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Strategies for Using U.S. Census (view source)
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= Handout = | = Handout = | ||
== Strategies for Using United States Census Records == | == Strategies for Using United States Census Records == | ||
=== INTRODUCTION === | === INTRODUCTION === | ||
Census records are fundamental to family history research, especially when you use them to:<br>• Get on solid ground to verify what you know. [You may find even more!]<br>• See clues often overlooked.<br>• Identify possible relatives or in-laws. | Census records are fundamental to family history research, especially when you use them to:<br>• Get on solid ground to verify what you know. [You may find even more!]<br>• See clues often overlooked.<br>• Identify possible relatives or in-laws. | ||
=== GET ON SOLID GROUND === | === GET ON SOLID GROUND === | ||
Start with what you know. The first census to search should verify what you already know. It will help you know you have the right family, give a strong foundation for your research, and is likely to contain more information than you had.<br><br>When you use a census to verify information, you may:<br>• Learn of additional children.<br>• Notice differences between what the census tells you and the information you have.<br>• Find relatives or in-laws living with or near your ancestor. See Identify Possible Relatives or In-laws.<br>• Or you may find clues for further research. See the section See Clues! below. | Start with what you know. The first census to search should verify what you already know. It will help you know you have the right family, give a strong foundation for your research, and is likely to contain more information than you had.<br><br>When you use a census to verify information, you may:<br>• Learn of additional children.<br>• Notice differences between what the census tells you and the information you have.<br>• Find relatives or in-laws living with or near your ancestor. See Identify Possible Relatives or In-laws below.<br>• Or you may find clues for further research. See the section See Clues! below. | ||
Tip 1: Don’t assume that previous research is correct. Others may not have searched everything or interpreted the information correctly. | '''Tip 1:''' Don’t assume that previous research is correct. Others may not have searched everything or interpreted the information correctly. | ||
=== SEE CLUES! === | |||
There are many clues on a census page that are frequently overlooked. Studying the ages of family members, for example, may spur ideas:<br>• Look for large gaps between children. [There may a missing child or a second marriage.]<br>• Compare the ages of husband and wife. [If one is much older than the other, it may be a clue there was a second marriage.]<br>• Notice how the age of the wife compares with the oldest and the youngest child. [If she was too old or too young, this might be the child of a previous wife.]<br>• Ages and places of birth of the children can be clues to:<br> - Where the parents were married.<br> - Migration from state to state.<br>• The more you study the census page, the more clues you’ll find.<br> | |||
=== IDENTIFY POSSIBLE RELATIVES OR IN-LAWS === | === IDENTIFY POSSIBLE RELATIVES OR IN-LAWS === | ||
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The possible relatives may be easier to locate in an earlier census and thereby lead you to your ancestor. | The possible relatives may be easier to locate in an earlier census and thereby lead you to your ancestor. | ||
Tip 2: Search marriages of the county, especially for females with your ancestor’s surname. Then search the same census again for the husbands. You may find sisters, aunts – or even the ancestor’s mother remarried and living nearby. | '''Tip 2:''' Search marriages of the county, especially for females with your ancestor’s surname. Then search the same census again for the husbands. You may find sisters, aunts – or even the ancestor’s mother remarried and living nearby. | ||
=== MAKE THE MOST OF THE CENSUS === | === MAKE THE MOST OF THE CENSUS === | ||
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The four most important things to find in a census are:<br>1) Your family<br>2) Their location! Location! Location!<br>3) Possible relatives or in-laws living in the area<br>4) Neighbors (who may also be relatives) | The four most important things to find in a census are:<br>1) Your family<br>2) Their location! Location! Location!<br>3) Possible relatives or in-laws living in the area<br>4) Neighbors (who may also be relatives) | ||
1) Your Family <br>1790–1840 Heads of families are the only persons named. Other males and females in the household are marked according to their ages. These censuses are valuable, even without names of the family members because of family makeup, where they lived (location), and names of neighbors. | '''1) Your Family '''<br>1790–1840 Heads of families are the only persons named. Other males and females in the household are marked according to their ages. These censuses are valuable, even without names of the family members because of family makeup, where they lived (location), and names of neighbors. | ||
1850–1930 The name of each person is given, with age and state or country of birth. Each census asks for slightly different information. [See 200 Years of Census Taking (FHL book 973 X2thy) for full details.] | 1850–1930 The name of each person is given, with age and state or country of birth. Each census asks for slightly different information. [See 200 Years of Census Taking (FHL book 973 X2thy) for full details.] | ||
2) Location! Location! Location!<br>Where your family lived is the KEY to finding other records created about them!<br>• County level: Marriages, deeds, wills, county histories, etc.<br>• Town level: Church, cemetery, etc.<br>• State level: Statewide vital records, military records, statewide indexes, etc. | '''2) Location! Location! Location!'''<br>Where your family lived is the KEY to finding other records created about them!<br>• County level: Marriages, deeds, wills, county histories, etc.<br>• Town level: Church, cemetery, etc.<br>• State level: Statewide vital records, military records, statewide indexes, etc. | ||
Tip 3: Don’t forget to search other records of the area for the possible relatives you found in the census as mentioned in Identify possible relatives. Their records may hold the key to information about your ancestor. | '''Tip 3: '''Don’t forget to search other records of the area for the possible relatives you found in the census as mentioned in Identify possible relatives. Their records may hold the key to information about your ancestor. | ||
3 & 4) Possible relatives, in-laws, and neighbors<br>These may not have the same surname as your ancestor, as is the case with aunts, sisters, or even a remarried mother. Neighbors may also be relatives or old family friends who migrated with your ancestor’s family, or witnessed some of their records. | '''3 & 4) Possible relatives, in-laws, and neighbors'''<br>These may not have the same surname as your ancestor, as is the case with aunts, sisters, or even a remarried mother. Neighbors may also be relatives or old family friends who migrated with your ancestor’s family, or witnessed some of their records. | ||
Tip 4: Compare your ancestor’s family with neighbors. Are there similar migration patterns? Do unusual given names for your families occur in these other families? | '''Tip 4:''' Compare your ancestor’s family with neighbors. Are there similar migration patterns? Do unusual given names for your families occur in these other families? | ||
=== KEY STRATEGIES === | === KEY STRATEGIES === | ||
[Key] Search every census during lifetime<br>Every census contains different information:<br>• Ages and birthplaces may vary.<br>• Differences could be clues. | '''[Key] Search every census during lifetime'''<br>Every census contains different information:<br>• Ages and birthplaces may vary.<br>• Differences could be clues. | ||
Other family members may live with your ancestors!<br>• Parents, in-laws, grandchildren<br>• Sons, married daughters | Other family members may live with your ancestors!<br>• Parents, in-laws, grandchildren<br>• Sons, married daughters | ||
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Your ancestors may have lived with or near other family members. | Your ancestors may have lived with or near other family members. | ||
[Key] Make photocopies (or save images)<br>An image or photocopy is pure gold for a researcher!<br>• Having a photocopy saves time and energy.<br>• Your conclusions from a photocopy will be more reliable from that point forward than from notes.<br>• You can study handwriting, compare information about other families, and see clues you will miss by merely writing the information on a form.<br>• Other people can help analyze the information if you have a copy | '''[Key] Make photocopies (or save images)'''<br>An image or photocopy is pure gold for a researcher!<br>• Having a photocopy saves time and energy.<br>• Your conclusions from a photocopy will be more reliable from that point forward than from notes.<br>• You can study handwriting, compare information about other families, and see clues you will miss by merely writing the information on a form.<br>• Other people can help analyze the information if you have a copy | ||
If you did not make a photocopy…<br>• Others can’t help you as well. <br>• You’ll wonder if you missed any clues. <br>• Eventually you’ll have to go back and look at the page again anyway. | If you did not make a photocopy…<br>• Others can’t help you as well. <br>• You’ll wonder if you missed any clues. <br>• Eventually you’ll have to go back and look at the page again anyway. | ||
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Use census forms if you wish, but always make a photocopy of the census page! | Use census forms if you wish, but always make a photocopy of the census page! | ||
Tip 5: Be sure to copy the whole page! That way you are sure to have ALL the clues. | '''Tip 5:''' Be sure to copy the whole page! That way you are sure to have ALL the clues. | ||
=== WHICH CENSUS SHOULD YOU SEARCH NOW? === | === WHICH CENSUS SHOULD YOU SEARCH NOW? === | ||
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To recognize the right person, get on a solid foundation first. Find possible relatives and other clues so you can RECOGNIZE the right family in earlier censuses. | To recognize the right person, get on a solid foundation first. Find possible relatives and other clues so you can RECOGNIZE the right family in earlier censuses. | ||
Tip 6: The census closest to birth is dangerous! You’ll be so excited to find someone that looks right, you may not even verify that this is—or is not—YOUR ancestor! | '''Tip 6: '''The census closest to birth is dangerous! You’ll be so excited to find someone that looks right, you may not even verify that this is—or is not—YOUR ancestor! | ||
Handout prepared by WA & PXH<br>© 2008 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | |||
No part of this document may be reprinted, posted online, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the publisher. Send all requests for such permission to: | |||
Copyrights and Permissions Coordinator<br>Family and Church History Department<br>50 East North Temple Street<br>Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400<br> | |||
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