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Census entry "Canada Eng"
While researching census records I have found the birthplace listed as Canada Eng. I haven't been able to find out what this actually means. Does it stand for Canada but english speaking as opposed to french speaking. Family Tree maker downloaded the record and put in Eng for the birth place and I assumed it meant England but this is not correct
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Beth Gatlin on -
Yes, I think that is what it means.
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Permalink Reply by Beth Gatlin on
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Oh, I should probably also add that I think it is just the language and does not indicate province, since the census records for my great-grandmother's brother say that, and he was born in Quebec (but was English-speaking, not French-speaking).
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Permalink Reply by Sean K on -
I'd be curious to know the definitive answer too! In the censuses I've come across "Canada English"and "Canada French" and assumed it referred to the predominant language of the region of Canada. However, I've also come across "Canada Scotch", which I assume either refers to a Scottish Gaelic speaking area, or maybe the person was partial to whisky ;o)
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Permalink Reply by Jeanie McCully on -
"Canada English" is, generally speaking, synonymous with Ontario. "Canada French" is Quebec. "Canada Scotch" I would assume to be Nova Scotia, although I've never run across that one.
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Permalink Reply by Nicole Alexandria McCreary on -
This means English Canada (pre-1867), which is Ontario now. I have relations who went from Ontario to N. Dakota, and this is how they were recorded in US censuses.
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Permalink Reply by James P. LaLone on -
Depending on the time period the terms can be different, also the boundries may vary slightly BUT generally:
CAN ENG = CAN WEST = Upper Canada =Ontario
CAN FR = CAN EAST = Lower Canada = Quebec
Canada Scotch is a new one for me also.
Jim.
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Permalink Reply by Catherine Davis on -
Although English has been the de facto language of Scotland for some time, the original languages of Scotland were Gaelic and Scots, with Gaelic the predominant language in the Highlands and Scots the language pretty much spoken elsewhere. Even today, in Aberdeenshire (particularly around Fraserburgh), where people can and do speak perfectly proper English, the people's "common" language is the Doric dialect, a mix of English and old Scots words and pronunciations.
In the US censuses, the use of "Scotch" as the mother tongue probably meant the speaker spoke English, but with a very broad Scottish accent.
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Permalink Reply by Catherine Davis on
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The headings on the 1920 census state "place of birth" and "mother tongue."
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