The New Brunswick Secords and their Origins
The 1871 Canadian census asked for the "Origin" or ethnic background of each individual enumerated. It is clear that origin was considered to be passed down from the father to his children, and not from the mother. It's interesting to see what the descendants of William and Elias Secord thought their origins were. There is no point in looking at female descendants except the daughters of Secord men, as descendants of those daughters would report the origin of their own fathers. To make this exercise a little easier, I have just looked at males carrying the Secord name. I looked at every Secord household in New Brunswick in the 1871 census, plus those Secord households elsewhere in Canada that had clear ties to New Brunswick. In each case I looked at the Origin for the head of the household. I have also indicated the ancestry of each individual, as far as I have been able to determine. In square brackets at the end of each line I have added what each person indicated for Origin in the 1881 census.
Charles Secord b ~1813 (possibly Gilead2, William1) - Sussex, Kings County, NB - English [French in the 1881 census]
Elias Secord b ~1815 (Gilead2, William1) - Studholm, Kings County, NB - French [in the 1881 census, "U.S." originally, but crossed out and replaced by "English" and therefore doubtful]
James H Secord b ~1842 (Elias3, Gilead2, William1) - Studholm, Kings County, NB - French [English in the 1881 census]
George T Secord b ~1843 (Elias3, Gilead2, William1) - Studholm, Kings County, NB - French [English in the 1881 census]
Caleb Seacord b ~1816 (Gilead2, William1) - Sussex, Kings County, NB - Dutch [English in the 1881 census]
William Secord b ~1816 (Gilead2, William1) - Sussex, Kings County, NB - English [English in the 1881 census]
Gillied Secord b ~1833 (Gilead2, William1) - Sussex, Kings County, NB - French [French in the 1881 census]
Harding Secord b ~1826 (Gilead2, William1) - Sussex, Kings County, NB - French
James Secord b ~1796 (William1) - Studholm, Kings County, NB - French [in the 1881 census, "U.S." originally, but crossed out and replaced by "English" and therefore doubtful]
Nelson Secord b ~1826 (James2, William1) - Studholm, Kings County, NB - French [French in the 1881 census]
Carmel Secord b ~1804 (William1) - Springfield, Kings County, NB - English [English in the 1881 census]
George Secord b ~1833 (Carmel2, William1) - Springfield, Kings County, NB - English
Odbar J Secord b ~1834 (Carmel2, William1) - Cambridge, Queens County, NB - Dutch [English in the 1881 census]
William Secord b ~1838 (Carmel2, William1) - Norton, Kings County, NB - "U.S." originally, but crossed out and replaced by "English" and therefore doubtful
John Secord b ~1841 (Carmel2, William1) - Norton, Kings County, NB - "U.S." originally, but crossed out and replaced by "English" and therefore doubtful
James Secord b ~1785 (Elias1) - Williamsburg, Dundas County, ON - English [his son Elias in the 1881 census said English]
John Secord b ~1792 (Elias1) - Johnston, Queens County, NB- "U.S." originally, but crossed out and replaced by "English" and therefore doubtful [same situation in the 1881 census]
John Secord b ~1823 (John2, Elias1) - Johnston, Queens County, NB - "U.S." originally, but crossed out and replaced by "English" and therefore doubtful
Charles Secord b ~1838 (John2, Elias1) - Johnston, Queens County, NB - "U.S." originally, but crossed out and replaced by "English" and therefore doubtful [same situation in the 1881 census]
Samuel Secord b ~1802 (Elias1) - Johnston, Queens County, NB - French
Henry Secord b ~1831 (Samuel2, Elias1) - Gordon, Victoria County, NB - French [French in the 1881 census]
Samuel Secord b ~1842 (Samuel2, Elias1) - Johnston, Queens County, NB - English [1881 census is ambiguous]
Another Secord who stated that he was Dutch in the 1881 census:
Hiram Secord b ~1857 (Caleb3, Gilead2, William1) - Cardwell, Kings County, NB [Dutch again in the 1901 census]