INTRODUCTION

 This book is an index to heads of household and strays appearing in the 1851 census of Missisquoi County, Quebec which was actually taken in January of 1852.  The census is not divided into households, so I considered each married couple as a different household.  Strays included single individuals  with a different  surname than those of surrounding individuals and those individuals of significantly different age than those with which they appeared to be living (older parents, for example).   When a group of single individuals of the same surname appear together, only the first individual is listed.

 This book is only an index and is meant to help you locate families and individuals in the actual census records.   It includes names, ages (this is age next  birthday), birthplaces (some census takers give exact places, while others only listed U.S., Canada, etc.), and the district and page # where the individual was found.  The census contains much more information:  the names of the rest of the family members,  religion (needed to access the church records of the area), residence if outside the area,  marital status, whether or not the individual is a family member, disabilities, attending school, and births and deaths during the year 1851.  In addition, in most cases the census taker indicated whether the individual was British (B) or French (F).  Be sure to look at the actual census records after you have located your family in the index.   Check also to see who is living nearby* with the same surname, as they will often be related. The census is available at the Family History Library (Film 517,459) and can be borrowed through your local Family History Centers.  It is also available through interlibrary loan from the National Archives of Canada.

 When searching for a surname, be creative in considering the ways it could be spelled.  The census takers wrote down the names the way they heard them, not necessarily the way your ancestors spelled them (if your ancestors were literate and knew how to spell their own names).  It is obvious that in many districts the census takers were not familiar with the French names.  If you are not sure how to pronounce a French surname, find someone familiar with French and have them pronounce it for you, then consider how it might be spelled according to the way it sounds.   While I have tried to accurately reproduce the surnames, any index is subject to errors in reading old handwriting.   After completing my original data entree, I compared the surnames to the agricultural census and printed Protestant and Catholic marriage books for the county, then rechecked the entire census a 2nd time.  If you are sure your ancestor lived in Missisquoi County in 1851 and don't find him in the index, I would suggest searching the actual census anyway.

 *It is obvious that the pages in some district are out of order.   Young children sometimes appear at the top of a page, with no corresponding parents at the bottom of the preceding page.   Checking the agricultural census, which appears at the end of each census district, will help you establish that actual order of homes  in the county.

Beth@daviesgenealogy.com    Copyright© 2008 by Beth Davies. All rights reserved.