Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com, page 8
MORTALITY SCHEDULES
From 1850 to 1880, individuals who died in the previous year were counted on a special census. These census reports show cause and month of death, birthplace, profession, race, and martial status. This collection also includes mortality schedules from Colorado, Florida, and Nebraska, which were conducted in 1885.
If you find an ancestor on a mortality schedule, skim down the list to see the causes of the other people’s deaths. It’s possible, by doing this, that you may find an ancestor who died during an epidemic. Or you may discover a lot about the nature of where your ancestor lived! Take the 1850 Calaveras County, California, mortality schedule from the Gold Rush era as an example. Causes of death were:
shot accidental
burnt by Indians
murdered
stabbed
delirium tremons [sic]
shot
dysentery
murdered by Indians
fever
Compare this in the same time period to more-populated Sacramento County, and you’ll find the majority of the citywide deaths were due to cholera.
Back to Calaveras County. Something fascinating was the place of birth of the miners. A glance down this list will show you that the whole world, indeed, poured into California in hopes of getting rich on gold. Birthplaces included:
Indiana
Kentucky
Mississippi
New York
Ohio
Tennessee
Chile
France
Germany
Ireland
Mexico
Peru
Scotland
1890 VETERANS SCHEDULES
This record collection documents Civil War veterans and their widows. Given the destruction of the 1890 general census, this index can help fill in the gap, providing key information for certain individuals. Learn about the 1890 Veterans Schedule in chapter 6.
Collection Highlight: Dawes Commission Records
If you have Native American ancestry, the Dawes Commission collections on Ancestry.com may aid your research.
In 1887, Congress passed an appropriations bill (called the Dawes Act) that ceded tribal title of Indian lands to the United States. The lands were then divided and given to individual members of the Five Civilized Tribes: Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole. Tribal members were required to apply for official enrollment to receive a share of common property. The Dawes Commission allowed individuals to claim membership in only one of the tribes, even though several tribal members had ancestry that reached back into more than one tribe.
The records that resulted are known as the Dawes Rolls. Ancestry.com has three collections related to these records, including the “U.S. Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898–1914.” This Dawes Commission collection contains more than one hundred thousand names of applicants.
Other collections such as the “Dawes Commission Index, 1898–1914” include indexes for documents such as birth, death, and marriage records. Search the index to discover the name of the applicant, gender, and “blood degree” (such as one-eighth Cherokee).
1930 CENSUS OF MERCHANT SEAMEN
As one of the more interesting censuses, this one was taken in April of 1930 (October of 1929 in Alaska) and included merchant seamen serving on US flag merchant vessels. The census included everyone aboard ship except officers who had permanent housing ashore.
The information gathered is extensive. Besides the typical name, race, age, and birthplace, the census included name of ship, home port, address of wife or next of kin, whether the seaman was a veteran, marital status, whether he could read and write or speak English, and whether naturalized or alien.
US INDIAN CENSUS ROLLS
If you think you have Native American ancestry, start your search at the collection “U.S., Indian Census Rolls, 1885–1940.” These special censuses include a wealth of genealogical information, including the name of the tribe, name, age, birth date, reservation, census date, and relationship to head-of-household.
Information about the tribe, agency, and state are noted in the search results (image F), while the image of the census roll itself contains the name, age, and relationship to head-of-household (image G).
The more information you have about the person, the better, because many people have similar names. For example, type the name Horse or Bear into the search form as either a first or surname, and you’ll probably be surprised at the number of results!
(Note: If you have the Ancestry.com All Access membership, you can access additional Native American records at Fold3
US Indian census rolls search results show tribe, agency, and state.
US Indian census rolls also include age and relationship to the head-of-household.
NON-POPULATION SCHEDULES:
These records from 1850 to 1880 provide agriculture, industry, and social statistics. In particular, explore the “Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850–1880” collection to find information about agriculture, industry, and manufacturing for twenty-one US states. You can find the collection by searching the Card Catalog by Title.
Once on the collection’s page, use the Browse This Collection function (right side of the screen) to select the state, schedule type, year, and county (image H).
The agricultural schedule (image I), for example, lists the person’s name along with columns for number of acres, number of livestock (which is broken down further by type, such as horse, sheep, and cattle), and types and amount of produce. The amount of detailed information about the person’s holdings is amazing, ranging from bushels of peas and beans to the value of orchard products.
If your ancestor happened to own a business, check the Industry schedules. These schedules detail the value of the business, the number and wages of employees, months in operation, and the nature of the business.
The amount of information varies per schedule year. If you find your ancestor in one year, be sure to search the years previous and following.
Use the Browse This Collection function to select the non-population schedule of interest.
Agricultural schedules provide valuable details about your ancestor’s farm and belongings.
US STATE AND COUNTY CENSUS RECORDS
While the federal government conducted censuses every ten years, several states conducted their own statewide censuses more frequently. Some, but not all, of these state censuses are available on Ancestry.com, including:
Alabama State Censuses (1820–1866)
California Spanish Mission Censuses (1796–1798)
Colorado State Census (1885)
Florida State Censuses (1867–1945)
Illinois State Censuses (1825–1865)
Iowa State Censuses (1836–1925)
Kansas State Censuses (1855–1925)
Minnesota State Censuses (1849–1905)
Mississippi State and Territorial Censuses (1792–1866)
Missouri State Censuses (1844–1881)
Nebraska State Census (various years and county coverage)
New Jersey State Census (1895)
New York State Censuses (1880–1905, partial coverage)
North Dakota State Censuses (1915–1925)
Oklahoma Territorial Census (1890 and 1907)
South Dakota Territorial Census (1885)
South Dakota State Census (1895)
Washington State Censuses (1857–1892)
Wisconsin State Censuses (1895–1905)
Information varies by state and year. For example, if you’re looking for family in the 1935 Florida state census, you’ll find their address, ages, highest levels of education achieved, birthplaces, and occupations. By comparison, questions on the 1885 South Dakota census are similar to a federal census, with data for parents’ birthplaces, whether the person has an illness or disability, and if he was blind or “insane.” You’ll also find plenty of clues about where to search for previous generations, such as places of parents’ birth, shown on the 1905 Wisconsin state census in image J.
Among the earliest censuses are those taken at the California Spanish Missions beginning in 1796. The only information in these records is name, date of enumeration, and age.
Although not strictly census records, you can find early (Colonial) records by using the Card Catalog and searching for state name records (e.g., Pennsylvania records). Here, you’ll find church, pastoral, and biographical records.
State censuses can give you information about your ancestors and their parents in years not covered by federal censuses.
Enumeration District Maps
Many genealogists rank censuses among the most useful records. But in addition to census returns, researchers can access another great resource from the census-taking process: enumeration district maps.
What are enumeration districts? Since 1880, the US Census Bureau has divided states into numbered enumeration districts (EDs) to organize enumerators’ efforts. Each ED was sized such that one censustaker (enumerator) could count the population there in a day. You can find ED numbers for your ancestor’s hometown using the Unified Census ED Finder tool
The Census Bureau created ED maps that display the boundaries and numbers of each ED. On many ED maps, ED numbers are larger and lighter than the other type on the page. ED boundaries are usually along city ward boundaries, roads, or railroad tracks.
ED maps are valuable companions in census research, providing a visual representation of how enumerators conducted their research. They’re also useful for genealogists, particularly when you compare them to contemporary street maps to see where your ancestor’s neighborhood was and where he lived in relation to another family. Some maps also label local landmarks such as churches and schools.
In addition, the size of your ancestor’s ED reflects how many people lived within it. Geographically smaller EDs have a greater population than do larger EDs, making them helpful when indicating population size and density. For example, in an enumeration district of Allen County, Ohio, the city of Lima has ED numbers 2-21 through 2-56, while EDs surrounding the city cover large swaths of land.
Most surviving ED maps are at the National Archives and Records Administration
UK CENSUS RECORDS
Do you have British ancestors? Then jump into the UK censuses. These include censuses from England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man from 1841 to 1911. Like the US censuses, the information in UK records varies from year to year—with some years only including head-of-household and number of males and females, and other years providing names of every person in the home, ages, birthplaces, occupation, and relationship. Download blank UK census forms at
While US federal census records are held for seventy-two years from the date of the enumeration, British law precluded release before one hundred years. In the early twenty-first century, that was changed to ninety years to provide for the release of the 1911 census.
When searching for your family in this collection, note that names can be misspelled (just like on US records) and ages can be inaccurate, depending on which month the census was taken. If you can find the family in each census, you can compare the information in each to find any discrepancies or where information remains the same.
As with all indexes, check the original census image (when available) to make sure the information was correctly transcribed.
Searching UK Census Records
Let’s do a sample search. You’ll find a link to the U.K. Census Collection in the right-side column of the main Census and Voter Lists page. Use this link (or the Card Catalog) to navigate to the 1871 census.
One of the first things you may notice on UK census images is a variety of marks or abbreviations. According to Ancestry.com:
The clerks who compiled and reviewed the census data made a variety of marks on the records. Unfortunately, many of these tally marks were written over personal information and some fields, such as ages, can be difficult to read. On the other hand, some of these marks can be useful because they designate separate households. In a small parish, a double slash (//) might indicate a new household and a single slash (/) might indicate a non-related person living in the house (such as a servant or lodger). In larger parishes, a double slash (//) might indicate separate buildings and a single slash (/) might indicate separate households within the same building.
Located at the bottom of the 1871 census search form is a list of common abbreviations used, such as SCH (scholar) and NP (nephew).
A client with the surname Testerman wanted to know if anyone from the family might have been in the United Kingdom by 1870. I performed a search of the 1871 England census and surprisingly (at least to me), only one person with that name was listed—an Ann Testerman living in the home with her daughter and son-in-law.
As you can see from the image of the UK census record (image K), the census gives us Ann’s relationship to the head-of-household as well as her age and marital status (“condition”). Notice, too, the double slash marks that indicate a new household.
A handy feature of searching the 1911 UK census on Ancestry.com is that a thumbnail of the area enumerated is also shown (image L). Click the thumbnail to bring up a full-size image.
Once you find a record you want to save, you can do so by using the Save Record to Someone in My Tree option listed in the left column under Tools.
If you’re searching for Scottish censuses, you can view transcribed results, but not the actual images. (As Ancestry.com has not received permission to do so through the General Register Office for Scotland.) You can, however, view records at the ScotlandsPeople website
This UK census record shows the relationship of each person to head-of-household.
Search results of the 1911 UK census show a thumbnail highlighting the enumeration area.
CANADIAN CENSUS RECORDS
We often think of Canadians as nineteenth-century immigrants from the United Kingdom. However, among the earliest Canadians were voyageurs—fur trappers and traders who came to Canada as early as the seventeenth century.
In addition, people born in Canada or who immigrated to Canada may have crossed the border and become American citizens at some point in their lifetime. That means it’s likely that your search will take you back and forth across the United States–Canada border. A 1900 Cook County, Chicago, Illinois, census of the Joseph Brooks family showed Joseph as being born in England while his wife, their oldest child, and the wife’s parents were born in Canada.
Canada has a long history involving both France and England. Exploration by both countries began in the late fifteenth century, but France officially ceded its territory to the United Kingdom after the French and Indian War. Although it’s part of the British Commonwealth, Canada remains bilingual at the federal level, with records dating back to the mid-seventeenth century. The first Dominion census was taken in 1871 and has continued every ten years since.
Because of Canada’s rich English and French heritage, it’s possible your family has Métis ancestors. These people trace their ancestry to mixed First Nations (native) and European heritage. You may find Métis ancestors who are descendants of either First Nation and voyageurs or First Nation and English or Scottish parents.
Ancestry.com’s Canadian census holdings include indexes and images for every decade from 1851 to 1921, as well as censuses of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta from 1906 and 1916. Don’t forget to download your blank Canadian census forms at
MAP IT OUT
If you’re new to Canadian genealogy, pick up a Canadian map. Not only will it help you trace migration within Canada, it will also help in discovering the bordering US states where Canadian ancestors may have settled.
Searching Canadian Census Records
Let’s use Joseph E. Brooks (a printer) and Anna Wilson, who married in 1882 in Toronto, as an example for searching the Canadian census records. (For more information on finding their marriage record, see chapter 5). I want to find as much information on the young couple as possible. Sadly, their marriage didn’t take place until 1882, and they just missed the 1881 census as a married couple. We know, too, that their first child was born in Canada was born in 1885, but the second child in 1888 in Illinois—so they wouldn’t be on the 1891 Canadian census either.
You’ll find a link to the Canadian Census Collection in the right-side column of the main Census and Voter Lists page. Use this link (or the Card Catalog) to navigate to the 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1901, 1911, and 1921 Canadian censuses, among other censuses.
Going backwards, I first searched the 1881 census (image M). I found Joseph living with his mother, Christina, in this census; however, the father listed on Joseph and Anne’s marriage certificate was not on the census. Christina listed Gibraltar as her place of birth, but Scotch as origin for herself and her son. Interestingly, the transcriber listed her place of birth as Mediterranean. Also of interest is Christina’s marital status, which is listed as W (widow).
