Notes:

NOTE 1./ History Of PEI Just prior to the Hession arrival {No Hessions were enumerated in 1841 census}

About the 1841 Census

The colony of Prince Edward Island grew swiftly through the first half of the nineteenth century. It was a time when emigrants poured out of the British Isles. Many Scots came because of the foreclosure of their ancient rights on the land. Irish made the perilous crossing of the North Atlantic owing to worsening economic conditions and in the late 1840s because of famine. The English and Welsh emigration, though not as dramatic, was steady and brought many new farmers, shipbuilders and merchants.

The increase was so rapid that the government had lost track of just how many people there were in the province. Earlier census were of little assistance. The last had been held in 1833 but even as little as eight years later the Island population had boomed.

As important as the people were the other things that were included in the "statistical survey". The degree to which the Island was producing crops and livestock, the number of schoolhouses and grist mills and distilleries, the number of deaf, blind and insane. All of these were seen as important for planning for the community.

There was not universal agreement about the census. Prince Edward Island was in the middle of periodic concern about the land tenure system which saw almost all of the land owned by large landlords and leased rather than sold to the tenants. This made the colony different from others in North America where the usual pattern was freehold tenure with farmers owning rather then renting their land. The legislation was held up while the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council debated what should be asked. The upper house wanted more questions which would show how landowners were receiving little return on their investment. The result was a compromise. The resulting census included questions about the repayment of passage money advanced to tenants and not repaid.

In the early summer of 1841 the census takers traveled the Island counting people, sheep and potatoes among other things. They were paid 10 shillings per hundred persons and 20 shillings per township for traveling expenses. Most earned less than 20 pounds for their efforts. The statistical results were published as an appendix to the Journals of the House of Assembly in 1842 and the original books were relegated to attic storage. Over the years, because of moves and carelessness many volumes were lost.

NOTE 2./ 1881 Census: Prince Edward Island 1881 Census
Official Website of the Government of Prince Edward Island 1881 Census <>

SURNAME GIVEN NAME AGE RELIGION LOT
HESSION THOMAS 48 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION DORETHIA 82 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION WILLIAM A. 8 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION NELLIE 22 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION MICHAEL 53 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION MARGARET 4 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION JOHN THOMAS 7 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION HANNAH 30 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION GILBERT 83 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION FREDERICK 1 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION EMMET 2 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION EDMUND 5 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN
HESSION HELLEN 42 ROMAN CATHOLIC GTN

Gilbert married Dorethia CAHAN. Dorethia was born about 1798 in Ireland; died on 23 Nov 1890 in Prince Edward Island; was buried in St James cemetery, Georgetown, PEI. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]