Chatham, Ontario (1881 census)
Chatham was a census subdivision in Ontario, recorded in the 1881 Census of Canada with a population of 5,907. The administrative centroid was at approximately 42.538°N, 82.257°W.
Population
In 1881, Chatham had a population of 5,907: 3,121 male and 2,786 female residents. Population density was 38.1 people per square mile.
Population trajectory across census years
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1871 | 5,036 |
| 1881 | 5,907 |
| 1891 | 6,150 |
| 1901 | 6,049 |
| 1911 | 5,830 |
| 1921 | 5,766 |
Cross-year identity established by spatial polygon overlap (SAME_AS chains across the Canadian Census Subdivision boundary files).
Neighbouring Census Subdivisions in 1881
In the 1881 census, Chatham shared boundaries with:
Full census record, 1881
The 1881 census recorded 69 measurements for this Census Subdivision across 5 categories. Tables below are collapsible.
Population & families (12 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| FAM NO | 1,126 |
| Number of families | 1,126 |
| Number of females | 2,786 |
| Number of males | 3,121 |
| Number of married females | 985 |
| Number of married males | 998 |
| Number of married persons | 1,983 |
| Number of widowed females | 102 |
| Number of widowed males | 73 |
| Number of widowed persons | 175 |
| POP TOT | 5,907 |
| Total population | 5,907 |
Age structure (3 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of single females under 18 | 1,699 |
| Number of single males under 18 | 2,050 |
| Number of single persons under 18 | 3,749 |
Buildings & housing (5 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of dwellings that are temporary shanties | 21 |
| Number of houses under construction | 7 |
| Number of inhabited houses | 1,098 |
| Number of occupied houses | 1,118 |
| Number of uninhabited houses | 20 |
Agriculture (29 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Acres of hay crops | 4,200 |
| Acres of potatoes | 661 |
| Acres of wheat | 10,141 |
| BAR BU | 24,765 |
| Bushels of barley produced in the past year | 24,765 |
| Bushels of buckwheat produced in the past year | 496 |
| Bushels of clover, timothy, or other grass seed produced in the past year | 876 |
| Bushels of corn produced in the past year | 140,467 |
| Bushels of oats produced in the past year | 133,687 |
| Bushels of other root crops produced in the past year | 6,033 |
| Bushels of peas and beans produced in the past year | 9,888 |
| Bushels of potatoes produced in the past year | 49,863 |
| Bushels of rye produced in the past year | 143 |
| Bushels of spring wheat produced in the past year | 2,260 |
| Bushels of turnips produced in the past year | 2,463 |
| Bushels of winter wheat produced in the past year | 182,589 |
| BWT BU | 496 |
| CRN BU | 140,467 |
| HAY AC | 4,200 |
| HAY TONS | 5,344 |
| OAT BU | 133,687 |
| PEA AND BEN BU | 9,888 |
| POT AC | 661 |
| POT BU | 49,863 |
| RYE BU | 143 |
| Tons of hay produced in the past year | 5,344 |
| WHT AC | 10,141 |
| WHT SP BU | 2,260 |
| WHT WTR BU | 182,589 |
Other recorded variables (20 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| C UNMD F | 1,699 |
| C UNMD M | 2,050 |
| C UNMD TOT | 3,749 |
| D OCC | 1,118 |
| FEMALE | 2,786 |
| GRA BU | 876 |
| H CON | 7 |
| H INHAB | 1,098 |
| H UNINH | 20 |
| MALE | 3,121 |
| MD F | 985 |
| MD M | 998 |
| MD TOT | 1,983 |
| NUMBER CD | 180 |
| OTHR ROOT BU | 6,033 |
| SHAN | 21 |
| TUR BU | 2,463 |
| WID F | 102 |
| WID M | 73 |
| WID TOT | 175 |
Identifiers
- TCP UID:
ON180007— year-scoped identifier from the Canadian Census Subdivision boundary file - Persistent place ID:
PLACE_ON121002— computed from spatial-overlap chains across census years - Wikidata: not yet grounded. This page covers a place whose persistent identity has not yet been linked to a Wikidata entity. Identification is via TCP UID and spatial polygon only.
Sources
Census tabulations from the 1881 Census of Canada, transcribed and georeferenced by the Canadian Peoples / TCP project, hosted at the HGIS Lab, University of Saskatchewan. Persistent place identity computed from spatial-overlap chains across all available census years (1851–1921). Identity grounding to Wikidata performed via the HGIS Canada Knowledge Graph project's MCP-assisted disambiguation pipeline. See the About / Methodology page for the full data pipeline.
Cite this page
Clifford, J. (2026). "Chatham, Ontario (1881 census)" in HGIS Canada Knowledge Graph. Retrieved from https://jimclifford.ca/hgiscanada/places/on/chatham-on180007-1881/.