ENGLAND pre-1800 CENSUS or birth info?

[MacKenzie Clow]

Hello from Canada

I don't have the birthdate and can only guess the year of birth for my GGG Grandfather who left from Westminster in 1808 at age 17 to sail for Canada and work for Hudsons Bay Company.  I'm assuming probably 1791 as his birthyear. I don't have his parents names either 

I DO have his name - JOHN JAMES SMITH.   (It had to be a John Smith as well, didn't it? )  His first child was a son, named RICHARD, so I'm sort of hoping he named his first son after his father.  I know, a longshot but maybe ... you never know

QUESTIONS:

1) Is there a census for 1791-ish for Westminster (and would that be MIDDLESEX area) ?

2)  Where/what places could I look online for census and/or birth records in that area for 1791-ish birth of that name?

Thank you.

[Ticker]

Hi MacKenzie

A census of the population of England and Wales has been taken every ten years since 1801 with the exception of 1941. The 1841 census was the first to list the names of every individual.   So I'm afraid the census won't help you on this one.

There are other sources:

Westminster Poll Book of 1749 (may be too early) Westminster Poll Book 1749

The IGI at Family Search

The London Met Archives - see London Metropolitan Archives

You might want to have a quick look at these sources and then post something on the London board.

Hope this helps - please come back to me if you need anything else.

Best wishes

Ticker

[MacKenzie Clow]

Thanks a lot for your reply Ticker

So, it sounds like only heads of households were named in the earlier censuses, like here in Canada. I'll try those links you gave me and get back to you.

Take care and thanks again .. Mackenzie

[1000xlch]

Hi MacKenzie

Have you searched for the immigration records into Canada as there are quite a lot online.

[MacKenzie Clow]

Hi MacKenzie

Have you searched for the immigration records into Canada as there are quite a lot online.

Hi ... and thanks a lot for your reply

Yes ... I've been trying to find online immigration lists to see if I could find my partners Mom so we could get his grandparents and Uncles' names. Margaret was 8 in 1930 when they arrived in Canada ... we don't know where they arrive TO yet though. I don't give up though.

[Carmela]

Hi MacKenzie,
You may have already tried the HBC Archives, but if not, you might be able to find his place of birth from employment records. Of course it does involve a trip to Ottawa or Winnipeg. Details about HBC records:

 http://www.collectionscanada.ca/index-e.html
 
http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/genealogy/gen_text/hbca_intro.html
 
http://www.afhs.ab.ca/aids/talks/notes_mar98.html   

As a fellow Smith researcher, you have my sympathy. Are you sure that he was born in London? He might have gone there to sign up with the HBC. From what little I know of HBC
history, the majority of their employees were Scots.

Good Luck,
Carmela (in B.C.)

[1000xlch]

Hi Mackenzie again

Pier21 is an online page with immigration records for Canada 1928 to 1971 as they came to Quebec and Halifiax.. Try it at  http://www.pier21.ca/
Ellis Island at New Yorks is worth a look as they went on to Canada.  Try it at http://www.ellisisland.org/ Also there are annual directories pub in Canada which list where everybody lives and their occupation.
Hope that helps. 

John Rowley

[~meg]

>Margaret was 8 in 1930 when they arrived in Canada<

Hi M-C,
The Canadian Genealogy Centre site has a searchable database for Immigration Records for the years 1925 – 1935.  If Margaret arrived in 1930, you might find her in the database.

Good luck,
~meg

[MacKenzie Clow]

Carmela, 1000xlch, and ~meg,

Thanks so much for your help ... I've been browsing those links. Good ones!  The Ellis Island database appears to only go up to 1924 so no records in there for the year (1930)

Funny how I can find no mention of Margaret Clow and her parents and brother in the Canadian sites. Oh well .. I'll keep on searching

For my own family SMITH search ... my GGG Grandpa is listed in several sources like censuses as England and religeon as Church of England... plus our family has always mentioned that Grandpas side was from England (toss in some local aboriginal and Scotland (mostly Orkneys) along the way) ... Nope ... GGG Grandpa "John James Smith" was from England.  I'll contact the Hudsons Bay Company Archives in Winnipeg and find out what I can about how to get records or something.

Thanks again everyone...