Nelson, Ontario (1861 census)
Nelson was a census subdivision in Halton County, Ontario, recorded in the 1861 Census of Canada with a population of 4,559. The administrative centroid was at approximately 43.406°N, 79.857°W.
Population
In 1861, Nelson had a population of 4,559: 2,303 male and 2,256 female residents. Population density was 55.8 people per square mile.
Population trajectory across census years
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1851 | 4,078 |
| 1861 | 4,559 |
| 1871 | 4,619 |
| 1881 | 3,340 |
| 1891 | 3,269 |
| 1901 | 2,776 |
| 1911 | 2,910 |
| 1921 | 3,356 |
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, Nelson shared boundaries with:
Full census record, 1861
The 1861 census recorded 380 measurements for this Census Subdivision across 7 categories. Tables below are collapsible.
Population & families (29 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Female members of the family who are present | 2,132 |
| Females present who are not members of the family | 124 |
| Male members of the family who are present | 2,105 |
| Males present who are not members of the family | 198 |
| Number of adult females unable to read or write | 55 |
| Number of adult males unable to read or write | 61 |
| Number of blind females | 1 |
| Number of blind males | 3 |
| Number of deaf and dumb males | 1 |
| Number of female births in the past year | 70 |
| Number of females | 2,256 |
| Number of females attending school | 385 |
| Number of lunatic females | 2 |
| Number of lunatic males | 2 |
| Number of male births in the past year | 90 |
| Number of males | 2,303 |
| Number of males attending school | 481 |
| Number of married females | 787 |
| Number of married males | 687 |
| Number of persons at sea | 2 |
| Number of single females | 1,379 |
| Number of single males | 1,554 |
| Number of widowed females | 90 |
| Number of widowed males | 62 |
| POP FX N.1 | 2,256 |
| POP MX N.1 | 2,303 |
| POP TOT | 4,559 |
| POP XX N.1 | 4,559 |
| Total population | 4,559 |
Age structure (57 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of females age 3 to 4 | 55 |
| Number of females aged 1 to 2 | 75 |
| Number of females aged 2 to 3 | 65 |
| Number of females aged 4 to 5 | 70 |
| Number of females aged 5 to 10 | 290 |
| Number of females of unknown age | 4 |
| Number of males aged 1 to 2 | 70 |
| Number of males aged 2 to 3 | 73 |
| Number of males aged 3 to 4 | 65 |
| Number of males aged 4 to 5 | 60 |
| Number of males aged 5 to 10 | 310 |
| Number of males of unknown age | 19 |
| Number of married females aged 15 to 20 | 20 |
| Number of married females aged 20 to 30 | 200 |
| Number of married females aged 30 to 40 | 330 |
| Number of married females aged 40 to 50 | 116 |
| Number of married females aged 50 to 60 | 80 |
| Number of married females aged 60 to 70 | 30 |
| Number of married females aged 70 to 80 | 11 |
| Number of married males aged 15 to 20 | 1 |
| Number of married males aged 20 to 30 | 160 |
| Number of married males aged 30 to 40 | 190 |
| Number of married males aged 40 to 50 | 156 |
| Number of married males aged 50 to 60 | 96 |
| Number of married males aged 60 to 70 | 60 |
| Number of married males aged 70 to 80 | 20 |
| Number of married males aged 80 to 90 | 4 |
| Number of single females aged 10 to 15 | 277 |
| Number of single females aged 15 to 20 | 276 |
| Number of single females aged 20 to 30 | 160 |
| Number of single females aged 30 to 40 | 19 |
| Number of single females aged 40 to 50 | 6 |
| Number of single females aged 50 to 60 | 4 |
| Number of single females aged 60 to 70 | 5 |
| Number of single females aged 70 to 80 | 3 |
| Number of single males aged 10 to 15 | 260 |
| Number of single males aged 15 to 20 | 250 |
| Number of single males aged 20 to 30 | 260 |
| Number of single males aged 30 to 40 | 50 |
| Number of single males aged 40 to 50 | 29 |
| Number of single males aged 50 to 60 | 9 |
| Number of single males aged 60 to 70 | 5 |
| Number of single males aged 80 to 90 | 4 |
| Number of widowed females aged 20 to 30 | 2 |
| Number of widowed females aged 30 to 40 | 6 |
| Number of widowed females aged 40 to 50 | 20 |
| Number of widowed females aged 50 to 60 | 17 |
| Number of widowed females aged 60 to 70 | 19 |
| Number of widowed females aged 70 to 80 | 18 |
| Number of widowed females aged 80 to 90 | 8 |
| Number of widowed males aged 20 to 30 | 1 |
| Number of widowed males aged 30 to 40 | 10 |
| Number of widowed males aged 40 to 50 | 11 |
| Number of widowed males aged 50 to 60 | 14 |
| Number of widowed males aged 60 to 70 | 17 |
| Number of widowed males aged 70 to 80 | 5 |
| Number of widowed males aged 80 to 90 | 4 |
Ethnic origin (16 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of female negroes or coloured persons | 7 |
| Number of male negroes or coloured persons | 8 |
| Number of persons native to Canada, not of French origin | 3,096 |
| Number of persons originating in England or Wales | 499 |
| Number of persons originating in France | 1 |
| Number of persons originating in Germany or Holland | 42 |
| Number of persons originating in Guernsey, Jersey, or other British islands | 2 |
| Number of persons originating in Ireland | 542 |
| Number of persons originating in New Brunswick | 10 |
| Number of persons originating in Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island | 16 |
| Number of persons originating in Russia or Poland | 1 |
| Number of persons originating in Scotland | 218 |
| Number of persons originating in Spain or Portugal | 1 |
| Number of persons originating in the East Indies | 2 |
| Number of persons originating in the United States | 126 |
| Number of persons originating in the West Indies | 1 |
Agriculture (81 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Acres of barley | 1,191 |
| Acres of buckwheat | 324 |
| Acres of corn | 259 |
| Acres of farmland held by townspeople who are not farmers | 190 |
| Acres of farmland in gardens | 516 |
| Acres of farmland in pasture | 7,952 |
| Acres of farmland in woodland or forest | 14,049 |
| Acres of farmland under crops | 20,785 |
| Acres of farmland under cultivation | 29,253 |
| Acres of land in farms | 43,302 |
| Acres of mangel wurtzel | 25 |
| Acres of oats | 1,870 |
| Acres of peas | 1,877 |
| Acres of potatoes | 383 |
| Acres of rye | 35 |
| Acres of spring wheat | 1,977 |
| Acres of turnips | 194 |
| Acres of winter wheat | 5,302 |
| Barrels of beef produced in the past year | 657 |
| Barrels of pork produced in the past year | 1,864 |
| Bushels of barley produced in the past year | 30,070 |
| Bushels of beans produced in the past year | 229 |
| Bushels of buckwheat produced in the past year | 7,279 |
| Bushels of carrots produced in the past year | 16,059 |
| Bushels of clover, timothy, or other grass seed produced in the past year | 64 |
| Bushels of corn produced in the past year | 8,944 |
| Bushels of mangel wurtzel produced in the past year | 11,455 |
| Bushels of oats produced in the past year | 58,472 |
| Bushels of peas produced in the past year | 39,126 |
| Bushels of potatoes produced in the past year | 49,493 |
| Bushels of rye produced in the past year | 467 |
| Bushels of spring wheat produced in the past year | 32,948 |
| Bushels of turnips produced in the past year | 74,250 |
| Bushels of winter wheat produced in the past year | 86,995 |
| C18 WHT FALL AC | 5,302 |
| C19 WHT FALL BU | 86,995 |
| C20 WHT SP AC | 1,977 |
| C21 WHT SP BU | 32,948 |
| C22 BAR AC | 1,191 |
| C23 BAR BU | 30,070 |
| C24 RYE AC | 35 |
| C25 RYE BU | 467 |
| C26 PEA AC | 1,877 |
| C27 PEA BU | 39,126 |
| C28 OAT AC | 1,870 |
| C29 OAT BU | 58,472 |
| C30 BWT AC | 324 |
| C31 BWT BU | 7,279 |
| C34 POT AC | 383 |
| C35 POT BU | 49,493 |
| C43 HAY TONS | 4,333 |
| C47 WOOL LBS | 21,923 |
| C63 BEEF BAR | 657 |
| C64 PORK BAR | 1,864 |
| Gallons of cider produced in the past year | 6,712 |
| HRS ov03 V | 85,160 |
| Number of bulls, oxen, or steers | 236 |
| Number of calves and heifers | 1,484 |
| Number of horses aged 3 years and under | 316 |
| Number of horses aged over 3 years | 1,214 |
| Number of milk cows | 1,722 |
| Number of occupants of farms | 374 |
| Number of persons living on farms between 10 and 20 acres | 8 |
| Number of persons living on farms between 100 and 200 acres | 219 |
| Number of persons living on farms between 20 and 50 acres | 18 |
| Number of persons living on farms between 50 and 100 acres | 88 |
| Number of persons living on farms over 200 acres | 37 |
| Number of persons living on farms under 10 acres | 4 |
| Number of sheep | 5,579 |
| Number of swine | 2,369 |
| Pounds of cheese produced on farms in the past year | 4,488 |
| Pounds of flax or hemp produced in the past year | 4,985 |
| Pounds of homemade butter | 152,066 |
| Pounds of hops produced in the past year | 26 |
| Pounds of maple sugar produced in the past year | 15,649 |
| Pounds of wool produced on farms in the past year | 21,923 |
| Tons of hay produced in the past year | 4,333 |
| Value of all livestock | 200,148 |
| Value of farm implements in dollars | 61,270 |
| Value of farms (dollars) | 2,054,694 |
| Value of garden and orchard crops produced in the past year | 12,653 |
Manufacturing & industry (4 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of carriages for pleasure | 317 |
| Value of carriages for pleasure (dollars) | 16,071 |
| Yards of flannel produced in the past year | 4,892 |
| Yards of fulled cloth produced in the past year | 752 |
Deaths & mortality (23 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 1 to 2 | 3 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 2 to 3 | 2 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 30 to 40 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 4 to 5 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 40 to 50 | 3 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 50 to 60 | 3 |
| Deaths in the past year among females aged 60 to 70 | 3 |
| Deaths in the past year among females of all ages | 21 |
| Deaths in the past year among females of unknown age | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among females under age 1 | 4 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 1 to 2 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 10 to 15 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 2 to 3 | 3 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 20 to 30 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 30 to 40 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 4 to 5 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 5 to 10 | 3 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 50 to 60 | 1 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 60 to 70 | 2 |
| Deaths in the past year among males aged 70 to 80 | 2 |
| Deaths in the past year among males of all ages | 22 |
| Deaths in the past year among males under age 1 | 6 |
| Total number of deaths in the past year | 43 |
Other recorded variables (170 variables)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| At Sea | 2 |
| C01 TOTAL | 374 |
| C02 OCC UNDR 10 | 4 |
| C03 OCC 10 TO 20 | 8 |
| C04 OCC 20 TO 50 | 18 |
| C05 OCC 50 TO 100 | 88 |
| C06 OCC 100 TO 200 | 219 |
| C07 OCC OVR 200 | 37 |
| C08 HELD | 43,302 |
| C09 UNDR CULT | 29,253 |
| C1 Males | 2,303 |
| C10 Deaths under 1 year M | 6 |
| C10 UNDR CROP | 20,785 |
| C11 Deaths under 1 year F | 4 |
| C11 UNDR PAST | 7,952 |
| C116 Ages not given M | 19 |
| C117 Ages not given F | 4 |
| C119 Ages not given Deaths F | 1 |
| C12 GARDENS | 516 |
| C12 Under 2 Years M | 70 |
| C120 Married M | 687 |
| C121 Single M | 1,554 |
| C122 Widowed M | 62 |
| C123 Total M | 2,303 |
| C124 Married F | 787 |
| C125 Single F | 1,379 |
| C126 Widows F | 90 |
| C127 Total F | 2,256 |
| C128 Grand Total | 4,559 |
| C129 Deaths M | 22 |
| C13 Under 2 Years F | 75 |
| C13 WOOD WILD | 14,049 |
| C130 Deaths F | 21 |
| C131 Deaths Total | 43 |
| C134 Negroes M | 8 |
| C135 Negreos F | 7 |
| C136 Attending School M | 481 |
| C137 Attending School F | 385 |
| C138 Adults unable to read or write M | 61 |
| C139 Adults unable to read or write F | 55 |
| C14 CASH FARM | 2,054,694 |
| C14 Deaths under 2 years M | 1 |
| C140 Deaf and Dumb M | 1 |
| C142 Blind M | 3 |
| C143 Blind F | 1 |
| C144 Lunatics M | 2 |
| C145 Lunatics F | 2 |
| C15 CASH IMP | 61,270 |
| C15 Deaths under 2 years F | 3 |
| C16 GARDN VALUE | 12,653 |
| C16 Under 3 years M | 73 |
| C17 LAND HELD | 190 |
| C17 Under 3 years F | 65 |
| C18 Deaths under 3 years M | 3 |
| C19 Deaths under 3 years F | 2 |
| C2 Females | 2,256 |
| C20 Under 4 years M | 65 |
| C21 Under 4 years F | 55 |
| C24 Under 5 years M | 60 |
| C25 Under 5 years F | 70 |
| C26 Deaths under 5 years M | 1 |
| C27 Deaths under 5 years F | 1 |
| C28 Between 5 and 10 Years M | 310 |
| C29 Between 5 and 10 years F | 290 |
| C3 Total | 4,559 |
| C30 Deaths between 5 and 10 years M | 3 |
| C32 INDN CRN AC | 259 |
| C33 Between 10 and 15 years Single M | 260 |
| C33 INDN CRN BU | 8,944 |
| C35 Between 10 and 15 years Single F | 277 |
| C36 Between 10 and 15 years Deaths M | 1 |
| C36 TUR AC | 194 |
| C37 TUR BU | 74,250 |
| C38 Between 15 and 20 years Married M | 1 |
| C38 CAR BU | 16,059 |
| C39 Between 15 and 20 years Single M | 250 |
| C39 MAN WURT AC | 25 |
| C4 Members of Family M | 2,105 |
| C40 Between 15 and 20 years Married F | 20 |
| C40 MAN WURT BU | 11,455 |
| C41 BEN BU | 229 |
| C41 Between 15 and 20 years Single F | 276 |
| C42 CLV TIM GRA | 64 |
| C44 Between 20 and 30 years Married M | 160 |
| C44 HOP LBS | 26 |
| C45 Between 20 and 30 years Single M | 260 |
| C45 MPL SGR LBS | 15,649 |
| C46 Between 20 and 30 years Widowers M | 1 |
| C46 CID GAL | 6,712 |
| C47 Between 20 and 30 years Married F | 200 |
| C48 Between 20 and 30 years Single F | 160 |
| C48 FLLD CLOTH YRDS | 752 |
| C49 Between 20 and 30 years Widows F | 2 |
| C49 FLAN YRDS | 4,892 |
| C5 Members of Family F | 2,132 |
| C50 Between 20 and 30 years Deaths M | 1 |
| C50 FLX HEM LBS | 4,985 |
| C52 Between 30 and 40 years Married M | 190 |
| C52 BULLS OX STEERS | 236 |
| C53 Between 30 and 40 years Single M | 50 |
| C53 MILK COWS | 1,722 |
| C54 Between 30 and 40 years Widowers M | 10 |
| C54 CALVES HEIFERS | 1,484 |
| C55 Between 30 and 40 years Married F | 330 |
| C55 HORSES | 1,214 |
| C56 Between 30 and 40 years Single F | 19 |
| C56 HORSES VAL | 85,160 |
| C57 Between 30 and 40 years Widows F | 6 |
| C57 COLTS FILLIES | 316 |
| C58 Between 30 and 40 years Deaths M | 1 |
| C58 SHEEP | 5,579 |
| C59 Between 30 and 40 years Deaths F | 1 |
| C59 SWINE | 2,369 |
| C6 Not Members of Family M | 198 |
| C60 Between 40 and 50 years Married M | 156 |
| C60 TOT VALUE | 200,148 |
| C61 Between 40 and 50 years Single M | 29 |
| C61 BUTTER LB | 152,066 |
| C62 Between 40 and 50 years Widowers M | 11 |
| C62 CHEESE LB | 4,488 |
| C63 Between 40 and 50 years Married F | 116 |
| C64 Between 40 and 50 years Single F | 6 |
| C65 Between 40 and 50 years Widows F | 20 |
| C67 Between 40 and 50 years Deaths F | 3 |
| C68 Between 50 and 60 years Married M | 96 |
| C68 CAR PLEASURE | 317 |
| C69 Between 50 and 60 years Single M | 9 |
| C69 VALUE DOL P | 16,071 |
| C7 Not Members of Family F | 124 |
| C70 Between 50 and 60 years Widowers M | 14 |
| C71 Between 50 and 60 years Married F | 80 |
| C72 Between 50 and 60 years Single F | 4 |
| C73 Between 50 and 60 years Widows F | 17 |
| C74 Between 50 and 60 years Deaths M | 1 |
| C75 Between 50 and 60 years Deaths F | 3 |
| C76 Between 60 and 70 years Married M | 60 |
| C77 Between 60 and 70 years Single M | 5 |
| C78 Between 60 and 70 years Widowers M | 17 |
| C79 Between 60 and 70 years Married F | 30 |
| C8 Births in 1860 M | 90 |
| C80 Between 60 and 70 years Single F | 5 |
| C81 Between 60 and 70 years Widows F | 19 |
| C82 Between 60 and 70 years Deaths M | 2 |
| C83 Between 60 and 70 years Deaths F | 3 |
| C84 Between 70 and 80 years Married M | 20 |
| C86 Between 70 and 80 years Widowers M | 5 |
| C87 Between 70 and 80 years Married F | 11 |
| C88 Between 70 and 80 years Single F | 3 |
| C89 Between 70 and 80 years Widows F | 18 |
| C9 Births in 1860 F | 70 |
| C90 Between 70 and 80 years Deaths M | 2 |
| C92 Between 80 and 90 years Married M | 4 |
| C93 Between 80 and 90 years Single M | 4 |
| C94 Between 80 and 90 years Widowers M | 4 |
| C97 Between 80 and 90 years Widows F | 8 |
| CD NAME | Halton |
| East Indies | 2 |
| England and Wales | 499 |
| France | 1 |
| Guernsey Jersey and other British Islands | 2 |
| Ireland | 542 |
| Natives of Canada Not of French Origin | 3,096 |
| New Brunswick | 10 |
| Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island | 16 |
| Prussia German States and Holland | 42 |
| Russia and Poland | 1 |
| Scotland | 218 |
| Spain and Portugal | 1 |
| United States | 126 |
| West Indies | 1 |
Identifiers
- TCP UID:
ON077005— year-scoped identifier from the Canadian Census Subdivision boundary file - Persistent place ID:
PLACE_ON117003— 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). "Nelson, Ontario (1861 census)" in HGIS Canada Knowledge Graph. Retrieved from https://jimclifford.ca/hgiscanada/places/on/nelson-on077005-1861/.