Q: Does anyone know how far in advance of a census 'publication' the information was collected? For instance, if my ancestor's age on a census is listed as 50 yrs.,does this mean he is 50 at the year of the census, or is he 50 at the year the information was collected?
A: Information was usually collected between March and June of the year stated on the census (1851/1852, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, and 1901) and the ages given were generally how old the individual was between March and June of said year or the age they would be on their next birthday
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Q: I know my ancestors lived in Toronto. What I didn't know was how large it was! How do I begin my search ? I do have a old address but I have been told there is no city directory for the year 1854.
A: If your ancestors lived in Toronto longer than one year check the city directories for other years. City of Toronto Archives has a nearly continuous run of City directories from 1834 to 1940. Directories were not published for years 1835-36, 1838-42, 1845, 1848-49, 1852-55, 1857-58 and 1864-65. Also available are assessment rolls from 1834 on. It should be noted that information published in a directory for a given year was probably collected the previous year. To locate a person in the Toronto census it is necessary to locate their address in the census year (i.e. for 1861 census, check 1861 and 1862 directories. Suggested reading: Doris Bourrie, CGRS, Researching Canadian Census Records, Heritage Productions, Toronto or www.genealogystore.com . The GenWeb site dedicated to York County & Toronto will also be of help
The Toronto Public Library has a page called Historicity through which you can search old directories with keywords.
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Q: Where can I find information and records on prisoners in Ontario penitentiaries between 1837 and 1851?
A: Inmate records are of an administrative nature and would be kept at the individual prisons. Obtaining this information may involve contacting either one specific prison or the prisons in the area involved. For instance Kingston Pennitentary has been the subject of many historical books on its first one hundred years and I believe that it has its own archives. To my knowledge there is no specific province-wide agency that has such info. {Special Thank you to Laura Carter for her help in answering this question}
I would contact the ministry of the Attorney General for penal system inquiries, even that long ago. They do have an "archive" division, because I have used it
ATTORNEY GENERAL
'Archives Division'
720 Bay St
Toronto ON M5G 2K1
General Inquiry: 416-326-2220
TTY: 416-326-4012
Fax: 416-326-4007
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Q: My Great Grandfather attended a university in Canada about 1850. Where could I find a list of universities operating during that time?
A: The Universities operating in Ontario in the 1850's were the University of Toronto (est 1827), Queen's University (est 1841), and College of Bytown (now known as University of Ottawa, est 1848). Universities elsewhere in Canada included Quebec's McGill University and Bishop's University (est 1843), New Brunswick's University of New Brunwick (est 1785) and Mount Allison (est 1839), and Nova Scotia's University of King's College (est 1789) and Dalhousie University (est 1818).
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