James & Lucy Johnston's double-listing in the 1851/2 Census

A research note by Wesley Johnston

Last updated 16 Feb 2012

James and Lucy Johnston apparently were recorded twice in the 1851 census of the west half of Pickering Township, Ontario County, in what is now Ontario, Canada. (The census was actually taken in 1852, which does impact the calculation of approximate birth years.)

First Entry - Page 169 (next to George Johnston family)

The first entry is on the page stamped 169 (see http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=1061&path=Canada+West+(Ontario).Ontario+County.Pickering.170 ) in District 13. They are listed on lines 20 and 21 (1-story log house) and are possibly related to the immediately prior George Johnston family on lines 13-19 (1-story frame house). The next home is that of William Jenkins of England and Ruben Trip of Scarboro (lines 22-27, 1-story frame house occupied by 3 families). There are no other Johnstons on the page, nor any born in Ireland. There are many Presbyterians, and lines 43-50 have an Annan family from Scotland (the main area of Johnstons in Scotland was Annandale).

James is shown as a Labourer, born in Ireland, of Presbyterian religion, age 63. He and Lucy (age 50, born Ireland, Presbyterian) are the only occupants of a single-story log house.

George's family is the only family that occupies the prior single-story frame house, although a non-family member is living with them. One of their children attended school during the year, and there was one birth in the house in the year. George is a Tailor, born in Ireland, with all of the family of Wesleyan Methodist religion [thus different from James and Lucy], age 38. His wife Jane is 39, born Ireland. William is a Tailor, age 13, born Ireland. George is age 5, born ?Threeziner? C.E. [Canada East = Quebec], the same place as James, age 3. The new-born is Edward, age 1, born Pickering. The non-family member is William J. Yonk (or York), Woolen Factor, born USA, Presbyterian, age 51, who is apparently shown as a widower (though it may just be a capital M for married).

Second Entry - Page 255

The second entry is on the page stamped 255 (see http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/View.aspx?dbid=1061&path=Canada+West+(Ontario).Ontario+County.Pickering.256), also in District 13. They are on lines 35 and 36, where they are the only occupants of a single-story log house. James is a Labourer, born in Ireland, Presbyterian, age 65. Jane is born in Ireland, age 50. So his age differs by 2 years from the other entry.

The George Johnston family is not on the page at all, nor on the prior or subsequent pages. However, a John Johnston appears on line 8 in the Thomas Wood family home. John has no occupation, is born in Ireland, age 17. Was he a son of the George Johnston on the other page? This cannot be answered from what I have.

There are no other Johnstons on the page. But there are four others who were born in Ireland: John Stein (19, line 4, in the Smith home), Sarah Campbell (25, line 13, wife of Scotland-born James Campbell), and the Methodists Edward and Mary Kennedy (lines 17-18).

More Observations

1 - None of the other families on the page 169 entry appear on any of the pages 254-256. So if these are indeed the same James and Lucy (which I believe they are), then tey had apparently just moved, probably from the location on page 169 to the location on line 255.

2 - The agricultural census does exist for the western half of the township. So I should eventually be able to find James there, which will give the concession and lot numbers. We will see if both locations were recorded.

3 - I am very early in the work on the Johns(t)on(e) families in 1852 Pickering. So I have no idea yet whether James is connected to any of the other Johnstons in Pickering Township.