How helpful in the 1840 Census?
The 1840 and earlier censuses are often overlooked or disregarded as a source for much information. Inexperienced researchers, and probably some with years under their belt, don't bother with them. How helpful can they be? They don't even contain the names of family members! There is an exception to that to be addressed later, but the main page of the form is nothing but a list of heads of households and columns of dates ranges. How would you even know if you had the right family looking at a list of such gibberish? Questions had not yet been expanded to include more identifying and for the researcher, intriguing details.
Earlier records had occasionally been listed alphabetically losing the information provided by proximity, 1850 was a huge leap and information gathered continued to expand over the coming decades. Names of household members were added along with, age, gender, color, birth place, type of work, house numbers in order visited and family number. The same year, more societal information was gathered as well. Those married in the last year, attending school, and illiterate adults were notes. Information that may cause some to gasp in today's world, namely those designated "deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper or convict" was also included.
Questionnaires evolved over the next century touching on numerous bits of information of interest to governmental agencies. Social reform and international political climate had major influences on the information gathered. Real estate and personal property values (1860), foreign born parents, birth months of children born within the last year, marriage months for those wed in the last year, ability to read and write at any age, adult male citizenship, whether a man has been stripped of his right to vote(1870), street addresses, relationship to head of household (finally!), recent employment history, disability due to injury or illness, birthplace of parents (1880), marital status, birth month and year for all, years married, children born to a woman and number currently living, expanded citizenship information, home ownership information (1900), how many times married, more detailed employment information, language spoken, Civil War service (1910), expanded information about the home, radio ownership (yes really), age at first marriage (1930), source of information designated by a circled X by the name, and residence five years prior (1940).
Back to the 1840 census. There is a bit more information that is included, some fairly minor by comparison, but one particular item that can be huge. Maybe the head of household is an older man in the 60 and over categories, or the household has two adults of parental age and a child or a dozen, yet there is one old fellow over 60. As the head of household, his name is in the main list, but if he is not the head, he appears nameless. If you look at the second page of the record (arrow right on the Ancestry.com image), you can see of there is anything in the columns titled "Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services, Including Those in the Foregoing" and "Age". Keep in mind that living in the household does not ensure a familial relationship. It was not unusual for families to take in the elderly and infirm, and be reimbursed for their expenses by the county or township. He may be the father, father-in-law, uncle, neighbor, or previous stranger. It could also be the one clue to take down your brick wall.
Additional information on the second page, rather anticlimactic after that, addresses areas of employment, education and information attributed to above to the 1850 register regarding "dead and dumb, blind, etc".
Keep in mind that all sources have the potential to be erroneous. Most often, poor recollection and guesswork, and less often intentional misinformation, are behind those discrepancy. Always look at the original document when possible, and compare information across a variety of documents when available, Happy Hunting!!
Earlier records had occasionally been listed alphabetically losing the information provided by proximity, 1850 was a huge leap and information gathered continued to expand over the coming decades. Names of household members were added along with, age, gender, color, birth place, type of work, house numbers in order visited and family number. The same year, more societal information was gathered as well. Those married in the last year, attending school, and illiterate adults were notes. Information that may cause some to gasp in today's world, namely those designated "deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper or convict" was also included.
Questionnaires evolved over the next century touching on numerous bits of information of interest to governmental agencies. Social reform and international political climate had major influences on the information gathered. Real estate and personal property values (1860), foreign born parents, birth months of children born within the last year, marriage months for those wed in the last year, ability to read and write at any age, adult male citizenship, whether a man has been stripped of his right to vote(1870), street addresses, relationship to head of household (finally!), recent employment history, disability due to injury or illness, birthplace of parents (1880), marital status, birth month and year for all, years married, children born to a woman and number currently living, expanded citizenship information, home ownership information (1900), how many times married, more detailed employment information, language spoken, Civil War service (1910), expanded information about the home, radio ownership (yes really), age at first marriage (1930), source of information designated by a circled X by the name, and residence five years prior (1940).
Back to the 1840 census. There is a bit more information that is included, some fairly minor by comparison, but one particular item that can be huge. Maybe the head of household is an older man in the 60 and over categories, or the household has two adults of parental age and a child or a dozen, yet there is one old fellow over 60. As the head of household, his name is in the main list, but if he is not the head, he appears nameless. If you look at the second page of the record (arrow right on the Ancestry.com image), you can see of there is anything in the columns titled "Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services, Including Those in the Foregoing" and "Age". Keep in mind that living in the household does not ensure a familial relationship. It was not unusual for families to take in the elderly and infirm, and be reimbursed for their expenses by the county or township. He may be the father, father-in-law, uncle, neighbor, or previous stranger. It could also be the one clue to take down your brick wall.
Additional information on the second page, rather anticlimactic after that, addresses areas of employment, education and information attributed to above to the 1850 register regarding "dead and dumb, blind, etc".
Keep in mind that all sources have the potential to be erroneous. Most often, poor recollection and guesswork, and less often intentional misinformation, are behind those discrepancy. Always look at the original document when possible, and compare information across a variety of documents when available, Happy Hunting!!
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