census
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The Census Can Contain Incorrect Information
Oct 23
Census records can be very useful for genealogists. It should not be the only source of information that genealogists rely on, because census records can contain incorrect information. There are many reasons why that happens. Spelling Mistakes Genealogists might assume that their ancestors spelled the family surname exactly as it is spelled tod...
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Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight Years
Aug 31
With August 2018 it has been 228 years since the first U. S. Census was taken in August 1790. Doing any type of family history research you are very dependent on using any census. If your ancestors date back before 1790 that is many censuses to cover to bring your family to mid-20th century. But why that first census? As written in the U. S. Cons...
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Ancestor NOT on a Census – Why?
Apr 9
We all have at least one ancestor who we believe was alive but we can not find them on a specific census year record. There can be reasons a relative was not counted on a certain census year. Here are a few of the ideas. Many people were out of town and missed the count – especially traveling for work, such as salesmen or workers for a railroa...
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The Controversial Citizenship Question on the 2020 Census
Apr 4
The United States Census holds important information that genealogists can use to learn more about their ancestors. Over the years, the questions on the census have changed. Things were added, altered, or updated. In March of 2018, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that the 2020 census would have a citizenship question. Some feel that this ...
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Can’t Miss These Hints
Feb 13
Even the most seasoned family researcher can overlook certain clues that can prove to be of great assistance. Here are a few of such often overlooked bits of information that lead to greater details about your family. 1. You have a death certificate on an ancestor, but note at the bottom the person's name on the document who provided the info...
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Questions on the U.S. Census
Jan 9
The United States Census includes plenty of questions. Have you ever wondered why certain questions are asked? The United States Census Bureau has some information about that. Name The U.S. Census asks for a person's last name, first name, and middle initial. The name question originated with the 1790 Census. It was added to the ACS in 2005 w...
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New Jersey State Census 1895
Dec 9
Any relatives from New Jersey? Be sure to investigate what is available with FamilySearch for the State Census done in 1895 for New Jersey. There are over 31,000 images in the collection. There is a complete index of information from the census pages plus a scanned image of the actual census as it was originally handwritten. This 1895 census cover...
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The First U. S. Census
Sep 29
The first U. S. Census Day was in 1790, late summer time, when brave enumerators went out on horseback to find, question and catalogue the population of the United States, visiting every household. The new U.S. Congress set on March 1, 1790, to have a census taken and done every ten years. The purpose for the census was for used to allocate Congres...
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Missing Documents and Vital Records?
Aug 25
Oh yes, it can happen, there can be one or more ancestors of your direct lineage of your family tree where you can not locate any document or vital records (a paper trail) to support or learn more about that ancestor. Very frustrating for sure!! Here are some ideas of how to gather some information on that ancestor. First check and do the researc...
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Ancestry – research 1940s-50s, City Directories
Aug 19
The official census records are available for 1790 to 1940. It will be April 2022 before the Federal Census records for 1950 are available. There must be so many relatives you want to look up in those censuses. Well, remember some states did their own mid-decade censuses for their state residents. Florida for example did 1935 and 1945 censuses. In...