Lesson-Eight - Census Records (Part-3)

The census records are one of the most valuable sources of information for genealogist. The major census records are the US Federal Census Records. The US Census has been take every ten year starting in 1790 (See Lesson Two for more details) However, there are a number of states that also took census in other years, most often in the in between years such as 1895 or 1925. When searching for ancestors, determine the state in which they were residing, and check for census records for that state. This lesson will concentrate on the US Federal Census records for 1790 through 1940. These have much valuable information in them. The later years (1850 - 1940) have the greatest amount of infomation. For general information the the US Federal Cnesus look Online for the US Census Bureau.

Copies of these records can be found at the National Archives, at many state and local libraries, and at some of the Family History Centers. Review Lesson Three for where to find genealogy information. There are also many Online sources for the census records and their indexes, but most of them charge a fee for access.

The national Archives does have the census records index Online for free.

How to access the Census Records

You can access census records many different ways:

• Visiting the National Archives Building in Washington, DC or one of our regional facilities located in Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fort Worth, Kansas City, New York City, Philadelphia, Riverside, CA, San Francisco, and Seattle.
  
  
• Visit State Archives or State Libraries. 
  
  
• Contacting public libraries, historical societies, and other research facilities. 
  
  
• Purchasing rolls of the microfilm from the National Archives. 
  
  
• Using online services, such as ancestry.com,  heritagequest.com, or Census Finders which have digitized many census holdings from the National Archives. (Available free-of-charge at the National Archives facilities nationwide and through many libraries, otherwise by subscription.) 
  
  
• Check with the USGenWeb project to see if census records from your states of interest have been transcribed (free of charge). See both http://www.us-census.org/  and http://www.rootsweb.com/~census/states.htm. 


• Check with the Local or Regional Family History Center. Many of them have copies of the Census records or access to them Online.


• Another free source is availabe Online at How to Search Census Records for Free.

How to Start

• The 1790-1840 censuses generally named only the head of household but reported the age of each household member in age categories. For example, the 1810 census reported the number of free white males and free white females in these age categories:

   
  
  The 1840 census reported the name and exact age of Revolutionary War pensioners.

Place of birth

• The 1850-1940 censuses indicate the person's state or country of birth, which helps narrow the geographic scope of search for the specific town of birth.

Date of Marriage

• The 1850 census (column 10), 1860 census (column 11), 1870 census (column 14), and 1880census (column 12) indicate whether the person had married within the year. 
  
  
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• The 1900 census (column 10) and 1910 census (column 9) indicate the number of years of marriage for each married person.

Immigration and Naturalization

• The 1820 census reported the number of "Foreigners not naturalized" in each household; the 1830 census reported the number of "ALIENS--Foreigners not naturalized" in each household. For example, the 1820 census for Geauga County, Ohio, reported that these households included aliens.


• Although these censuses do not specify which person or persons in the household were aliens, this clue should alert the researcher (1) to search for known household members in immigration records, (2) to be alert to clues in other records that point to the suspected immigrant's possible foreign origins, and (3) to search for possible later naturalization records for the suspected immigrant. Unfortunately, however, there are relatively few ship passenger lists (immigration records) before January 1, 1820, when the Federal Government began requiring such lists to be presented to collectors of customs.

Military Service

• The 1840 census asked for the names and ages of "Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services, Included in the Foregoing [Household]." Pensioners included both veterans and widows. For example, veteran Alexander Tackels, aged 85, was enumerated in the household of Jonathan Arnold in Middlebury, Genesee (now Wyoming) County,, NY, and the widow Chloe McCullar, aged 81 1/2, was enumerated in the household of W.W. Blake in St. Albans Township, Licking County,, OH. 


• This clue may lead the researcher to Revolutionary War military service and pension records.


• Since elderly persons usually resided with kinfolk, the pensioners' presence in these households should be a clue that the pensioner may be related to someone in the household. For example, William W. Blake's wife's maiden name was Nancy McCullar; she was one of Chloe McCullar's children.

Occupation and Economic Data

1810 Census

• In 1810, the U.S. marshals and their assistants who took the census were instructed to obtain information about manufacturing. However, since they were not told what questions to ask, the information collected varied widely. For example, Eli Waste of Wilmington, Windham County,, VT, owned one loom that produced the following yards of cloth: 60 woolen, 50 linen, 10 cotton, and 50 mixed fabrics, while James Weston [sic, Westurn] of Orwell, Rutland (now Addison) Co., VT, owned seven sheep, one spinning wheel, and one little spinning wheel that produced 25 yards of woolen cloth and 15 yards of linen cloth.


• Clues about livestock may lead to personal property tax records, kept by the county treasurer, county auditor, or equivalent official.

1820 Census 

• The 1820 census reported the number of persons in each household who engaged in agriculture, commerce, and manufacturing. 


• If household members engaged in agriculture (i.e., were farmers), the researcher should check for deeds and mortgages in the county recorder's office or equivalent agency, and for real and personal property tax records kept by the county auditor, county treasurer, or equivalent official. Not all farmers owned land or livestock, of course, but it is always worthwhile to check all extant records for the place where a person is known to have lived.

1840 Census

• The 1840 census reported the number of persons in each household who engaged in mining; agriculture; commerce; manufactures and trades; navigation of the ocean; navigation of canals, lakes, and rivers; and learned professions and engineers. Again, researchers should check land and tax records kept by county officials, especially when the household was engaged in agricultural pursuits.
  

Recommendations

• When researching use clues found in one record to locate other records about the same individual. However, it is best to thoroughly exhaust all records for the place where the person is known to have lived before searching other records.
  

The next lesson will go into detail about where to start the US Census records search, and how methiodally build a Family Tree.

Data courtesy of the National Archives

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