The Wayward Township

An Important Reminder about Puslinch Township & the 1851 Census

When the 1851 census for Puslinch Township was microfilmed, all of the records for Puslinch Township, east of the Brock Road, were placed on the microfilm for Brock Township, Ontario County, instead of on the microfilm for Wellington County. This geographical transposition is still in effect.

Therefore, when searching 1851 Census microfilms for your ancestors, if you don’t find them on the reel for Puslinch Township, check also the reel for Brock Township, Ontario County. On the 1851 Census microfilm for Brock Township, the Puslinch Township records are often helpfully identified as “Puslinch Division”, with John Caulfield as enumerator.

Also, please note that when that fabulous website, Ancestry.com, posted the 1851 census, the eastern half of Puslinch Township maintained its standing in historic Brock Township. Therefore, if you are using Ancestry to search the 1851 census, you may be well rewarded for considering Brock Township as well as Puslinch Township.