Census Records - Names and Descriptions
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we strive to serve in our covenant duties to gather Israel and seal families together, we often come across various records that help….. some more than others. One source of information that we use to gather the families is the Census records. What can they tell us and how can they help? Over the next couple of weeks, we would like to help sort out the information found on these valuable documents and will be focusing on the Census records from the United States.
In the heading section, almost all census records contain the county and state of the area where the census was enumerated. Most also contain the date of the enumeration and the name and title of the enumerator. Some also contain the city and other governmental jurisdictions such as ward number or name, precinct number or name, etc. These are very valuable in determining the location of our family members at a certain period of time. We may have more than one family member with the same name. It is helpful to know that one lived in New York while the other lived in Washington during the same time period. Or that one lived in Kitsap County in Washington at the same time the other lived in Spokane County in Washington.
Some things to keep in mind when reviewing any census record.
1. There could be errors. Enumerators are human and may have mis-heard the person giving the information. He/she could have written what they thought they heard or spelled it as they thought it was to be spelled instead of verifying with the person giving the information. The person giving the information may have given a nickname instead of a given name. Each of these are common.
2. In some areas, and most commonly in the early years of census records, families lived close to each other. It is not uncommon to find a son/daughter living next door or a few doors away from the parents. Always review the entire document for other family names – not just the “highlighted” lines.
3. Census records were completed on several pages for each area. When your family member’s information is on the top or the bottom of the page, be sure to check the page before and/or the page after to see if there are additional family members or information.
4. Early census records were on handwritten forms (not printed standardized forms) and the enumerator may have been thorough, or was just interested in the basic information. For example: Census records from Philadelphia in 1800 may have very different information from the same year’s census from Boston.
5. When the census forms were standardized within a census period and were printed, the columns were easier to read, but the enumerator still may not be very detail oriented.
6. Handwriting may be hard to read on any census record. The earlier ones were often done in pretty fancy calligraphy, while some are just completed in “chicken scratch”. Indexers have done an amazing job of interpreting the handwriting for us but we should not always rely on it. Try to verify it yourself as well.
Over the next few weeks, we would like to compare information on census records that cover a span of years from 1800 to the most recently released record from 1940. The differences in the amount of information and type of information collected is fun to explore!
This week let’s talk about the Names and Personal Descriptions that are on each census record. In 1800 the records were very basic. Names were usually written with first name first, then the surname. Only the head of the household was listed. After the name of the head of household were sections titled “Free White Males” and “Free White Females”. Within each section were columns titled: Under 10 years, 10 and under 16 years, 16 and under 26, 26 and under 45, and 45 and upwards. Within these columns, the enumerator wrote the number of persons who fit the corresponding description. After these sections, two more were listed: “Other Free Persons” and “Slaves”. These also had numbers in them if there were people who fit these descriptions living with the head of household. This helps us to at least determine the ages of the males and females and how many of each were living within the home at the time.
The 1800 census records did not contain much information to help us gather our families. As the years progressed, however, Census records added more information. By 1870, The name column in the census added the following disclaimer: Names of those who lived there the 1st day of June 1870” and the names were listed with surname first, then the first name as told by the person answering the enumerator’s questions. This census also included columns titled:
· Age at last birthday, if under 1 year, give months in fraction
· Sex
· Color – White, Black, Mulato, Chinese, Indian
These additional bits of information help us add family members and estimate their birth year. With the date of June 1, 1870 as a base point, we can even get a general idea of when the little ones were born.
By 1900 Census records added the street name and the house number columns on the enumeration report. Names were listed surname first, then the given name. The next column was titled “Relation to Head”, so we can see how the person is related to the head of the household. Next came columns listed Race, Sex, Birth month, Birth year and Age. The next columns were titled: Marital Status, Years Married, Children Born, Children Living, Birth place, Father’s Birth place and Mother’s Birth place. Wow! This additional information is an immense help in gathering our families. I love the fact that the number of “children born” and “children living” was added. We can now see if we are missing any children as of the date of the census.
In 1920 the Personal Description Heading was added and the column Race was changed to “Color or Race”. Age was defined as “Age at last birthday” and Marital Status had the following choices: Single, Married, Widowed, Divorced. What a great help in determining if we are missing a spouse.
1940 adds more information on our family members. The Name section instructions state to include each person whose usual (their italics) place of residence on April 1, 1940 was in this household. The following are to be included:
· Persons temporarily absent from the household
· Children under 1 year of age (write “infant” if not given a name yet)
· Enter “X” after the name of the person giving the information
The next columns are as follows:
· Relation (head, wife, son, daughter, father, mother-in-law, grandson, lodger, lodger’s wife, hired hand, etc)
· Male or female
· Color or race
· Age at last birthday
· Marital status (Single, Married, Widowed, Divorced)
Each year it just gets better! We are so blessed to be able to access these census records. They have valuable information for us. Sometimes we need to be a detective as we use these clues in our research. By comparing one year’s census record with a later one, we can get an idea if the family added members or if some no longer lived there. We can see if one spouse passed away or divorced or if a child married and moved home with the parents. We can compare the birth information – place, date, etc. We have found that the location is sometimes quite detailed (Maine, US) or generic (United States). When a foreign birth is noted, the enumerator may list it generically as UK or may be more detailed to include England or Wales, for example. It also helps to see if the race has been described differently in each census record. This helps us identify possible foreign connections.
During this next week, if you have the opportunity, say a prayer and then check out the census records for one of your family members. See if you can find a piece of information you may have overlooked previously. Did you find a spouse, a child that had been born but passed away before the census was recorded, a family member that may have been a lodger with another family?
Family history has made detectives of all of us. What a wonderful opportunity we have to find our family members with the census records. Let us know if we can help. We are here for you! Brother and Sister May
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