York, Ontario (1851 census)
York was a census subdivision in Ontario, recorded in the 1851 Census of Canada with a population of 10,035. The administrative centroid was at approximately 43.725°N, 79.420°W.
Population
In 1851, York had a population of 10,035: 5,304 male and 4,731 female residents.
Population trajectory across census years
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1851 | 10,035 |
| 1861 | 10,337 |
| 1911 | 13,871 |
Cross-year identity established by spatial polygon overlap (SAME_AS chains across the Canadian Census Subdivision boundary files).
Boundary continuity (non-identical overlaps)
Spatial polygon overlaps with adjacent census years where the boundary shifted enough that the SAME_AS chain didn't merge them. These show where the territory came from and went to even when it isn't tracked as the same persistent place.
Later boundary forms
- In a later year, this CSD contained Religious, Collegiate, and other Public Institutions, 1861 (0.9% of this CSD's polygon).
- In a later year, this CSD contained Yorkville, Village, 1861 (0.7% of this CSD's polygon).
Neighbouring Census Subdivisions in 1851
In the 1851 census, York shared boundaries with:
- Etobicoke
- Lunatic Asylum
- Markham
- Scarborough
- Toronto University
- Toronto, City
- Upper Canada College
- Vaughan
Full census record, 1851
The 1851 census recorded 220 measurements for this Census Subdivision across 6 categories.
Population & families (1851). This community's record includes 10,035 total population, 5,304 males, 4,731 females, Male members of the family who are present: 4,444, Female members of the family who are present: 4,210, 3,605 single males, 3,035 single females, 1,780 families, 1,611 married males, 1,556 married females, Males present who are not members of the family: 860, 715 males attending school, 714 females attending school, Females present who are not members of the family: 521, 183 male births, 166 female births, 140 widowed females, 88 widowed males, Male members of the family who are present: 26, Female members of the family who are absent: 14, 1 blind males, 1 deaf and dumb females, 1 deaf and dumb males, 1 lunatic males. (Source: 1851 Census of Canada, V1T3.)
Age structure (1851). This community's record includes 681 males aged 5 to 10, 679 single males aged 20 to 30, 663 females aged 5 to 10, 650 single females aged 10 to 15, 598 single males aged 10 to 15, 565 married females aged 20 to 30, 550 single females aged 15 to 20, 527 single males aged 15 to 20, 508 married males aged 30 to 40, 494 married females aged 30 to 40, 442 married males aged 20 to 30, 369 married males aged 40 to 50, 279 single females aged 20 to 30, 254 married females aged 40 to 50, 219 females aged 1 to 2, 199 males under age 1, 194 males aged 1 to 2, 177 males aged 2 to 3, 168 females aged 2 to 3, 167 married males aged 50 to 60, 165 females under age 1, 155 males aged 3 to 4, 152 males aged 4 to 5, 138 females age 3 to 4, 138 single males aged 30 to 40, 126 females aged 4 to 5, 125 married females aged 50 to 60, 86 married males aged 60 to 70, 75 married females aged 15 to 20, 53 single males aged 40 to 50, 39 single females aged 30 to 40, 38 widowed females aged 40 to 50, 36 widowed females aged 60 to 70, 33 married females aged 60 to 70, 27 single males aged 50 to 60, 25 married males aged 70 to 80, 24 widowed females aged 50 to 60, 21 widowed males aged 40 to 50, 17 widowed males aged 60 to 70, 16 single females aged 40 to 50, 16 widowed females aged 30 to 40, 15 widowed males aged 30 to 40, 14 single males aged 60 to 70, 13 widowed males aged 70 to 80, 12 widowed males aged 50 to 60, 11 widowed females aged 70 to 80, 10 single females aged 50 to 60, 9 married males aged 15 to 20, 8 married females aged 70 to 80, 8 widowed females aged 80 to 90, 7 widowed females aged 20 to 30, 6 single males aged 70 to 80, 6 widowed males aged 20 to 30, 5 married males aged 80 to 90, 5 single females aged 60 to 70, 4 single females aged 70 to 80, 4 widowed males aged 80 to 90, 2 males of unknown age, 2 married females aged 80 to 90, 2 single females aged 80 to 90, 1 single males aged 80 to 90. (Source: 1851 Census of Canada, V1T3.) The 1851 enumerator also recorded 1 single males aged 90 to 100, 1 single females aged 90 to 100, 1 single males over 100 — single-county tallies of limited cross-year comparability.
Ethnic origin (1851). This community's record includes 4,158 persons native to Canada, not of French origin, 2,812 persons originating in Ireland, 2,056 persons originating in England or Wales, 424 persons originating in Scotland, 392 persons originating in the United States, 111 male negroes or coloured persons, 82 female negroes or coloured persons, 51 persons originating in New Brunswick, 49 persons originating in Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island, 35 French Canadians, 22 persons originating in Germany or Holland, 19 persons originating in all other places, 17 persons originating in the West Indies, 2 Indigenous females, 2 Indigenous males. (Source: 1851 Census of Canada, V1T1; V1T3.)
Agriculture (1851). This community's record includes 164,645 bushels of oats, 154,986 bushels of wheat, 110,871 pounds of homemade butter, 57,877 acres of land in farms, 52,114 bushels of peas, 34,884 acres of farmland under cultivation, 30,313 bushels of potatoes, 23,925 acres of farmland under crops, 22,993 acres of farmland in woodland or forest, 18,815 pounds of wool produced on farms, 10,851 bushels of turnips, 10,242 acres of farmland in pasture, 6,602 barrels of beef, 6,403 tons of hay, 6,347 pounds of cheese produced on farms, 5,739 sheep, 4,634 acres of oats, 4,592 bushels of barley, 4,351 acres of wheat, 4,000 pounds of hops, 3,860 swine, 3,580 pounds of maple sugar, 2,553 barrels of pork, 2,427 gallons of cider, 2,059 milk cows, 1,926 acres of peas, 1,867 horses, 1,846 bushels of corn, 1,323 calves and heifers, 1,071 bushels of mangel wurtzel, 1,055 bushels of carrots, 850 pounds of flax or hemp, 742 bushels of rye, 717 acres of farmland in gardens or orchards, 654 occupants of farms, 483 bulls, oxen, or steers, 436 acres of potatoes, 301 bushels of buckwheat, 205 persons living on farms between 50 and 100 acres, 166 acres of barley, 133 persons living on farms between 100 and 200 acres, 132 persons living on farms between 20 and 50 acres, 105 persons living on farms under 10 acres, 82 acres of corn, 79 acres of turnips, 59 persons living on farms between 10 and 20 acres, 51 bushels of clover, timothy, or other grass seed, 32 acres of rye, 23 acres of buckwheat, 20 persons living on farms over 200 acres, 6 bushels of beans. (Source: 1851 Census of Canada, V2T6.)
Manufacturing & industry (1851). This community's record includes $10,175 value capital returned by grist mills (pounds sterling), $6,390 value capital returned by saw mills (pounds sterling), 3,000 feet of lumber produced daily by saw mills reporting daily production, 2,198 yards of flannel, 2,029 yards of fulled cloth, 2,000 pounds of wool produced in carding and fulling mills, Logs produced by saw mills reporting production by number of logs: 850, 625 tanneries returning capital, 400 woollen factories returning capital, $250 value annual production or rent from grist mills (pounds sterling), 200 carding and fulling mills returning capital, 21 saw mills, 21 saw mills powered by water, 19 saw mills returning capital, 14 saw mills reporting annual production, 8 employees in grist mills, 8 employees in saw mills, 6 grist mills, 6 grist mills powered by water, 6 grist mills returning capital, 4 saw mills not reporting, 3 grist mills not reporting, 3 tanneries, 3 tanneries reporting, 2 employees in tanneries, 2 grist mills reporting annual production, 2 saw mills reporting production by number of logs, 1 carding and fulling mills, 1 carding and fulling mills reporting, 1 grist mills reporting value of annual production or rent, 1 saw mills reporting daily production, 1 woollen factories, 1 woollen factories reporting. 613,000 feet of lumber produced per year by saw mills reporting annual production. 14,000 barrels of flour produced per year by grist mills reporting annual production. $450 value leather produced in tanneries in the past year (pounds sterling). (Source: 1851 Census of Canada, V2T6; V2T7.)
Deaths & mortality (1851). This community's record includes 57 total number of deaths, Deaths in the past year among males of all ages: 31, Deaths in the past year among females of all ages: 26, Deaths in the past year among males under age 1: 9, Deaths in the past year among females of unknown age: 8, Deaths in the past year among females under age 1: 4, Deaths in the past year among females aged 15 to 20: 3, Deaths in the past year among males aged 15 to 20: 3, Deaths in the past year among males aged 20 to 30: 3, Deaths in the past year among females aged 2 to 3: 2, Deaths in the past year among females aged 40 to 50: 2, Deaths in the past year among males aged 10 to 15: 2, Deaths in the past year among males aged 5 to 10: 2, Deaths in the past year among males aged 80 to 90: 2, Deaths in the past year among males of unknown age: 2, Deaths in the past year among females aged 1 to 2: 1, Deaths in the past year among females aged 20 to 30: 1, Deaths in the past year among females aged 3 to 4: 1, Deaths in the past year among females aged 30 to 40: 1, Deaths in the past year among females aged 5 to 10: 1, Deaths in the past year among females aged 50 to 60: 1, Deaths in the past year among females aged 60 to 70: 1, Deaths in the past year among males age 3 to 4: 1, Deaths in the past year among males aged 1 to 2: 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 40 to 50: 1, Deaths in the past year among males aged 50 to 60: 1, Deaths in the past year among males aged 70 to 80: 1. (Source: 1851 Census of Canada, V1T3.) The 1851 enumerator also recorded Deaths in the past year among males aged 90 to 100: 1 — single-county tallies of limited cross-year comparability.
People with Dictionary of Canadian Biography entries
The Dictionary of Canadian Biography includes biographies of 55 people connected to this place who were alive in 1851, listed below by birth year. Each name links to that person's DCB entry.
| Name | Lifespan | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| George Martin | 1767–1853 | died here |
| William Allan | 1770–1853 | died here |
| Joseph Wells | 1773–1853 | died here |
| Samuel Smith Ridout | 1778–1855 | died here |
| John Ewart | 1788–1856 | died here |
| John Smyth | 1792–1852 | died here |
| Henry Esson | 1793–1853 | died here |
| Samuel Proudfoot Hurd | 1793–1853 | died here |
| Edward William Thomson | 1794–1865 | died here |
| John McIntosh | 1796–1853 | died here |
| Robert Sympson Jameson | 1796–1854 | died here |
| Thomas David Morrison | 1796–1856 | died here |
| William Scott Burn | 1797–1851 | died here |
| James Edward Small | 1798–1869 | born here |
| John William Gamble | 1799–1873 | born here |
| John Elmsley | 1801–1863 | born here |
| John Joseph | 1801–1851 | died here |
| Robert Baldwin Sullivan | 1802–1853 | died here |
| David Gilkison | 1803–1851 | died here |
| William Stewart | 1803–1856 | died here |
| John Craig | 1804–1854 | died here |
| George Okill Stuart | 1807–1884 | born here |
| Allan MacDonell | 1808–1888 | born here |
| Hugh Scobie | 1811–1853 | died here |
| W.H. (William Henry) Boulton | 1812–1874 | born here |
| John Allanson | 1813–1853 | died here |
| Marie-Antoinette Fontbonne | 1813–1856 | died here |
| George Taylor Denison II | 1816–1873 | born here |
| James William Bridgland | 1817–1880 | born here |
| Migisi | 1818–1906 | born here |
| William McDougall | 1822–1905 | born here |
| Ephraim Jones Parke | 1823–1899 | born here |
| Christopher Robinson | 1828–1905 | born here |
| John Jacob Withrow | 1833–1900 | born here |
| W. H. (William Henry) Beatty | 1833–1912 | born here |
| Edward Madan Miles | 1835–1866 | died here |
| Joseph Harris | 1835–1899 | born here |
| S.H. (Samuel Hume) Blake | 1835–1914 | born here |
| William Rennie | 1835–1910 | died here |
| Henry (Canadian architect Langley | 1836–1907 | born here |
| Walter Sutherland Lee | 1836–1902 | born here |
| Anderson Ruffin Abbott | 1837–1913 | born here |
| Francis Collier Draper | 1837–1894 | born here |
| J. A. (John Alexander) Boyd | 1837–1916 | born here |
| George T. (George Taylor) Denison | 1839–1925 | born here |
| William Alexander Foster | 1840–1888 | born here |
| James Loudon | 1841–1916 | born here |
| John Ross Robertson | 1841–1918 | born here |
| Harry Rich | 1843–1914 | died here |
| Alexander Whyte Wright | 1845–1919 | born here |
| John Armstrong | 1845–1910 | born here |
| Samuel James McKee | 1849–1937 | born here |
| Edmund Burke | 1850–1919 | born here |
| William Egerton Hodgins | 1850–1930 | born here |
| Elihu James Davis | 1851–1936 | born here |
Identifiers
- TCP UID:
ON042005— year-scoped identifier from the Canadian Census Subdivision boundary file - Persistent place ID:
PLACE_ON138001_1911— 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 1851 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). "York, Ontario (1851 census)" in HGIS Canada Knowledge Graph. Retrieved from https://jimclifford.ca/hgiscanada/places/on/york-on042005-1851/.