Hello WRG, I have been working on the census records for my entire database and for the first time came across something that stopped me in my tracks. Since there were many Whitneys in Ashburnham in the late 18th and early 19th century, I am hoping someone on the list can help me come to terms with this. Today, in the 1820 census for Ashburnham, I was disturbed to find that my 4th great grandmother's brothers that lived in Ashburnham all owned slaves. As I scrolled through, the census record showed that virtually everyone in the town owned slaves, including all the Whitneys. In the previous census records there were no slaves noted. 1790 - the slave column was blank for everyone in the town. In 1800 and in 1810, the column for slaves was left off the record, each contained 1 column less than the official form and no slaves were noted/ In the 1810 census, the column for "slaves" was left off the record... this was column number 12 and the pages only have 11 columns. The 1830 census images at Ancestry are incomplete. I have vital records for the town for that time frame but none of my family is there. However, glancing at the one page of records for Ashburnham I find that virtually everyone still owned slaves. Could it be that they just did not count the slaves? Or would they all of suddenly become slave owners between 1810 and 1820? In my research this is the first time I have found an ancestor that has owned slaves, at least clearly noted in black and white. How disconcerting and upsetting. And to find the entire town with slave ownership - in Massachusetts. Is anyone aware of other towns where this was the case? I am just a bit rattled... Jo H ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.