THE PRINCIPLES OF UNDERSTANDING CENSUS BLOOPERS AND CENSUS INDEXING (Part 2 of 2) VOLUNTARY AND INVOLUNTARY INFORMATION This topic all-too-often opens Pandors Box of a "can of worms". Several catagories of bloopes comprise the quirks in this classification. We had a number of Germantic people who were afraid of the cumpulsive military service requirements from the old country and did not know the total scope of the laws in America. Therefore they often felt that if hey divuldged their correct names and ages they would be inducted into U.S. Military Service. To avoid being located they would often use their "middle name/s" and delee their first name or delete their surname and use only their christening names. The following are a few examples. Albert Martin Frederick Nass would go by one of the following variations of his name. Albert Nass Albert Martin Frederick Martin Albert Frederick Martin Frederick Frederick Nass Martin Nass Since the enumerators were being paid by the name, if they came to an empty dwelling it was the common practice to have a neighbor volunteer the information. This technique was especially valuable in rural conditions so the enumerators would not have to walk long distances back to get a few names. This compounds the errors made on the "original" census manuscripts and thus perpetuated by indexers or researchers. Here ae a few examples of the actual or true record as oppossed to the recorded census information. Thomas James Baldwin M 28 years born in Ohio Mary Francis Baldwin F 26 years born in Ohio John C. Baldwin M 5 years born in Kansas Bella F. Baldwin F 3 years born in Kansas Rosella A. Baldwin F 2 years born in Illinois Thomas D. Baldwin M 6/12 years born in Kansas This is what the neighbor reported. Thomas Baldwin M 31 years born in PA Mary Baldwin F 29 years born in MD J. Baldwin F 6 years born in Ohio Bell Baldwin F 4 years born in OH Rose Baldwin F 2 years born in KS Tom Galdwin Jun. M 1 years born in KS 'AMERICANIZING OF NAMES" Since the colonization of America in 1607 it was and still is a very common practice to try and "Americanize" a persons name. (This has been done for one of several reasons. Most often to give the person a new identity to escape peresecution, and, some people just wanted to melt into the general population without being obvious about it.) It was not until the mid 19th century or later that people were required by law to officially register their changed names in a court of law. (An examination of the Enumeration Returns for the 1890 Census of Veterans and Widows of the Wars shows hundreds of men and even women who entered the U.S. Armed Forces under one name and sometime after the service lived their natural lives under an assumed name or names.) We give the following examples: Edward Brown alias Ed Benson Jonathan Williams alias John Wilson Benjamin Green alias Benjamin Hanks Margaret Benson alias Sarah Timms Frederick Johnson alias Aaron Carter THE 'f" "s" BLOOPERS It was the general practice several hundred years ago to write a double "ss" and "fs". Often the single name with an "s" could have the "s" written like an "f". This practice continued down until the 20th century. It gradually disappeared or changed as records were recorded. It was replaced with what we now know as just the "ss" or "s" in some parts of the country faster than others. Session was written as: Hanson was written as: Wilson was written as: Moses was written as: or Harrison was written as: Jesse was written as: Nass was written as: VARIATION OF SPELLINGS - AS IS Frequently we must take the names just as they are written witout making any interpretations or adjustments in spelling. Examples: Prahl as Prohl or Prol Ahl as All or Al Wondd as Wandd or Wound Aldrich as Aldridge or Eldridge Schwartz as Schwarz or Swarz Eldridge as Allred Zeaumbrecker for Zaumbrecker MISSING A LETTER OR LETTERS Since the census enumerators were generally paid by the name of the individuals they wrote hastly without double-checking any of their work. Note these examples: Karrt instead of Karrot Brggs instead of Briggs Rchard instead of Richard PREFIXES TO SURNAMES Prefixes to surnames is an age old practice. It varies greatly from one nationality to another and how good or bad it may be from the census enumerator. The following prefixes may be appended to surnames. We have "L' ", "Le", "De", "Von", "Van", "Tec", "Teck", "Ter", "Ten", "T' ", "Du", "D' ", "Di", "Vander", "Der", "O' ", "Mac", "Mc", "M' ", "St.", "Saint", "San", "El", and "Santa". The following examples will show how the names may be written and then how you might find them indexed. Johan Van Pelt Vanpelt, Johan Van Pelt, Johan by error Pelt, Johan Van Peter O' Moriarty OMariarty, Peter Moriarty, Peter O. Ezekiel de Baldwin Debaldwin, Ezekiel Baldwin, Ezekiel de John Mc Namara Mc Namara, John John M'Namara MNamara, John Mcnamara, John Frances La Forge La Forge, Frances L'Forge, Frances LaForge, Frances LForge, Frances BLOOPERS BY THE INDEXERS It would be very follish for any person, group, or organization to every claim perfection when it comes to indexing census materials. It would be callis for anyone to fell they are immune to making errors. The standard statement made by A.I.S.I. is to the effect that: "...a complete, correct listing of all persons...has been a rather awesome task...some errors or ommisons are inevitable...A.I.S.I. solicits corrections." The following represent some correct names with possible typing errors. Jacobs Ajcob Jaocb Jones Jons Jonse Joens Mones James Jaems Jamse Jmaes Roberts Robrets Roebrts Morgan Mrogan Miller Mller Millr Milelr Thomas Thoams Tohmas Htomas Smith Simth Smtih Msith Wmith Walker Wlaker Walekr Williams Wliliams Willaims Willims Even with the above examples, occasionally you will find an enumerator who has acutally spelled the name as an actual mistake or blooper. When "James" is incorrectly spelled "Jaems" it is indexed by most people in two ways. Jaems, Christopher --| and James, Christopher *** Names actually spelled WRONG by the enumerator are marked with a "--|" carrot. Different indexers will use different carrot references. The important thing to remember that when spelling a blooper "as-is", it will most always will throw the misspelling any number of pages from the correct page. Abboott, Joshua --| (carrot) Abbott, Joshua*** Source: South Carolina 1810 Census Index Book