Washington Census Tips: Difference between revisions

{{Tip|Find your ancestor in every census taken while he/she was alive. This includes territorial and state-funded censuses.}}

:'''Why:'''

::*Relatives, such as grandchildren or married children, may live with them

::*They may live with a child, such as a married daughter, in their later years

::*Neighbors may be relatives or old friends from their home state.

 

{{Tip|Check marriages for women in the county where your ancestor was found in a census. Then find those women and their husbands the SAME census.}}

:'''Why:'''

::*You may find sisters living in the area.

::*Your ancestor's widowed mother may have remarried.

::**Notice the ages: were the women old enough to be sisters? Aunts? The mother?

::*Notice your ancestor's deeds and other records: Were any of those husbands witnesses?

 

{{Tip|Pay close attention to the ages and birthplaces.}}

:'''Why:'''

::*Gaps in ages of children may be a clue to:

::**A second marriage of the couple: Check marriage records for this.

::**A child died young. Check cemetery, church, funeral, and other records.

::*Where the children were born (state, nation) may be a clue to:

::**When the family migrated

::*Ages of husband and wife may be clues:

::**In a second marriage, the husband may be older than the wife.

::*Compare ages of the wife and the children:

::**The oldest child: was the wife too young to be the mother? (Child-bearing years for most women were between 16–40.)

::**The youngest child: was the wife too old?

 

 

{{Tip|Ask questions to analyze what you are seeing: It is possible? Is it probable?}}

:'''For example:'''

 

 

{{Tip|Check another index if you did not find your family.}}

:*Indexers vary in skill and accuracy

:*The quality of the image or copy they used affects the quality of the index

:*Some indexers are local and more familiar with the names or families of the area than others

 

{{Tip|Check county census indexes when online indexes fail. }}

::*Created by local societies or groups who knew the families of the area, these indexes are often more accurate

::*Footnotes or information about the family may be added

:'''Where to find them'''

::*Many are published in books or [[Washington Periodicals|periodicals]]

::*Search [[Washington Archives and Libraries#Libraries|online catalogs]] and check with local libraries

Obituaries sometimes list maiden name of wife/mother

[[Category:Washington]] [[Category:United States Census]]