Transcribed by Bernie Monaghan.
TAKEN FROM THE PUBLIC ARCHIVES OF CANADA - CENSUS OF 1851
ENUMERATOR, JOHN NAVIN
GENERAL REMARKS QF THE ENUMERATOR – TAKEN UNDER ACT I4TH & l5TH, Vict. 49
I have divided the Parish of St. Gabriel de Valcartier onto one Personal Enumeration District. The blanks headed "Personal Census Enumeration, District which is bounded on the South by the Parish of St. Ambroise - on the East by the Township of Stoneham, on the West by the Seignory of Fossambault, and on the North so far as has been surveyed.
The River Jacques Cartier cuts the parish, the scenery very pleasant and picturesque. Various other small streams are in abundance. The Parish is divided into the 1-2-3-4 &5th Concessions and part of St. Ignace, and these Concessions are again subdivided into No. 1, N. W. side of Riviere au Pins & Nos. 1-2-3, S. E. of said river which (with an irregularity of the Nos. from 1 to 50 on the blanks) has cost me incredible pain to effect a good Census .
I attempted to divide the parish into 7 Enumeration Districts in accordance with a sort of division which has been made in reference of School Districts (which was the cause of the writing on the heading of the blanks) but I found that such a mode of procedure would result in great confusion.
The first tree was cut down in 1816. The progress of the Parish (or Settlement) has always been and still is greatly retarded from the imperfect state of roads as refers to the settlers on the South East side of the River Jacques Cartier and in reference to the settlers on the North West side of said river, they yet more the imperfect state of the roads and want of a bridge across said river.
In the Parish there is one Roman Catholic Church built of wood, capable of accommodating about 300 persons. There is also a splendid new Church of stone of Gothic order of architecture in-progress. These are erected upon a portion of land of about 8 arpens, a donation from the late A. Stuart, Esq. There is also a Protestant Church (English) of wood, capable of accommodating about 200 persons, erected upon one arpent of land, a donation from the late Honourable John Neilson, and likewise there is a Presbyterian Church capable of accommodating about 150 persons (vacant) erected upon a portion of ground about three arpens, a donation also from the aforesaid donator. There is a manse in progress.
The general character of the soil is variable, answers the various purposes of agriculture very well, with judicious management when the seasons are favourable. There are 6 sawmills within the Settlement. I could not arrive at any correct information respecting them. The importance of their produce is very trifling. There is also an Oat Meal Mill, the Miller pays 15 pounds rent per annum, and has recorded the sum of 32-5 - product for his labour. Cost of the Mill 900 pounds – 1 ˝ hands usually employed. The owner of one of the above sawmills told me that he had given the necessary information to the Enmerator of the Parish of St. Ambroise. There is one thrashing mill in the Parish of 2 horse power, cost 50 pounds.
There 1s one stone dwelling house in the Settlement. There is a small inaccuracy in some of the columns 31, respecting the houses as not being inserted in the corresponding lines of said columns. There is One Post Office in the Parish - 3 schools in operation, under control of the Board of Education. The Government aid for erection and repairs of schoolhouses not being obtained by Valcartier for some years past, renders the schoolhouses rather uncomfortable.
The Parish contains 649 Roman Catholics, 453 Protestants (English), 290 Presbyterians. 763 males, 637 females - farmers 192, labourers 178.
8 N.F. Can. 75, the whole number of souls in the Parish I400. Of male births 36, female 32. Male deaths 10, female I4. Usually attending school 75 males and 51 females .
The blanks headed Agricultural Census, Enumeration District No. and paged from 1 to 5 inclusive form the Agricultural Census of the Parish of St. Gabriel de Valcartier ( commonly called the Settlement of Valcartier) . The writing on the heading of these blanks is accounted for as above.
The amount of land held by the occupiers amounts to 29,649 acres .
Under cultivation 9,642 1/2 acres. Under crops 6,911 1 1/2 acres. Under pasture 2,734 acres. Under wood 20,006 acres. Peas 279 bushels, Oats, 30,415 bushels. Buckwheat 127 bushels. Potatoes, 79,857 bushels. Turnips 2,613 bushels. Hay, 105,090 bundles. Wool, 962! Ibs. Sugar, 770 Ibs. Flannel 126 yards. Timothy seed, 36! bushels. Carrots 13 bushels. Barley, 17! bushels. rye, 90! bushels. Horses 301. Milk cows, 782. Bulls, 152. Heifers and calves, 400. Sheep, 327. Butter 38,467 Ibs. Beef fattened, 390! cuts. Pork, 7, 717! Ibs.
N. B. I have omitted in the above Personal Census to remark that I have met with only one Negro. As there are several occupiers of land in the Fief St. Ignace, I have inserted their property in Column 56, under the heading "Remarks", and there are also several occupiers who hold property both in the Seignory of St. Gabriel and St. Ignace, under the above mentioned Column 56 of the Agricultural Census; paged with numbers 1-2-3 of said Census.
As respects the circular dated - Quebec 1851 and signed by the Sec. Treas. submitting to you the following questions.
1- LANDS
I answer the several queries as follows:
1 - Varies in different parts, nearly one half of a sandy nature and the other of a clay loam, generally good by judicious care .
2 - Loamy
3- To a good extent, insufficiency of roads.
4 - Fall ploughing, lst oats, 2nd potatoes, 3rd oats and laid down with timothy and clover seeds .
5 - Oats, potatoes and hay.
6- None
7 - Stable manure.