname is spelled Venasse on the above images, but is indexed Vinson in the census database at Ancestry.ca.

There were eight members in the household: head of family Oliver (54), wife Elizabeth (54), and children Mary Ann (31), Willie (28), my grandmother Julia (24), Joseph (23), David (18) and Agnes (15). Three other children, eldest son George, and younger daughters Celia and Cora, lived in their own homes or in other communities.

Although the census form is bilingual (French and English), the responses are in English. I don’t see a date on this return, but the official census date was 1 June 1911. [3]

Oliver is a farmer. He owns his house, which is constructed of wood and has four occupied rooms. [4] The family is Roman Catholic, all its members were born in the province of Quebec, Oliver cannot read or write, his wife Elizabeth can write, and all their children can read and write. The family speaks French and English.

The thing that strikes me the most interesting about my Vanasse great-grandparents’ family on this census is that almost all of their unmarried children lived at home. I would expect to see teenager Agnes and perhaps her 18-year-old brother David still at home, but the others are between 23 and 31 years old and of an age to be living in their own homes or working out of town. I like to think that this nearly complete household means that they were a particularly close and united family.

Sources:

1. 1921 census of Canada, Chichester Township, Pontiac-Témiscamingue-Abitibi, Quebec, population schedule, subdistrict 7, p. 7, dwelling 49, family 49, Oliver Venasse [sic] household; digital images, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 8 August 2013); citing Library and Archives Canada, Sixth Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2013. Series RG31. Statistics Canada Fonds.

2. 1921 census of Canada, Chichester Township, Pontiac-Témiscamingue-Abitibi, Quebec, pop. sched., subdist. 7, p. 1, dwel. 49, fam. 49, Oliver Venasse [sic] household.

3. Dave Obee, Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census (Victoria, BC: Dave Obee, 2012), 160.

4. “1921 Canada Census Enumerator Instructions”, Ontario (Upper Canada) Genealogy and History - 1921 Canada Census Information (http://www.ontariogenealogy.com/1921canadacensusinformation.html : accessed 2 August 2014), entries no. 73, 77 and 78.

Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Census Sunday: The Beauvais Family and the 1911 Census

1911 census of Canada (Hartwell Township, Quebec) [1]

My great-grandfather Joseph Beauvais and his family were enumerated on the 1911 census of Canada. [2] They lived in the parish of Notre-Dame-de-la-Consolation situated in Montpellier in Hartwell Township.

Joseph’s eldest daughter, Juliette, my grandmother, was born on 30 June 1901, so this enumeration is her first appearance on a federal Canadian census.

Cropped version of 1911 Hartwell Township census

The Beauvais family, as seen in the above cropped image version of the 1911 Hartwell Township census, consisted of head of family Joseph (33), his wife Olivine (33), and their children Ovide (12), Oscar (11), Juliette (9), Marie-Louise (8), Uldège (5), Léger (4), Romuald (3) and Emile (1).

The enumerator Antoine Leduc signed his name at the top of the form and wrote the responses in French. Although he dated the return Juin 17 [June 17], the official census date was 1 June 1911, making it the “first Dominion census taken in June”. [3]

Joseph’s main occupation is being a farmer (cultivateur), but he works additionally as a woodsman (bûcheron), for which he declared that he earned $150 in 1910. Other details include the family’s religion (Roman Catholic), its members’ place of birth (the province of Quebec, except second son Oscar was actually born in New York State, USA), and that the only ones who can read and write are the five eldest children, presumably because they spent 10 months in school during the previous year. The family commonly speaks French.

Sources:

1. 1911 census of Canada, Hartwell Township, Labelle, Quebec, population schedule, subdistrict 15, p. 17, dwelling 126, family 134, Joseph Beauvais household; digital images, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 31 May 2014); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm reels T-20326 to T-20460.

2. 1911 census of Canada, Hartwell Township, Labelle, Quebec, pop. sched., subdist. 15, p. 17, dwel. 126, fam. 134, Joseph Beauvais household.

3. Dave Obee, Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census (Victoria, BC: Dave Obee, 2012), 148.

Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Census Sunday: The Belair Family and the 1891 Census

1891 census of Canada (Masham, Quebec) [1]

My great-grandfather Pierre Janvry dit Belair, his wife Angélina and their children were enumerated on the 1891 census of Canada. [2]

Pierre’s son Fred, my grandfather, was born in late 1889, so this census marks his first appearance on a federal Canadian census return.

Cropped version of 1891 Masham census

The Belair family, as seen in the above cropped image version of the Masham 1891 census, consisted of head of family Pierre (39), his wife Angélina (35), and their children Pierre (10), Paul (9), Angélina (7), Marie (5) [usually known as Délia], and Jean Bte (1) [my grandfather Fred].

The enumerator did not sign his name nor did he date the return. Enumerators were instructed to gather information “as it applied at midnight, when April 5 turned into April 6”. [3]

The Belair family home, described in Column 4 as “B1/3 “, was a one-story wooden house with three rooms. [4] Other details include the family members’ place of birth (Q, for the province of Quebec), religion (C.R., for Catholique Romain [Roman Catholic]), and that only mother Angélina and elder sons Pierre and Paul could read and write.

Sources:

1. 1891 census of Canada, Masham, Ottawa, Quebec, population schedule, subdistrict BB, p. 31, family 113, Pierre Jeanvry [sic] household; digital images, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 30 July 2007); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6412.

2. 1891 census of Canada, Masham, Ottawa, Quebec, pop. sched., subdist. BB, p. 31, fam. 113, Pierre Jeanvry [sic] household.

3. Dave Obee, Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census (Victoria, BC: Dave Obee, 2012), 135.

4. Census of 1891, Library and Archives Canada (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1891/Pages/about-census.aspx : accessed 1 May 2014), “About the 1891 Census: Common Abbreviations – Other”. Some of the abbreviations found on the 1891 census forms, including those for residential buildings, are explained on the LAC website. The unnamed enumerator wrote in French, thus the B in “B1/3” stands for bois (wooden).

Copyright © 2014, Yvonne Demoskoff.