Note: Some providers like JUNO cannot accept a large post so I must resend this in two parts for those list members Dear list, I have a dozen or so articles that I wrote for a newspaper column a couple years ago to explain genealogy to the general public and to act as a basic course to get people started. Much of the material is what we use when we teach the basic course at the Genealogical Society. I have skipped article one as it merely talks about the Society and I have done slight editing to make them compatible with this list. Much will serve as a reminder to those of us who sometimes forget to do the basic items when we start a new line (myself included). FAMILY TIES Tracing your ancestry with the use of Census Records -- the next step after searching official and alternative vital records. by Dan Burrows Census records are familiar to all of us and we sometimes feel burdened with having to fill them out every ten years. Census returns are beyond doubt the most informative source of genealogical information for the period of 1790 through 1920 (and beyond). We are able to look at these old census records on microfilms at many genealogical societies, major libraries, and branches of the National Archives. There are also companies that will rent or sell you copies of the films so you may view them on any microfilm machine. It cannot be over emphasized that every census that was taken during the lifetime of your ancestor must be researched and compared in order to get a full picture of his family structure. The Orange County Genealogical Society has many local census records on film. We are giving this subject a lot of extra space because of it's importance and extreme value in the hunt for ancestors. Census research can also be fun. I recall looking at the 1920 Census of Chester where I grew up. I saw families that I knew in the 1950's and beyond -- I saw their families, occupations, where they lived, and other revealing details. It was like taking a look back in time. FEDERAL CENSUS RETURNS 1790 - 1920 (and beyond) The first Federal Census was taken in 1790 as a method of proportioning representatives in the government as well as a means distributing the tax burden according to the spread of the population. A count of able bodied men for military purposes cannot be overlooked either. An excellent genealogical research tool is merely a great byproduct of this endeavor. The 1790 census enumeration was limited in that its purpose was to count the population. It did so by listing the number of males under 16, males 16 & over, and females (all ages listed together). There was also a column for slaves and another for "other free persons". Fortunately, the names of heads of households were listed, but unfortunately the names of other family members were not. In 1908, the 1790 census was printed in book form for each state and nicely indexed. It is of course advisable to look at the original (the primary source on microfilm), especially if you cannot find the family where they should have been. These statewide indexes are a great aid in locating families when you are not sure where they lived within a state. The federal census records from 1800 through 1840 are also very limited in information. They also listed just the name of the head of household and a breakdown of household members by sex and age. The age increments, as we shall see, became smaller with each succeeding census allowing us to get a closer idea to the ages of each child. As earlier stated, only by comparing all available census years for a family and all persons of your surname in the area of your interest, can you get them most out of these early enumerations. The information, when combined and studied, can easily lead you to other sources such as deeds, wills, church or other local records. The censuses of 1800 and 1810 listed five age categories for white males and 5 for white females, but otherwise contained no more information than the 1790 census. The census of 1820 added one more age category for white males in addition to giving age categories for other free male and female persons. It asked how many "foreign and not naturalized" and whether engaged in agriculture, commerce, or manufacturing. The census of 1830 listed 13 age categories for white males and 13 for white females, 6 each for other free persons and 6 each for slaves. The family picture begins to get much clearer at this point but we must remember that all persons listed were not necessarily family members. Questions about the blind, deaf and dumb were asked for the first time. The census of 1840 had the same age and sex breakdowns but counted persons engaged in mining, agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, ocean navigation, canal or lake or river navigation, and learned professors and engineers. The often overlooked bonus of the 1840 census was the listing of names and ages of revolutionary war pensioners. Beginning with the censuses of 1850 and 1860, a clearer picture of the households can now be seen. Besides the head of household, other persons living in the house are listed showing their sex, age, color, profession, value of real estate, place of birth, whether or not married within the year, in school within the year, able to read & write, and whether or not deaf & dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict. There are also slave schedules listing the owner of the slaves and other information by age and sex. The information that you have assembled from the earlier 1790 - 1840 census schedules will probably start to take better shape. You should record information from all families in the area that have persons of the surname you are researching. A household with just one person with your surname might later turn out to be important relatives that will lead you to more information. The census of 1870 adds information about value of personal property, whether or not the parents are foreign born, and the month of birth or marriages if the event occurred within the year. It was asked whether or not the males were eligible to vote. The census of 1880 is in a class of its own due to the fact that relationships to the head of household (but not to each other) are now added and no longer have to be guessed at. Do not assume the relationship is as stated -- perhaps the niece is really just a wife of a nephew. Marital status, health questions, and unemployment questions are asked. Alleged states or countries of birth are listed for each person's father and mother (these are often incorrect). A partial Soundex index (households with children under the age of ten) was done for each state and will be discussed later under indexes. The census of 1890 was mostly destroyed by fire in 1921. Very little exists at all but the Veterans (or widow of a veteran) special census also taken that year has survived. The census of 1900 added the questions of "month and year" of birth of each individual, "number of years married", and the "mother of how many children". Important questions of "year of immigration" and "number of years in the US" along with occupational, educational, and financial information make this a gold mine of information. The census of 1910 asked how many children still living, what language spoken, and if a Civil War Veteran in addition to the same questions as the 1900 census except birth date was omitted. The census of 1920 was similar to the 1910 but also asked the "mother tongue of the parents of each individual. A sneak preview of the census of 1930 shows that they asked if a radio was owned, age at first marriage, and if a veteran of any war. This will probably be released to the public in the year 2002. STATE CENSUS RECORDS In addition to the census records taken by the federal government, many states have taken their own census enumerations and they are readily available through filming by the Mormon Church at government centers. For the most part they are not indexed and availability varies with locality. The book State Census Records by Ann Lainhart will give you a listing state by state of which censuses are available. New York State conducted census enumerations for 1825, 1835, and 1845 that were similar to the federal returns for that period in that they only listed the head of household and grouped the rest of the household by age and sex. Census records taken in 1855, 1865, and 1875 took the format of the 1850 Federal census with the major difference being that relationship to head of household was given. The 1865 and 1875 NY State censuses also contained deaths and marriages for the period of 1 year prior to the census date of June 1st -- a great source of untapped vital records for the most part. The 1865 NYS census also listed persons who had died in or of injuries from the Civil War since April 1861. Probably the most important NY State census enumeration is the 1892 which was kind of the halfway mark between the 1875 and 1905 that nicely fills the gap left by the destruction by fire of the 1890 Federal Census. Unfortunately many have been lost including Orange County but they do exist for some other areas. 1905, 1915, & 1925 have been a great help in recent years because of the delayed release dates of the Federal 1910, 1920 and the anticipated release of the 1930. State censuses are not indexed unless done locally. Again -- check all censuses and all families with your surname of interest in the locality you are researching. INDEXES FOR 1790 THROUGH 1870 FEDERAL CENSUSES There are now indexes for the 1800 through 1860 (and some 1870) in book form by state. Remember the printed 1790 had its self contained index. Never assume the surname is was spelled as you know it now. These indexes can be very helpful but bear in mind there are certainly a multitude of mistakes contained within them and they are certainly not complete. Names were misread and occasionally skipped, and some of the basic index rules were not followed to the letter. Naturally 1800 - 1840 indexes contain only the head of household while the 1850 and later indexes also list a person who lived in a household with a different surname and sometimes the person at the top of the next page even if they have the same surname. This can be very helpful when trying to locate all family members as many times older children were hired out and living with friends, neighbors, and often relatives. See Article 6, part 2 for continuation ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.