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I have some ancestors who lived in Blake in 1893. Sisters from Scotland, although I don't know their married names, so it's a case of trawling through transcripts to find likely candidates and back-tracking to check marriage records in Scotland.

So, my question is - in which District and Sub-district would I find Blake in the 1891 and 1901 censuses?

Thanks in advance, chester

Hello Chester,

I would refer you to the following Automatedgenealogy in 1911:

http://automatedgenealogy.com/census11/ ... &locale=en

Blake Township is in the Thunder Bay and Rainy River district in the Province of Ontario.

A very interesting story can also be viewed about the Blake Post office (or Moose hill), which says that Blake Township was named after Edward Blake, a member of the Dominion House of Commons:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.anc ... blake.html

You can read Edward Blake's biography on the following:

http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/blake_edward_14E.html

You'll also find Scottish people (Rea, Whittah, Munroe, Cochrane...) in the following Automatedgenealogy and next pages in 1911:

http://automatedgenealogy.com/census11/ ... &dir=1911a

However, there is a "Bigelow and Blake" subdistrict in the province of Quebec in 1901. So, I suggest that you specify if your ancestors lived in Quebec or Ontario.

For the 1891 census, you can search through the "Library and archives Canada" site:

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/189 ... /1891.aspx

Thank so much for your interest,

Michel Dubois, Quebec city.

Thank you for your reply, Michel.

I'm pretty sure the town I need is Blake, Ontario rather than Bigelow and Blake in Quebec.

Two of my grandmother's cousins were orphans from the Quarrier Orphan Home in Glasgow, who were sent to Canada in May 1895. The Quarrier Home has sent me what they have, which contains a note dated 1893 to the effect that the girls have an aunt, "living in Blake Ont" who could take one girl only.

The girls had four aunts who disappear from the Scottish censuses after 1871, so I have 4 candidates for the Aunt in Blake. I know their first names and dates of birth, but reckon that not many single women would come to settle on their own, so I was expecting to have to cross-check possible married surnames names against Scottish marriage records. I think that if I can find the Aunt, she may have one of the girls living with her by 1901.

I've had a look at the 1911 link you posted. I'm really surprised at how few families there were, even in 1911. In 1893 I expect there were even fewer.

Am I right in thinking that Blake would be in Algoma in 1901, subdistrict Neebing? I don't mind a lengthy trawl through those pages if that's where Blake would be in 1901.

Thank you once again for your help. I have been trying to find what happened to these little girls for nearly 10 years. They were called Janet McNaught Lawson born 6 September 1885 and Annie Lawson born 7 September 1887 - both born in Glasgow.

Hello Chester,

You're probably right. Blake seemed to be in the Algoma district in 1901, as per:

http://ontariocensus.rootsweb.ancestry.com/TWPB.html

You could extend your searches through that website.

Cheers,

Michel Dubois, Quebec City.

Thank you very much indeed for your help.

I have managed to find both girls on the 1901 census. I am still looking for their relatives, who were supposedly already out there, but I think I am in the right area and it's just a case of scrolling through the relevant images. Many thanks for your help in narrowing the search area down.

The girls were the important ones to find. The relatives will have to take their turn