From
the Ancestry Daily News
Michael
John Neill – 3/16/2007
Using Ancestry: Identifying Your Family (working with pre and post 1850 census records)
by Michael John Neill
One hurdle faced by family historians is working in pre-1850 census records. Although only the heads of household are listed, these records do have value. Head of household census records can provide valuable clues about family structure that may not be available in other records. Census records should be included as an integral part of any research plan for 1790-1850 era research.
Assessment of pre-1850 federal census enumerations needs to be done carefully, as occasionally different interpretations can reasonably be made. It is important to note assumptions and track the research process, so that the logic can be reviewed at a later date by the researcher or by other family members.
Let’s take a look at four enumerations for a family as they migrate from Kentucky to Indiana in the 1830s. We will see how even these limited enumerations shed some light on the structure of the family of Augusta and Melinda/Belinda Newman.
Do
You Have the Right People?
It
is imperative to make sure you are actually tracking the correct
family, particularly in years when only heads of household are
listed. Generally speaking, this would come from an analysis of
census enumerations making certain the family structure is
relatively consistent from one enumeration to the next, that the
enumerations do not blatantly contradict what is known about the
family from other records, and that the migration paths suggested
by such enumerations are reasonable. The laws of space, time,
physics, and biology should not have to be violated in order for
the information to be “consistent.”
The following assumptions were made while performing this analysis:
Enumerations are reasonably correct and ages are accurate.
Households contain parents and their children only.
We
Begin in 1830...
1830
Census, Kentucky,
Nicholas County, page 207
Augusta
Newman
3
males under 5
1 male at least 5 and under 10
1 male at least
10 and under 15
1 male at least 30 and under 40
1
female at least 5 and under 10
1 female at least 30 and under
40
Projecting
1840
Based
upon this enumeration, if no member of the household leaves, the
Newman household would at least have the following individuals in
the 1840 Census:
3
males at least 10 and under 15
1 male at least 15 and under
20
1 male at least 20 and under 25
1 male at least 40 and
under 50
1
female at least 15 and under 20
1 female at least 40 and under
50
What
I Found in 1840
1840
Census, Indiana,
Boone County, page 293
Augusta
Newman
1
male under 5
1 male at least 5 and under 10
2 males at least
10 and under 15
1 male at least 15 and under 20
1 male at
least 40 and under 50
1
female at least 15 and under 20
1 female at least 40 and under
50
The females are a perfect match to our 1840 progression from the 1830 enumeration and there were apparently no daughters born in the 1830s that survived until the 1840 enumeration. The males are a different story.
Missing
Child
There
were two males born during the 1830s that survived until the 1840
enumeration (the two males under 10 years of age). The 1840
progression from the 1830 enumeration indicates there should be
three males between the ages of 10 and 15 living in the household
in 1840. There are only two. Assuming a child has not been farmed
out with other relatives, one could conclude that one of those
male children born in the 1825 to 1830 time frame died between the
1830 and 1840 enumerations.
Leaving
Home?
The
1840 enumeration “should” also contain a male between
20 and 25 years of age. While this child could have died, it is
more likely that he has simply moved out of the household. This
will be our conclusion for the oldest child in the 1830
enumeration who is not in the household in 1840.
So how many children were there? Based upon the 1830 enumeration, the following children are indicated:
Boy
A, born between 1815 and 1820 (the male between 10 and 15 in
1830)
Boy B, born between 1820 and 1825 (the male
between 5 and 10 in 1830)
Boy C, born between 1825 and
1830 (a male under 5 in 1830)
Boy D, born between 1825
and 1830 (a male under 5 in 1830)
Boy E, born between
1825 and 1830 (a male under 5 in 1830)
Girl M, born
between 1825 and 1830 (the female between 5 and 10 in 1830)
Based upon the 1840 enumeration, the following additional children are indicated:
Boy
F, born between 1830 and 1835 (the male between 5 and 10 in
1840)
Boy G, born between 1835 and 1840 (the male under
5 in 1840)
Additional comments:
Boy
C, D, or E apparently died in the 1830s.
Boy A
apparently moved out of the household between 1830 and 1840
The
Parents
It
will be assumed that the oldest male and oldest female in each
enumeration are August and Melinda. Readers will note that the
ages for these two are consistent making the couple born in the
1790s. Of course, just because the ages of the oldest female are
consistent from one enumeration to another does not mean the 1830
“wife” is the same as the 1840 “wife.” In
this case, other records indicate Augusta was only married once,
but that cannot be inferred from the 1830 and 1840 enumerations.
In
Later Years
We
follow with the Newmans in the 1850 and 1860 census.
1850
Census
Indiana,
Marion County, Wayne Township, dwelling 314
Augusta
Newman, aged 57
Belinda Newman, aged 51
David Newman, aged
21
Jesse Newman, aged 15
Joseph Newman, aged 8
1860
Census
Indiana,
White County, Princeton Township, dwelling 269
August
Newman, aged 66
Belinda Newman, aged 60
Jesse Newman, aged
22
Joseph Newman, aged 17
Anaretta Newman, aged 20
These two enumerations will be analyzed together and then compared with the earlier records. The ages of Augusta and Belinda are consistent with each other and with their apparent 1830 and 1840 enumerations. David appears to have been born about 1829 and Jesse born approximately between 1835 and 1838. Joseph appears to have been born between approximately 1842 and 1843. Anaretta, born approximately 1840 is likely a daughter-in-law or another female relative. She appears unlikely to have been a child as no female in that age range appears in the 1840 enumeration.
While admitting census ages are notoriously incorrect, we will tentatively conclude that Jesse is Boy G.
Wrap
Up
As
you can see, we have been able to shed some light on this family’s
structure. However, even with that light some questions will still
remain in the shadows. My analysis needs to be written or saved
somewhere. This allows me to review it or to share it with others.
I will wait to enter any data into my genealogy database until I
compare these children with the names and birth dates obtained
from other records.
Michael John Neill is the Course I Coordinator at the former Genealogical Institute of Mid America (GIMA), and is also on the faculty of Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Illinois. Michael is currently a member of the board of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS). He conducts seminars and lectures nationally on a wide variety of genealogical and computer topics and contributes to several genealogical publications, including Ancestry Magazine. You can e-mail him at mjnrootdig@myfamily.com or visit his website at http://www.rootdig.com/, but he regrets that he is unable to assist with personal research.
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