Census of Lower Canada, 1831 -- Key to column headings

Census of Lower Canada, 1831: Key to column headings

Clef des titres de colonnes (français)

The census returns for Kamouraska County were in French; this transcription has used abbreviations of the French terms. Below are the abbreviations, and an English translation of the full description of the column from the original census returns.

Please note: The column labeled Females under the age of 14 was for some reason NOT used; there are no numbers under that column.

(information on the popup box annotations)

First page of the return:

Ligne = Line number on original document page (added for convenience of this site, numbering not in original)
Mais. = Houses with their local positions in a concession, range, street, etc.
- H = Inhabited houses
- C = Houses under construction
- I = Uninhabited houses
Nom du chef de chaque famille = Name of the head of each family
- Prénom = First name
- Nom = Last (family) name
B-F P = Owns land
B-F N = Does not own land
Métier ou Profession = Occupation or Profession (click here for translation of occupations into English)
To = Total number of persons in each family
To Ab = Number of persons belonging to the family and temporarily absent from the Province
0-5 = Number of persons in the family aged 5 and under
5-14 = Number of persons over 5 and under 14
M = Married
NM = Unmarried
So-Mu = Number of deaf and mute persons in each family, and the occupation for which they show the most aptitude
Av = Number of blind persons in each family
In = Number of insane persons in each family
Religion:
- Ég An = Number of persons in each family who are in relation to the Church of England
- Ég Éc = Number of persons in each family who are in relation to the Church of Scotland
- CR = Number of Roman Catholics in each family
- Me = Number of Methodists in each family
- Pr = Number of Presbyterians and Congregationalists in each family who are not in relation with the Church of Scotland
- Ba = Number of Baptists in each family
- Ju = Number of Jews in each family
- Au = Number of persons of all other denominations in each family
Ag = Number of persons who earn their living by working in agriculture
Fe = Number of servants employed as agricultural workers in each family
Co = Number of families who work in commerce and trade
Au = Number of persons in each family who are supported by charity
Acres/Arpens: (an arpen or arpent is a historical land measure equal to about an acre)
- Occ = Number of acres or arpents of land occupied by each family
- Cul = Number of acres or arpents of land occupied by each family that is also cultivated
Récolte l'année dernière = Harvest of each family in the previous year (measured in minots)
(A minot is an old Québec measure of capacity used for grain and dry materials, equal to 8 gallons, or 36.67 litres. [source: http://www.francophonie.hachette-livre.fr/])
- Bl = Number of minots of wheat
- Po = Number of minots of peas
- Av = Number of minots of oats
- Or = Number of minots of barley
- Se = Number of minots of rye
- BI = Number of minots of maize (corn)

Second page of returns:

Ligne = Line number on original document page (added for convenience of this site, numbering not in original)
Nom du chef de chaque famille = Name of the head of each family
- Prénom = First name
- Nom = Last (family) name
Récolte l'an de = Harvest of each family in the previous year (measured in minots)
(A minot is an old Québec measure of capacity used for grain and dry materials, equal to 8 gallons, or 36.67 litres. [source: http://www.francophonie.hachette-livre.fr/])
- Pat = Number of minots of potatoes
- BS = Number of minots of buckwheat
Tenure = Form of tenure under which land is posessed by the family (More information on land tenure in Québec from Rootsweb Bas-du-Fleuve, Québec page)
Forms:
- "Roture" = "(Fr. & Canadian Law) A feudal tenure of lands by one who has no privileges of nobility, but is permitted to discharge all his obligations to his feudal lord or superior by a payment of rent in money or kind and without rendering any personal services." [Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.]
- "Franc et commun socage" = "Free and common socage was a form of traditional English land tenure governing land ownership and use. The expression refers to a type of free ownership of land (for example, lease rental and farm tenancy) based on common law customs. In Canada, it is to be distinguished from seigneurial tenure, which was abolished in 1854." [Source: National Library of Canada, http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/2/18/h18-2972-e.html]
Taux Ren = Rate of Seignorial Rent paid by each family for land held 'titre de cens'. (In English monetary units: shillings and pence. 5/1 = 5 shillings and 1 penny; 2/4 = 2 shillings, 4 pence; 3/ = 3 shillings; /10 = 10 pence; 10d = 10 pence. There were 20 shillings in a pound, 12 pence in a shilling.)
Pr Ren = Average money rent on land Prix moyen de la rente en argent sur les terres tenues à ferme, ou cultivées à la part, par chaque famille
Pr Al = Proportion of produce allocated to the owner for land held on lease or cultivated on shares by each family
- moitié = one-half
Bê Co = Number of horned cattle belonging to each family
Ch = Number of horses belonging to each family
Mo = Number of sheep belonging to each family
Co = Number of pigs belonging to each family
Cg = Number of Collèges, Academies and Convent schools in each parish, seigeurie, Township, extra-parochial place, neighborhood or division in a city, etc.
ÉÉ = Number of elementary schools in each such place
Éc = Number of students in each such Collège, academy, convent school or elementary school
- M = Males
- F = Females
Ab = Number of inns, or of public houses in each such place
Ma Lf = Number of stores which serve hard liquor in each such place
Mo Fa = Number of flour mills in each such place
Mo Sc = Number of sawmills in each such place
Mo Hu = Number of mills for the manufacture of oils in each such place
Mo Fo = Nombre de moulins foulons dans chaque tel lieu
Mo Ca = Number of carding mills in each such place
Fa Fe = Number of iron factories in each such place
Fo = Number of iron founderies in each such place
Di = Number of distilleries in each such place
Fa Po = Number of factories for potash and pearlash in each such place
Fa Au = Number of all other kinds of mills in each place, whose movement is caused by the wing, water, vapor or animal fore, indicating the usages for which they serve and the moving force
Prix Moyen: Average Price (in pounds, or shilling and pence: 6/6 = six shillings, six pence; 1.10.6 = 1 pound, 10 shillings, 6 pence)
- Bl = of wheat in each such place, after the last harvest
- G/m = of monthly wages in each such place, to servants employed in agriculture, and who are fed by those who employ them
- G/j = of daily wages which are payed in each such place to day-workers
RU Me = Number of persons currently residing, who were born in the United Kingdon and who have arrived in the Province by sea since May 1, 1825
RU Au = Number of persons currently residing, who were born in the United Kingdom and who have arrived in the Province by means other than by sea since May 1, 1825
Au Ar = Number of persons currently resident who have come from any country to the Province since May 1, 1825
Observations Générales = General Observations. The comments that the census taker listed under "Observations Générales" are translated into English in pop-boxes. Just put the cursor over the comment and you will see the English translation in a white popup box.

Just before Observations Générales on the return are the following two columns; they have not been included in the transcription, though at the top of each transcribed page is the name of the person who took the census:

Personne Retours = Names of persons who have taken the census returns of each Parish, Seigneurie, Township, Place outside of a Parish, neighborhood or division of a city, etc., and who have in person obtained the information which are contained in them; and the date of the return
Lieu où est déposé duplicata du retour = Place where the copy of the return has been deposited, according to the requirements of the Act

(Français)

Return to the Census of Lower Canada, 1831, Kamouraska County