A Great Deal of Gratitude Is Owed by Area Researchers to the Late Percy Climo of Cobourg

Hope Township, Durham Co., Ontario 1803-1851 Census/Assessments

http://www.nhb.com/hunter/census.htm

Indices to local census returns...

Ever wonder why census reports are sometimes less-than-accurate? This job description was printed in the Vermont Genealogical Society's Branches & Twigs:
"I am a cencus taker for the city of Bufflow. Our city has groan very fast in recent years and now, in 1865, it has becum a hard and time consooming job to count all the peephill. Thare is not meny that can do this werk, as it is necesarie to have a ejucashun, which a lot of pursons still do not have. Another atribeart needed for this job is good speling, for meny of the peephill to be caounted can hardle speek inglish, let alone spel there name."
(The editor added with tongue-in-cheek, "Pity the poor reserchers triing to reed the Bufflow centsus rekurds.")

The earliest tabulations of the residents of Hope Township I have seen are two 1799 reports: one by Elias Smith and the other by Augustus Jones. Phyllis H. White transcribed the Oaths of Allegiance of men of Port Hope/Hope Township for 1801-1806, and Catharine Tozer has started to file away any references to each of the men on the list with a view to following them for a few years afterwards. Hopefully we'll be able to share her findings with you in the future. The Crown Deeds of Hope Township, showing concessions and lot owners... The Hope Township tax assessment rolls indices for 1802-1807, located in the collections of the Trent University Archives (Peterborough, Ontario)...

A great deal of gratitude is owed by area researchers to the late Percy Climo of Cobourg, who took it upon himself to create a head-of-household index of the 1803-1851 Hope Township census returns, available in hard copy at both Port Hope and Cobourg public libraries. These records have been transcribed for online searching with the kind permission of his great-nephew, Dan Climo.

1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1809 1810 1811

1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819

1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827

1828 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836

1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1848 1850 1851

Although there are no census returns for 1842-1847, assessment returns, showing concession/lot owners, for those years can be found on Shirley Horner's site.

Unfortunately, there isn't an 1851 census available for Port Hope. Therefore, to my knowledge the 1847 Assessment of the Town of Port Hope, also originally transcribed by Mr. Climo, is the only document we have showing the property owners of Port Hope prior to the official census of 1861. When browsing through it, please keep in mind that the entries were Mr. Climo's interpretation of often-illegible and/or faded entries. I hope I haven't misinterpreted HIS hand-written entries too badly!

Barbara and I have compiled indices for the 1861 Port Hope and 1861 Hope Township returns. These indices are non-alphabetized, as it is often useful to see the neighbours and with whom the strays were living. The search function under "Edit" will allow for surname searches. Each index contains the names of the heads-of-households and any other surnames within the households at the time of reporting. The page number at the end of each entry indicates where the full listings can be found on the microfilms. Both Port Hope and Cobourg libraries have these films, as well as those for 1851-1901.
For those indifferent about the location of the neighbours and strays - and as an aid to a quick check of surname spelling variations - we've included the alphabetized versions of the Port Hope and Hope Township returns.

The following Port Hope/Hope Township census returns are also available for on-line searching:
* 1871 - Ontario census index (heads of household only)
* 1881 - Canada census returns, along with the 1880 US/1881 British, courtesy of the Latter Day Saints
* 1891 - Port Hope census, along with several neighbouring townships, courtesy of the OGS Whitby-Oshawa branch. All members of the family are shown.
* 1901 - Canada census returns at the National Archives site. As this site provides only the images of the original pages, you might want to check out the index, prepared by dedicated volunteers!
* 1911 - Canada census returns at the Library and Archives Canada site. This site presently provides the images of the original pages, searchable only by area. The good news is that indexing has begun!

The c1898 Port Hope Bell Telephone Directory...

The 1900 Port Hope Bell Telephone Directory...

Courtesy of Don Workman, of Port Hope, we have transcribed the entries from the 1920 Hope Township Voters' List.

The OntarioGenWeb Official Census Project, begun 01 March 1999, is well worth your consideration. The intention is to eventually have every Ontario census available for free online searching. Those currently completed, including our two, can be found there. Should you wish to make a lasting contribution to this project, your involvement will be very much appreciated by present and future generations!
Barbara & Peter Bolton - Port Hope, Ontario, Canada
www.nhb.com/hunter/
Copyright © 2000-2006 PJBolton

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NO Godfrey Stephenson

FIRST LISTING for Henry Thompson and is the ONLY Thompson household listed. Shows Henry and two sons over 16 and two sons under 16 as well as wife and daughter over 16.

NO Godfrey Stephenson

Henry Thompson is the ONLY Thompson household listed. Shows on Henry, 4 sons [one age 16] and wife and daughter of age 16.

NO Godfrey Stephenson

Henry Thompson is the ONLY Thompson household listed. Shows on Henry, 3 sons [one age 16] and wife. Where is 4th son and daughter over age 16.

NO Godfrey Stephenson

Henry Thompson is the ONLY Thompson household listed. Henry and 4 sons plus wife and daughter.

NO Godfrey Stephenson

William Thompson is the ONLY Thompson household listed.

First record of Godfrey Stephenson – daughter is likely Susannah S. 107A who married in 1832 to William 107 Thompson. Elizabeth 104A Stephenson married Aaron Sr. 104 Thompson 27 Dec 1825 in ENGLAND.

Stevenson: Godfrey, his wife Catherine or Martha & daughter Susannah

Stevenson: Godfrey, his wife Catherine or Martha & daughter Susannah

Stevenson: Godfrey, his wife Catherine or Martha & daughter Susannah

Thompson: John – OUR John was born 1794 and married Mary 101B Hoag/Hogg in Sept 1825; their first child Aaron was not born until 1826 so perhaps these 2 boys and a girl are John’s siblings IF this is our family.

Thompson: Joseph – too old to be OUR Joseph as OUR Joseph was born 1810

Thompson: As Henry Sr.’s family still shows 5 males 16 & over, it is not likely that John is part of Henry’s family but Joseph’s household just doesn’t fit anyhwhere.

Thompson: William – Beginning to think this William is Henry’s brother or some other THOMPSON line – NOT ours.

Stevenson: Godfrey, his wife Catherine or Martha & daughter Susannah

Stevenson: Godfrey, his wife Catherine or Martha & daughter Susannah

Thompson, Joseph – the only way this could be OUR Joseph is if the are his brother Aaron, wife Elizabeth Stephenson and their child Katherine Fenwick Stephenson 1386 Thompson and what other boy and 3 girls???

Stevenson: Godfrey, his wife Catherine or Martha & daughter Susannah

Thompson: Aaron Thompson and wife Elizabeth Stephenson and daughter Katherine Fenwick Stephenson 1386 Thompson born 1824. This would indicate that they immigrated in 1828 and is confirmed by the fact that next child, Godfrey Stephenson 1387 Thompson was born 04 Jan 1829 in Port Hope, Durham Co., Ontario.

Thompson: MAJOR question as to which JOHN; John and wife Mary Hoag; John’s sons Aaron 132 & Moses 133; another couple and their daughter??

Thompson: so I don’t think this is our Joseph 102 as our Joseph would have been only 18 and did not marry until about 1837. [Rebecca Scoville would only have been 16; 1st child born 1838]

Stevenson: Godfrey, his wife Catherine or Martha & dau Susannah and three boys under 16 – servants or labourers??

Thompson: Aaron Thompson and wife Elizabeth Stephenson and daughter Katherine Fenwick Stephenson 1386 Thompson born 1824. This would indicate that they immigrated in 1828 and is confirmed by the fact that next child, Godfrey Stephenson 1387 Thompson was born 04 Jan 1829 in Port Hope, Durham Co., Ontario.

Stevenson: Godfrey, his wife Catherine or Martha & dau Susannah and two boys over 16 have joined the household –servants or labourers??

Thompson: Aaron Thompson -- another couple has joined them – WHO?? The daughters are accounted for [Kathryn 1386 and Mary Ann 1388] Where is his son Godfrey 1387???

Stevenson: Godfrey, his wife Catherine or Martha

This is the year that Susannah married a “William 107 Thompson” and as William Thompson is not listed perhaps he is the second male over 16. William107 Thompson is of the MANTELL line.

Joseph 102 Thompon’s brother William was still in England as evidenced by the 1848 letter. Then again, maybe the letter is to the OTHER JOSEPH THOMPSON and not to do with our line at all.

Thompson: Aaron Thompson with wife and two daughters under 16 – Kathryn 1386 and Mary Ann 1388; Where is his son Godfrey 1387???