I am looking for 1930 Toronto census

Question

Arthur Arbuthnot  Invented himself, his father (Col James Arbuthnot or Sir Arthur Arbuthnot  [on his death cert], neither of whom existed), his mother etc. When he died on 8 July 1929 he was married to Maud nee Johnston and had a daughter Rita, whom I believe to have been real.  I assume the info given in his obituary (found @ findagrave # 140825639 ) re his surviving relations is correct, namely: surviving are his widow, formerly Maud Johnston; one daughter, Rita; two sisters, Mrs. O. A. McNichol and Mrs. A. Rogers, and three brothers-in-law, Ald. F. M. Johnson (the no “t” is probably a typo), E. B. Johnston and O. P. Johnston, all of Toronto. 

My questions are, do they feature in the Toronto census of 1930. (I don’t know where to find it).And how do I make sense of his having such relations? Does two sisters mean his sisters- in-law (in which case can I establish that they were born Johnston and they were not his sisters at all) and the brothers-in-law mean just that?

Answer 1

The Census of 1931 isn't available to the public until 2023 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1931_Canadian_Census), but let me see what I can find out through the Toronto Public Library and the Toronto voters lists.

The Globe and Mail article about his funeral has this to say: "His father Colonel Arbuthnot was killed in the Afghan campaign. Three of his brothers were killed in the South African War, and another brother during the Great War. His uncle Sir Robert Arbuthnot, went down with his ship at Jutland."

The only Arbuthnot in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial who died during WWI is Neil Arbuthnot, son of Alexander and Isabella Arbuthnot of Collingwood, Ontario.

The first "sister" is in fact a sister-in-law. Sarah Luena Johnston and Oscar A. McNichol are mentioned in their daughter's birth record."Ontario Births, 1869-1912," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9H-DS3T : 16 July 2017), Sarah Luena Johnston in entry for Verna Luena Mcnichol, 31 May 1907; citing Birth, Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada, citing Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 2,381,775.

The FindAGrave entries for Sarah and her siblings are here.

Comments

So fast concise and comprehensive. You clearly have a brain the size of a planet as well as deserving 42 prizes for your brilliant design of Norway.

Thank you enormously.

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Thanks, Sir William, but I just became rather obsessed with your mystery man. Given his proven ability to string people along, I'm not surprised that he became a salesman! Thank you for the best answer and for an enjoyable day of sleuthing.

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And, unfortunately, when the 1931 census is made public, it's going to be a huge disappointment, since most of the records were destroyed in a fire (or by water damage).