Colchester, Ontario (1861 census)
Colchester was a census subdivision in Essex County, Ontario, recorded in the 1861 Census of Canada with a population of 2,656. The administrative centroid was at approximately 42.084°N, 82.900°W.
Population
In 1861, Colchester had a population of 2,656: 1,376 male and 1,280 female residents. Population density was 23.3 people per square mile.
Population trajectory across census years
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1851 | 1,870 |
| 1861 | 2,656 |
| 1871 | 2,920 |
Cross-year identity established by spatial polygon overlap (SAME_AS chains across the Canadian Census Subdivision boundary files).
Neighbouring Census Subdivisions in 1861
In the 1861 census, Colchester shared boundaries with:
Full census record, 1861
The 1861 census recorded 378 measurements for this Census Subdivision across 8 categories. Tables below are collapsible.
Population & families (27 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Female members of the family who are present | 1,209 |
| Females present who are not members of the family | 71 |
| Male members of the family who are present | 1,262 |
| Males present who are not members of the family | 114 |
| Number of adult females unable to read or write | 85 |
| Number of adult males unable to read or write | 118 |
| Number of blind males | 3 |
| Number of deaf and dumb females | 1 |
| Number of deaf and dumb males | 2 |
| Number of female births in the past year | 61 |
| Number of females | 1,280 |
| Number of females attending school | 259 |
| Number of lunatic females | 2 |
| Number of male births in the past year | 61 |
| Number of males | 1,376 |
| Number of males attending school | 239 |
| Number of married females | 331 |
| Number of married males | 419 |
| Number of single females | 906 |
| Number of single males | 936 |
| Number of widowed females | 43 |
| Number of widowed males | 21 |
| POP FX N.1 | 1,280 |
| POP MX N.1 | 1,376 |
| POP TOT | 2,656 |
| POP XX N.1 | 2,656 |
| Total population | 2,656 |
Age structure (56 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of females age 3 to 4 | 41 |
| Number of females aged 1 to 2 | 45 |
| Number of females aged 2 to 3 | 41 |
| Number of females aged 4 to 5 | 48 |
| Number of females aged 5 to 10 | 197 |
| Number of males aged 1 to 2 | 42 |
| Number of males aged 2 to 3 | 53 |
| Number of males aged 3 to 4 | 40 |
| Number of males aged 4 to 5 | 53 |
| Number of males aged 5 to 10 | 182 |
| Number of married females aged 15 to 20 | 5 |
| Number of married females aged 20 to 30 | 96 |
| Number of married females aged 30 to 40 | 99 |
| Number of married females aged 40 to 50 | 70 |
| Number of married females aged 50 to 60 | 39 |
| Number of married females aged 60 to 70 | 18 |
| Number of married females aged 70 to 80 | 3 |
| Number of married females aged 80 to 90 | 1 |
| Number of married males aged 20 to 30 | 80 |
| Number of married males aged 30 to 40 | 98 |
| Number of married males aged 40 to 50 | 97 |
| Number of married males aged 50 to 60 | 74 |
| Number of married males aged 60 to 70 | 48 |
| Number of married males aged 70 to 80 | 21 |
| Number of married males aged 80 to 90 | 1 |
| Number of single females aged 10 to 15 | 158 |
| Number of single females aged 15 to 20 | 144 |
| Number of single females aged 20 to 30 | 97 |
| Number of single females aged 30 to 40 | 33 |
| Number of single females aged 40 to 50 | 18 |
| Number of single females aged 50 to 60 | 9 |
| Number of single females aged 60 to 70 | 11 |
| Number of single females aged 70 to 80 | 2 |
| Number of single females aged 80 to 90 | 1 |
| Number of single males aged 10 to 15 | 169 |
| Number of single males aged 15 to 20 | 145 |
| Number of single males aged 20 to 30 | 107 |
| Number of single males aged 30 to 40 | 36 |
| Number of single males aged 40 to 50 | 21 |
| Number of single males aged 50 to 60 | 12 |
| Number of single males aged 60 to 70 | 9 |
| Number of single males aged 70 to 80 | 5 |
| Number of single males aged 80 to 90 | 1 |
| Number of widowed females aged 20 to 30 | 2 |
| Number of widowed females aged 30 to 40 | 3 |
| Number of widowed females aged 40 to 50 | 8 |
| Number of widowed females aged 50 to 60 | 10 |
| Number of widowed females aged 60 to 70 | 10 |
| Number of widowed females aged 70 to 80 | 5 |
| Number of widowed females aged 80 to 90 | 5 |
| Number of widowed males aged 20 to 30 | 4 |
| Number of widowed males aged 30 to 40 | 2 |
| Number of widowed males aged 40 to 50 | 5 |
| Number of widowed males aged 50 to 60 | 4 |
| Number of widowed males aged 60 to 70 | 5 |
| Number of widowed males aged 80 to 90 | 1 |
Ethnic origin (19 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of female negroes or coloured persons | 332 |
| Number of French Canadians | 103 |
| Number of Indigenous females | 8 |
| Number of Indigenous males | 10 |
| Number of Indigenous persons | 18 |
| Number of male negroes or coloured persons | 396 |
| Number of negroes or coloured persons | 728 |
| Number of persons native to Canada, not of French origin | 1,459 |
| Number of persons originating in England or Wales | 61 |
| Number of persons originating in Germany or Holland | 7 |
| Number of persons originating in Ireland | 50 |
| Number of persons originating in New Brunswick | 7 |
| Number of persons originating in Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island | 7 |
| Number of persons originating in Russia or Poland | 1 |
| Number of persons originating in Scotland | 64 |
| Number of persons originating in Spain or Portugal | 1 |
| Number of persons originating in the United States | 894 |
| Number of persons originating in the West Indies | 1 |
| Number of persons whose origin is unknown | 1 |
Agriculture (80 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Acres of barley | 7 |
| Acres of buckwheat | 195 |
| Acres of corn | 1,765 |
| Acres of farmland held by townspeople who are not farmers | 61 |
| Acres of farmland in gardens | 386 |
| Acres of farmland in pasture | 3,092 |
| Acres of farmland in woodland or forest | 14,918 |
| Acres of farmland under crops | 6,799 |
| Acres of farmland under cultivation | 10,277 |
| Acres of land in farms | 25,195 |
| Acres of mangel wurtzel | 1 |
| Acres of oats | 726 |
| Acres of peas | 615 |
| Acres of potatoes | 227 |
| Acres of rye | 176 |
| Acres of spring wheat | 378 |
| Acres of turnips | 28 |
| Acres of winter wheat | 1,464 |
| Barrels of beef produced in the past year | 99 |
| Barrels of pork produced in the past year | 1,114 |
| Bushels of barley produced in the past year | 156 |
| Bushels of beans produced in the past year | 199 |
| Bushels of buckwheat produced in the past year | 3,174 |
| Bushels of carrots produced in the past year | 7 |
| Bushels of clover, timothy, or other grass seed produced in the past year | 25 |
| Bushels of corn produced in the past year | 45,907 |
| Bushels of mangel wurtzel produced in the past year | 25 |
| Bushels of oats produced in the past year | 24,450 |
| Bushels of peas produced in the past year | 10,162 |
| Bushels of potatoes produced in the past year | 25,448 |
| Bushels of rye produced in the past year | 2,218 |
| Bushels of spring wheat produced in the past year | 4,624 |
| Bushels of turnips produced in the past year | 17,629 |
| Bushels of winter wheat produced in the past year | 26,177 |
| C18 WHT FALL AC | 1,464 |
| C19 WHT FALL BU | 26,177 |
| C20 WHT SP AC | 378 |
| C21 WHT SP BU | 4,624 |
| C22 BAR AC | 7 |
| C23 BAR BU | 156 |
| C24 RYE AC | 176 |
| C25 RYE BU | 2,218 |
| C26 PEA AC | 615 |
| C27 PEA BU | 10,162 |
| C28 OAT AC | 726 |
| C29 OAT BU | 24,450 |
| C30 BWT AC | 195 |
| C31 BWT BU | 3,174 |
| C34 POT AC | 227 |
| C35 POT BU | 25,448 |
| C43 HAY TONS | 1,436 |
| C47 WOOL LBS | 6,953 |
| C63 BEEF BAR | 99 |
| C64 PORK BAR | 1,114 |
| Gallons of cider produced in the past year | 11,903 |
| HRS ov03 V | 40,346 |
| Number of bulls, oxen, or steers | 157 |
| Number of calves and heifers | 1,121 |
| Number of horses aged 3 years and under | 328 |
| Number of horses aged over 3 years | 679 |
| Number of milk cows | 789 |
| Number of occupants of farms | 326 |
| Number of persons living on farms between 10 and 20 acres | 18 |
| Number of persons living on farms between 100 and 200 acres | 55 |
| Number of persons living on farms between 20 and 50 acres | 101 |
| Number of persons living on farms between 50 and 100 acres | 93 |
| Number of persons living on farms over 200 acres | 12 |
| Number of persons living on farms under 10 acres | 47 |
| Number of sheep | 2,180 |
| Number of swine | 3,457 |
| Pounds of cheese produced on farms in the past year | 5,980 |
| Pounds of flax or hemp produced in the past year | 367 |
| Pounds of homemade butter | 38,980 |
| Pounds of maple sugar produced in the past year | 1,615 |
| Pounds of wool produced on farms in the past year | 6,953 |
| Tons of hay produced in the past year | 1,436 |
| Value of all livestock | 94,474 |
| Value of farm implements in dollars | 16,123 |
| Value of farms (dollars) | 496,764 |
| Value of garden and orchard crops produced in the past year | 3,911 |
Manufacturing & industry (4 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of carriages for pleasure | 174 |
| Value of carriages for pleasure (dollars) | 6,525 |
| Yards of flannel produced in the past year | 4,357 |
| Yards of fulled cloth produced in the past year | 395 |
Fisheries (1 variable)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Barrels of salted fish sold in the past year | 114 |
Deaths & mortality (22 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 1 to 2 | 2 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 10 to 15 | 2 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 15 to 20 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 2 to 3 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 20 to 30 | 2 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 40 to 50 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 50 to 60 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 70 to 80 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among females of all ages | 17 |
| Deaths in the past year among females of unknown age | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among females under age 1 | 6 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 2 to 3 | 3 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 30 to 40 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 5 to 10 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 50 to 60 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 60 to 70 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 70 to 80 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 80 to 90 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males of all ages | 13 |
| Deaths in the past year among males of unknown age | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males under age 1 | 3 |
| Total number of deaths in the past year | 30 |
Other recorded variables (169 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| C01 TOTAL | 326 |
| C02 OCC UNDR 10 | 47 |
| C03 OCC 10 TO 20 | 18 |
| C04 OCC 20 TO 50 | 101 |
| C05 OCC 50 TO 100 | 93 |
| C06 OCC 100 TO 200 | 55 |
| C07 OCC OVR 200 | 12 |
| C08 HELD | 25,195 |
| C09 UNDR CULT | 10,277 |
| C1 Males | 1,376 |
| C10 Deaths under 1 year M | 3 |
| C10 UNDR CROP | 6,799 |
| C11 Deaths under 1 year F | 6 |
| C11 UNDR PAST | 3,092 |
| C118 Ages not given Deaths M | 1 |
| C119 Ages not given Deaths F | 1 |
| C12 GARDENS | 386 |
| C12 Under 2 Years M | 42 |
| C120 Married M | 419 |
| C121 Single M | 936 |
| C122 Widowed M | 21 |
| C123 Total M | 1,376 |
| C124 Married F | 331 |
| C125 Single F | 906 |
| C126 Widows F | 43 |
| C127 Total F | 1,280 |
| C128 Grand Total | 2,656 |
| C129 Deaths M | 13 |
| C13 Under 2 Years F | 45 |
| C13 WOOD WILD | 14,918 |
| C130 Deaths F | 17 |
| C131 Deaths Total | 30 |
| C132 Indians M | 10 |
| C133 Indians F | 8 |
| C134 Negroes M | 396 |
| C135 Negreos F | 332 |
| C136 Attending School M | 239 |
| C137 Attending School F | 259 |
| C138 Adults unable to read or write M | 118 |
| C139 Adults unable to read or write F | 85 |
| C14 CASH FARM | 496,764 |
| C140 Deaf and Dumb M | 2 |
| C141 Deaf and Dumb F | 1 |
| C142 Blind M | 3 |
| C145 Lunatics F | 2 |
| C15 CASH IMP | 16,123 |
| C15 Deaths under 2 years F | 2 |
| C16 GARDN VALUE | 3,911 |
| C16 Under 3 years M | 53 |
| C17 LAND HELD | 61 |
| C17 Under 3 years F | 41 |
| C18 Deaths under 3 years M | 3 |
| C19 Deaths under 3 years F | 1 |
| C2 Females | 1,280 |
| C20 Under 4 years M | 40 |
| C21 Under 4 years F | 41 |
| C24 Under 5 years M | 53 |
| C25 Under 5 years F | 48 |
| C28 Between 5 and 10 Years M | 182 |
| C29 Between 5 and 10 years F | 197 |
| C3 Total | 2,656 |
| C30 Deaths between 5 and 10 years M | 1 |
| C32 INDN CRN AC | 1,765 |
| C33 Between 10 and 15 years Single M | 169 |
| C33 INDN CRN BU | 45,907 |
| C35 Between 10 and 15 years Single F | 158 |
| C36 TUR AC | 28 |
| C37 Between 10 and 15 years Deaths F | 2 |
| C37 TUR BU | 17,629 |
| C38 CAR BU | 7 |
| C39 Between 15 and 20 years Single M | 145 |
| C39 MAN WURT AC | 1 |
| C4 Members of Family M | 1,262 |
| C40 Between 15 and 20 years Married F | 5 |
| C40 MAN WURT BU | 25 |
| C41 BEN BU | 199 |
| C41 Between 15 and 20 years Single F | 144 |
| C42 CLV TIM GRA | 25 |
| C43 Between 15 and 20 years Deaths F | 1 |
| C44 Between 20 and 30 years Married M | 80 |
| C45 Between 20 and 30 years Single M | 107 |
| C45 MPL SGR LBS | 1,615 |
| C46 Between 20 and 30 years Widowers M | 4 |
| C46 CID GAL | 11,903 |
| C47 Between 20 and 30 years Married F | 96 |
| C48 Between 20 and 30 years Single F | 97 |
| C48 FLLD CLOTH YRDS | 395 |
| C49 Between 20 and 30 years Widows F | 2 |
| C49 FLAN YRDS | 4,357 |
| C5 Members of Family F | 1,209 |
| C50 FLX HEM LBS | 367 |
| C51 Between 20 and 30 years Deaths F | 2 |
| C52 Between 30 and 40 years Married M | 98 |
| C52 BULLS OX STEERS | 157 |
| C53 Between 30 and 40 years Single M | 36 |
| C53 MILK COWS | 789 |
| C54 Between 30 and 40 years Widowers M | 2 |
| C54 CALVES HEIFERS | 1,121 |
| C55 Between 30 and 40 years Married F | 99 |
| C55 HORSES | 679 |
| C56 Between 30 and 40 years Single F | 33 |
| C56 HORSES VAL | 40,346 |
| C57 Between 30 and 40 years Widows F | 3 |
| C57 COLTS FILLIES | 328 |
| C58 Between 30 and 40 years Deaths M | 1 |
| C58 SHEEP | 2,180 |
| C59 SWINE | 3,457 |
| C6 Not Members of Family M | 114 |
| C60 Between 40 and 50 years Married M | 97 |
| C60 TOT VALUE | 94,474 |
| C61 Between 40 and 50 years Single M | 21 |
| C61 BUTTER LB | 38,980 |
| C62 Between 40 and 50 years Widowers M | 5 |
| C62 CHEESE LB | 5,980 |
| C63 Between 40 and 50 years Married F | 70 |
| C64 Between 40 and 50 years Single F | 18 |
| C65 Between 40 and 50 years Widows F | 8 |
| C66 FISH SALTED | 114 |
| C67 Between 40 and 50 years Deaths F | 1 |
| C68 Between 50 and 60 years Married M | 74 |
| C68 CAR PLEASURE | 174 |
| C69 Between 50 and 60 years Single M | 12 |
| C69 VALUE DOL P | 6,525 |
| C7 Not Members of Family F | 71 |
| C70 Between 50 and 60 years Widowers M | 4 |
| C71 Between 50 and 60 years Married F | 39 |
| C72 Between 50 and 60 years Single F | 9 |
| C73 Between 50 and 60 years Widows F | 10 |
| C74 Between 50 and 60 years Deaths M | 1 |
| C75 Between 50 and 60 years Deaths F | 1 |
| C76 Between 60 and 70 years Married M | 48 |
| C77 Between 60 and 70 years Single M | 9 |
| C78 Between 60 and 70 years Widowers M | 5 |
| C79 Between 60 and 70 years Married F | 18 |
| C8 Births in 1860 M | 61 |
| C80 Between 60 and 70 years Single F | 11 |
| C81 Between 60 and 70 years Widows F | 10 |
| C82 Between 60 and 70 years Deaths M | 1 |
| C84 Between 70 and 80 years Married M | 21 |
| C85 Between 70 and 80 years Single M | 5 |
| C87 Between 70 and 80 years Married F | 3 |
| C88 Between 70 and 80 years Single F | 2 |
| C89 Between 70 and 80 years Widows F | 5 |
| C9 Births in 1860 F | 61 |
| C90 Between 70 and 80 years Deaths M | 1 |
| C91 Between 70 and 80 years Deaths F | 1 |
| C92 Between 80 and 90 years Married M | 1 |
| C93 Between 80 and 90 years Single M | 1 |
| C94 Between 80 and 90 years Widowers M | 1 |
| C95 Between 80 and 90 years Married F | 1 |
| C96 Between 80 and 90 years Single F | 1 |
| C97 Between 80 and 90 years Widows F | 5 |
| C98 Between 80 and 90 years Deaths M | 1 |
| CD NAME | Essex |
| Colored Persons | 728 |
| England and Wales | 61 |
| Indians | 18 |
| Ireland | 50 |
| Natives of Canada French Origin | 103 |
| Natives of Canada Not of French Origin | 1,459 |
| New Brunswick | 7 |
| Not Known | 1 |
| Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island | 7 |
| Prussia German States and Holland | 7 |
| Russia and Poland | 1 |
| Scotland | 64 |
| Spain and Portugal | 1 |
| United States | 894 |
| West Indies | 1 |
Identifiers
- TCP UID:
ON071003— year-scoped identifier from the Canadian Census Subdivision boundary file - Persistent place ID:
PLACE_ON001004— 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 1861 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). "Colchester, Ontario (1861 census)" in HGIS Canada Knowledge Graph. Retrieved from https://jimclifford.ca/hgiscanada/places/on/colchester-on071003-1861/.