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Your Guide to finding Census Records

Extraction forms
Chart to figure ages.
Maps
Which census records exist
What to do if missing
“Just do it”

1790 Census
White males 16 & up, <16
White females (all)
All other free persons, including Indians not taxed
Slaves (not limited to south)
Surviving schedules have been printed.

1800-1810
White males and females broken down into these age groups: <10, 10-16, 16-26, 26-45 and 45+
All other free persons except Indians not taxed.
Number of slaves

1820
Same age categories as 1800 and 1810 except a space added for males 16-18 (be careful)
Breaks down free colored and slaves into age groups: <14, 14-26, 26-45, 45+
Asks for number of
--Foreigners not naturalized
--Persons engaged in Agriculture, Commerce and Manufacture
--All other persons except Indians not taxed

1830-1840
White: <5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 30-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60,60-70, 70-80, 80-90, 90-100 and 100+
Free colored and slaves: <10, 10-24,24-36, 36-55, 55-100, 100+
Foreigners not naturalized
Deaf, dumb (<14, 14-25 and 24+)
Blind

1840 Adds information.
Number of people employed in mining, agriculture, commerce, manufacturing and trade, navigation and learned professions.
Names of revolutionary war pensioners (be careful)
Number of insane or idiotic and whether at public charge
Number of scholars in school
Number of white males >21 who can’t read and write.

 

EXAMPLES

Work from 1850 going back

Jacob and Tacy - 1850
Jacob Moore 35 miller b. OH = b. ca 1815
Tacy 34 b. VA = b. ca. 1816
John F., 13 William 10, Benjamn F. 8, Mahlon 6, Martha J. 4 and Charles 1. all ch b. Ind. ;
Tacy is John F.’s mother, so we might assume married ca 1835
 1850; Census Place: Franklin, Montgomery, Indiana; Roll: M432_161; Page: 474

Butlers in 1850
There are several Butlers in the neighborhood… all of an age to be brothers or cousins, but none likely to be her father. As is Tacy, they are born in Virginia. They are …..

• Thomas age 44 VA -- he appears to have been married at least 21 years, the age of his oldest daughter. = b. 1805
• [Tacy is 34] =b. 1816
• Pleasant age 34 b. VA and in his hh is a Margaret Craig age 63 b. VA He appears to have been married at least 6 years, the age of his oldest daughter. =b. 1816
• Mahlon age 28 b. Va married, but no children =b. 1822
  Joseph age 26 married at least 2 years.… and in his household is a Jane Butler age 68 b. VA =b. 1824

1840

Lemuel Butler Sr. 2 males 15-20, 1 male 60-70 and 1 female 50-60

How to find them 1830 & 1820

1830—looking for Lemuel Butler (Ohio or Va?) Age 50-60 2 males 5-10 1 male 10-15 (Pleasant? ) Female 10-15 (Tacy?) Pr 1 female 40-50 (wife) Thomas Butler may be nearby. Possibly a Pleasant Butler nearby

1820 – more likely to be in Virginia. Age 40-50 Male 10-15? (Thomas-14) Male <10 ? (Pleasant-4) Female <10? (Tacy-4) and of course possibly others

Problem: Find Isaac MacWethy b. 1794 NY in 1840

I wonder if he is the "Isaac M. Whiting" enumerated next to Martin Hurlburt.
Male 40-50. Also in hh a male 20-30 (Levi?) and one 15-20 (Chester?) 2 females 10-15 (Louisa and Mary?) and a female 40-50. (Silva). It seems likely.

1875 Census Granville, NY
Isaac McWithey 81 b. VT, now widowed, blind*
Mary dau 46 b. Washington Co. single

*blind 40 years, cause not known. He had an uncle who was blind. Visited asylum, said could not be helped.

Let's look more closely at that 1840 record...