Using Census Records for Genealogical Research

More of this Feature • Pt 1: 1790 - 1870 • Pt 2: 1880 - 1920 • Pt 3: Census Indices • Pt 4: Special Schedules • Pt 6: Census Substitutes • Pt 7: Bibliography    Special Chat! Curt B. Witcher, president of the National Genealogical Society and Head of the Allen County, IN Public Library's Historic Genealogy Department, was a guest in our chat room on March 7, 2001 to answer questions about Using Census Records for Family History. This special lecture iwas a part of an ongoing series sponsored by the U.S. National Genealogical Society. Read the Transcript!     Related Resources • Census Around the World • Common Soundex Mistakes • U.S. Census Online    Elsewhere on the Web • National Genealogical Society • Allen County Public Library Genealogy Dept.

'Gotcha' with Census Records

• The spelling of the names one is seeking may not be "correct" or consistent. 
  
      ü Someone other than a family member supplied the information. 
  
      ü The enumerator wrote what he thought he heard. 
  
      ü The enumerator spelled the name(s) phonetically. 
  
      ü Minors provided the information because parents were not available. 
  
  
  
• The name(s) cannot be found in the index. 
  
      ü The name is misspelled on the census record (see section above). 
  
      ü The indexer misspelled the name in the indexing process. 
  
      ü The indexer missed the name in the indexing process. 
  
  
  
• The name(s) appears to have been missed on the census. 
  
      ü The enumerator did not see the farm, house, or dwelling. 
  
      ü The enumerator did not know people were living in a particular rural and/or secluded area.
   
      ü No one was home when the enumerator came around, there was no one else around to ask, and he forgot to come back. 
  
      ü "It was a dark and stormy night...!" 
  
  
  
• The information on the census schedule is not correct. 
  
      ü The individual/family was not home so the enumerator obtained the information from a neighbor. 
  
      ü The individual was not interested enough to provide exact/precise detail or in some cases may have provided incorrect data on purpose. 
  
      ü The individual may not have know the exact information, e.g. his/her age, spelling of name, etc. 
  
      ü The enumerator guessed at what individuals did not know or were unwilling to tell. 
  
      ü Minors provided the information because parents were not available.