Washington Census Tips: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 11:44, 20 August 2025

United States Census Washington Census Tips

Census Tips

Find your ancestor in every census taken while he/she was alive.

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.

*Follow the children through censuses.

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

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. Were the women old enough to be sisters? Aunts? The mother?

*Did any of those husbands witness your ancestor's deeds and other records? Were they near neighbors?

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.

*The state or nation where the children were born is 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?

Check a map to see county boundaries for the census year you want to search.

Why:

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

For example:

Census Index Tips

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

Why:

*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

Check county census indexes when online indexes fail.

Why:

*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 county census indexes:

*Many are published in books or periodicals

*Search online catalogs and check with local libraries

How Censuses Can Help You Find

Names of Parents

Maiden Name of Mother

A child's middle name is sometimes the maiden name of the mother

Obituaries sometimes list maiden name of wife/mother

On this Wiki - Maiden Names in the United States

How do I know this is MY person?

Family members - the more you know the more you will recognize Occupation

Other people your ancestor knew How is this going to be explained?

Migration from another state

Marriage: When and Where

Immigration and Naturalization

Some federal censuses give the year of immigration.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ''[[United States Census]] [[Image:Gotoarrow-kelly.png]] [[Washington Census]]'' [[Image:Gotoarrow-kelly.png]] '''Tips'''
-=== Value of Censuses ===
+=== Census Tips ===
-Census records are extremely valuable in genealogical research. They:
+<br>
-#Reveal specifics about the family, such as names, ages, birthplaces. See [[United States Census#Contents of Federal Censuses|Contents of Federal Censuses]]
+[[Image:Boy with binochulars-page-001.jpg|left|80px|]] Find your ancestor in every census taken while he/she was alive.
-#Locate the family in the very places where other records about them were likely created. (See [[Using the Census to find other records about ancestors|Using the Census to find other records]]
+{{Block indent|'''Why:'''|3}}
-#'''Provide clues''' that help you learn even more about them.
+{{Block indent|*Relatives, such as grandchildren or married children, may live with them.|4}}
+{{Block indent|*They may live with a child, such as a married daughter, in their later years.|4}}
+{{Block indent|*Follow the children through censuses.|4}}
+{{Block indent|*Neighbors may be relatives or old friends from their home state.|4}}
+<center>[[Image:Section Divider Graphic.JPG|100px|]]</center>
+[[Image:Wedding Bands - Marriage.png |left|75px|]]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.
+{{Block indent|'''Why:'''|3}}
+{{Block indent|*You may find sisters living in the area.|4}}
+{{Block indent|*Your ancestor's widowed mother may have remarried. Were the women old enough to be sisters? Aunts? The mother?|4}}
+{{Block indent|*Did any of those husbands witness your ancestor's deeds and other records? Were they near neighbors?|4}}
+<center>[[Image:Section Divider Graphic.JPG|100px|]]</center>
+[[Image:Searching for Ancestors icon.jpg|left|75px|]]Pay close attention to the ages and birthplaces.
+{{Block indent|'''Why:'''|3}}
+{{Block indent|*Gaps in ages of children may be a clue to:|3}}
+{{Block indent|*A second marriage of the couple: Check marriage records for this.|4}}
+{{Block indent|*A child died young. Check cemetery, church, funeral, and other records.|4}}
+{{Block indent|*The state or nation where the children were born is a clue to:|4}}
+{{Block indent|*When the family migrated|4}}
+{{Block indent|*Ages of husband and wife may be clues:|4}}
+{{Block indent|*In a second marriage, the husband may be older than the wife.|4}}
+{{Block indent|*Compare ages of the wife and the children:|4}}
+{{Block indent|*The oldest child: was the wife too young to be the mother? (Child-bearing years for most women were between 16–40.)|4}}
+{{Block indent|*The youngest child: was the wife too old?|4}}
+<center>[[Image:Section Divider Graphic.JPG|100px|]]</center>
+[[Image:Green and White Globe.JPG|left|70px|]]Check a map to see county boundaries for the census year you want to search.
+{{Block indent|'''Why:'''<br><br>|3}}
+<center>[[Image:Section Divider Graphic.JPG|100px|]]</center>
+{{Block indent|[[Image:Question mark red.jpg|left|50px|]]     Ask questions to analyze what you are seeing: It is possible? Is it probable?}}
+{{Block indent|'''For example:'''|2}}
+<br>
+=== Census Index Tips ===
+<br>
+[[Image:Check Mark Rain-drop.JPG|left|50px|]]Check another index if you did not find your family.}}
+{{Block indent|'''Why:'''}}
+{{Block indent|*Indexers vary in skill and accuracy|4}}
+{{Block indent|*The quality of the image or copy they used affects the quality of the index|4}}
+{{Block indent|*Some indexers are local and more familiar with the names or families of the area than others|4}}
+<center>[[Image:Section Divider Graphic.JPG|100px|]]</center>
+[[Image:Green Check with person icon.JPG|left|50 px|]]Check county census indexes when online indexes fail.
+{{Block indent|'''Why:'''}}
+{{Block indent|*Created by local societies or groups who knew the families of the area, these indexes are often more accurate|4}}
+{{Block indent|*Footnotes or information about the family may be added|4}}
+{{Block indent|'''Where to find county census indexes:'''|4}}
+{{Block indent|*Many are published in books or [[Washington Periodicals|periodicals]]|4}}
+{{Block indent|*Search [[Washington Archives and Libraries#Libraries|online catalogs]] and check with local libraries|4}}
-Helping you make the most of all these values is the purpose of this article.
+=== How Censuses Can Help You Find ===
-=== Effective Census Tips ===
+==== Names of Parents ====
-{{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 every county where your ancestor was found in a census, then search the SAME census for the husbands.}}
+==== Maiden Name of Mother  ====
-'''Why:'''
-*You may find sisters living in the area.
-*Your ancestor's widowed mother may have remarried. In those censuses, were the women the right age(s) to be sisters? Aunts? The mother?
-*One of the husbands and your ancestor may have witnessed one anothers' deeds or other documents, perhaps suggesting they have become relatives.
-{{Tip|Pay close attention to the ages and birthplaces.}}
+A child's middle name is sometimes the maiden name of the mother
-'''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?
+Obituaries sometimes list maiden name of wife/mother
-{{Tip|Ask questions to analyze what you are seeing: It is possible? Is it probable?}}
+On this Wiki - [[Maiden_Names_in_the_United_States|Maiden Names in the United States]]
-'''For example:'''
-=== Census Tips for What You Want to Learn ===
+==== How do I know this is MY person? ====
-==== Names of Parents ====
+Family members - the more you know the more you will recognize
+Occupation
-==== Maiden Name of Mother ====
+Other people your ancestor knew
+How is this going to be explained?
-==== How do I know this is MY person? ====
 ==== Migration from another state ====
@@ Line 55: / Line 79: @@
-[[Category:Washington]] [[Category:United States Census]]
+[[Category:Washington Research Strategies]]