Washington Census Tips

United States Census Washington Census Tips

Census Tips

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.

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?

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?

For example:

Census Index Tips

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

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 them

• Many are published in books or periodicals
• Search online catalogs and check with local libraries

How Censuses Can Help You Find

Maiden Name of Mother

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

Immigration and Naturalization

Some federal censuses give the year of immigration.