Census Returns, 1827

Lt. Governor Kempt sent a message to the House of Assembly on 3 April 1827 requesting funds for a census that would accurately record agricultural production and population. The census was taken by County Sheriffs and returned to the Provincial Secretary. Abstracts were tabled in the House on 31 March 1828.

The records consist of returns showing the name of the head of household, the number of men, women, servants and labourers found in the house, their occupation, their religion, information on the number of births, deaths or marriages during the previous year, the number of acres cultivated and information on agricultural production and livestock. Most returns were made after the harvest season. This census also indentifies African Nova Scotians ('Black') and Mi'kmaq ('Indian') residents in the returns.

The returns are not complete for the province. Surviving areas include Cumberland Township, Halifax County, parts of Cape Breton near the Bras D'or Lake and Louisbourg, and the townships of Annapolis, Antigonish, Argyle, Barrington, Clare, Clements, Liverpool, Shelburne, Wilmot and Yarmouth.

Please note: the listing below is made from place names used in the returns. They may vary from the places commonly known today. Sydney county, for example, was created in 1784 to administer the eastern mainland of Nova Scotia (now Antigonish and Guysborough Counties). The name remained in use during the period of this census.

Amherst, Cumberland County

Annapolis, Annapolis County

Argyle, Yarmouth County

Arisaig, Sydney County

Barrington, Shelburne County

Bear Cove, Halifax County

Beaverbank, Halifax County

Bell's Rout, Halifax County

Benackady, Cape Breton County

Bras D'or Lakes, Richmond County

Chessencook, Halifax County

Clam Harbour, Halifax County

Clare, Digby County

Clements, Annapolis County

Cole Harbour, Halifax County

Cow Bay, Halifax County

Crane Street, Halifax County

Dartmouth, Halifax County

Dorchester, Sydney County

Dover, Halifax County

Duggins Island, Halifax County

Dutch Village, Halifax County

Eastern Passage, Halifax County

Ecum Secum, Halifax County

Ferguson's Cove, Halifax County

Forshu, Yarmouth County

Fort Lawrence, Cumberland County

Frog Lake, Halifax County

Gabarous, Cape Breton County

Goose River, Cumberland County

Great Narrows, Cape Breton County

Halibut Bay, Halifax County

Hammonds Plains, Halifax County

Harrietsfield, Halifax County

Herring Cove, Halifax County

Jeddore, Halifax County

Kempt, Queens County

Ketch Harbour, Halifax County

Lake Porter, Halifax County

Lawrencetown, Halifax County

Little Harbour, Halifax County

Liverpool, Queens County

Lorain, Cape Breton County

Louisbourg, Cape Breton County

Lower Prospect, Halifax County

Macan, Cumberland County

Manudie, Cumberland County

Margaret's Bay, Halifax County

McNab's Island, Halifax County

Mushaboom (Taylor's Bay), Halifax County

Musquodoboit, Halifax County

Napan, Cumberland County

Necum Tech, Halifax County

Newcomquoddy (Newdy Quoddy), Halifax County

Oak Park, Shelburne County

Peggy's Cove, Halifax County

Petpeswick, Halifax County

Pope's Harbour, Halifax County

Portuguese Cove, Halifax County

Preston, Halifax County

Prospect Road, Halifax County

River Phillip, Cumberland County

Salmon River, Halifax County

Sambro, Halifax County

Sheet Harbour, Halifax County

Shelburne, Halifax County

Shelburne, Shelburne County

Ship Harbour, Halifax County

Shoal Bay, Halifax County

Spryfield, Halifax County

St. Andrews, Sydney County

Tangier, Halifax County

Three Fathom Harbour, Halifax County

Tracadie, Sydney County

Truro Road, Halifax County

Upper Prospect, Halifax County

Wallace, Cumberland County

Wellington Station, Halifax County

Wentworth, Cumberland County

Wilmot, Annapolis County

Windsor Road, Halifax County

Yarmouth, Yarmouth County

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