SARRETT/SARRATT/SURRATT Families of America (SFA)© "Howto" Research Census! (Federal Population Schedules) Washington National Records Center, Washington, DC 20509 |
This old TXT file was created in 1992 and has circulated around the Net for some time. Since the creation of the USGENWEB 1996 I have been getting a lot of E-Mail regarding about:
So I thought I would bring out this "How to" file, I keep forgetting that after my 50 years of "Loosing my Census" that there are people out their that has never had the thrill, of setting all day at the film reader only to find out that the person you are searching for, had a argument with the census enumerator and gave him false information! |
**** U.S. CENSUS RECORDS **** As a rule the information gathered in each successive Census is progressively more detailed. The schedules for the period 1790 to 1840 show the names of enumerated heads of families (H/H) only, other members of the family are simply tallied by age groups, sex, and race. (10101-02001-03) each schedule will list the specific "Family Group" identifier. Example on this 1800 Census: 1 free white male 45 & Over 1 free white female 45 & Over 1 free white male 16 to 26 2 free white females 10 to 16 1 white male Under 10 years of age. 3 Slaves The following "Charts" gives the over all contents for each Census.
-------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Names of heads of families. | X | X | X | X | X | X | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of free white males | X | | | | | | | under 16 in family. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of free white males | X | | | | | | | 16 and over in family. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of free white females | X | | | | | | | in family (no age breakdown) | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of free white males | | | | | | | | and females (separately) in | | X | X | X | | | | family, in age groups: 10, | | | | | | | | 10-15, 16-25, 26-44, 45 over.| | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of free white males | | | | | | | | and females (separately) in | | | | | X | X | | family, in age groups in | | | | | | | | 5 year age groups under 20 | | | | | | | | years of age. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of free white males | | | | | | | | and females (separately) in | | | | | X | X | | family, in age groups in | | | | | | | | 10 year age groups 20-99 | | | | | | | | years of age. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of free white males | | | | | | | | and females (separately) in | | | | | X | X | | family, 100 years of age | | | | | | | | and over. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of free white males | | | | X | | | | in family ages 16-18. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of all other free | X | X1 | X1 | X1 | X3 | X3 | | persons (including colored) | | | | 2 | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of Slaves. | X | X | X | X4 | X5 | X5 | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of foreigners not | | | | X | X | | | naturalized. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of deaf and dumb | | | | | | | | (white and colored enumera- | | | | | X6 | X6 | | ted separately) | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of blind, white and | | | | | X | X | | colored enumerated separately| | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of insane or idiotic | | | | | | | | whites and colored enumerated| | | | | | X7 | | separately. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Civil division of place of | X | X | X | X | X | X | | residence. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of persons engaged in | | | | X | | X | | agriculture. (farmers) | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of persons engaged in | | | | X | | X | | commerce. (business) | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of persons engaged in | | | | X | | X8 | | manufacturer. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of persons employed in| | | | | | X | | mining. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of persons employed in| | | | | | X | | navigation of the ocean. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of persons employed in| | | | | | | | the learned professions and | | | | | | X | | engineers. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of ages on pensioners | | | | | | | | for Revolutionary or Military| | | | | | X | | Service. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Number of white males over | | | | | | | | 21 years of age who cannot | | | | | | X | | read or write. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| | Total number of persons in | | | | | X | X | | household. | | | | | | | -------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------| GENERAL NOTES: All of the above categories which refer to "number of persons" have to do with each household individuality. (1) Except Indians, they were not taxed. (2) Free colored persons in age groups (Under 14, 14-25, 26-44, 45 over) (3) Free colored persons in age groups (Under 10, 10-23, 36-54, 55-99) (4) In age groups (Under 14, 15-25, 26-44, 45 over by sex) (5) In age groups (Under 10, 10-23, 24-35, 36-54, 55-99, over 100 by sex) (6) Whites only are in age groups (under 14, 14-24, 25 over) Colored not by age. (7) Those in public charge and those in private charge are separately listed. (8) and the trades.
CENSUS CONTENT CHART (1790-1840) (Click on date for copy of Form) Content 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Name of every person whose usual place of | X | X | X | X | | adobe (on June 1) was in this family. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Dwelling houses are numbered in order of | X | X | X | X | | enumerator's visit. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Families are numbered in order of | X | X | X | X | | enumerator's visit. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Enumeration districts listed at top of | X | | | | | pages. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Post office address listed on top of pages | | X | X | X | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Street address given in cities. | | | | X | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Age of every person at last birthday before| X | X | X | X | | census due. (June 1) | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Sex of every person. | X | X | X | X | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Color of every person (white, black, | X | X | | | | mulatto) | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Color of every person (white, black, | | | X | X | | mulatto, Chinese, Indian) | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Profession, occupation or trade. | X1 | X2 | X3 | X3 | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Value of real estate owned by person. | X | X | X | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Value of personal estate owned by person. | | X | X | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Place of birth (state, territory or country| X | X | X | X | | of each person. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Place of birth (state, territory or country| | | | X | | of each person's father and mother. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | If person was married within the year | X | X | X4 | X | | previous to June 1. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | If person attended school within the year | X | X | X | X | | previous to June 1. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | If person over 20 could read or write. | X | X | X5 | X5 | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | If person was deaf, dumb, blind, insane. | X6 | X6 | X6 | X7 | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | If person was a pauper or a convict. | X6 | X6 | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Month of the person's birth, if born within| | | X | X | | year prior to June 1. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | If person's father or mother was a foreign | | | X | | | birth (separate columns) | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | If person was a male citizen of the U.S. | | | X | | | age 21 or over. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | If person was a male citizen of U.S. age 21| | | X | | | or over whose right to vote is denied or | | | | | | abridged on grounds other than rebellion | | | | | | or other crime. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Relationship of each person to the | | | | X | | head of household (H/H) | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Number of months person was unemployed | | | | X | | within the year prior to June 1. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Sickness or disability, if a person is sick| | | | X | | or temporarily disabled (on date of enumert| | | | | | or's visit. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| | Whether person was maimed, crippled, bed- | | | | X | | ridden or otherwise disabled. | | | | | ---------------------------------------------+------+------+------+------| (1) All males over 15. (2) All persons over 15, male and female. (3) All persons regardless of age or sex. (4) Gives the specific month. (5) There are separate columns for whether the person can read or write. (6) The correct word is written in blank space. (7) There is a separate column for each item listed.
CENSUS CONTENT CHART (1850-1880) (Click on date for copy of Form) Content 1850 1860 1870 1880
SOUNDEX SYSTEMStarting with the 1880 US Federal Census, the NATIONAL ARCHIVE & RECORD SERVICE (NARS) started the "Card Indexing" system called SOUNDEX System, This is a separate micro-film publication for each State or Territory. The letter at the beginning of the SOUNDEX code is the first alpha character of the surname, followed by a number which is a phonetic code for the surname. This SOUNDEX system is very useful for researching "Sound-a-like" names, because the Census enumerators used various different spelling technics which would be impossible to research the different spellings. NOTE: Do NOT! repeat Do NOT! Use the SOUNDEX system as the "SOURCE" of your information! Go to the original records and copy the actual page of your subject in the original Census records. Also copy 2 pages before your subject and 2 pages after your subject. You would be surprised how many daughters and sons married into families living in a close proximately of their parents.
1880 CENSUS SOUNDEX CARDS
1900 CENSUS SOUNDEX CARDS
1910 CENSUS SOUNDEX/MIRACODE CARDS
1920 CENSUS SOUNDEX CARDS
1930 CENSUS SOUNDEX CARDS
GUIDE TO THE SOUNDEX SYSTEM To search for a particular name, you must first work out the SOUNDEX "code number" for the surname of the individual. No number is assigned to the first alpha character of the surname . As with the surname of SARRETT, for example, the SOUNDEX card will be in the "S" segment of the index. The numeric code number for SARRETT, worked out according to the system below, would be S630.
SOUNDEX CODING GUIDECode Key Letters & Equivalents 1 b, p, f, v 2 e, s, k, g, j, q, x, z 3 d, t 4 l 5 m, n 6 r
The characters a, e, h, i, o, u, y, and w are NOT coded!
Surname "KELLY" is coded as K400 If several small (group) surnames have the same "CODE" the SOUNDEX cards are placed in "mixed codes" group and are arranged alphabetically by the given name (First name). In some cases on the index rolls there are "divider cards" showing the code numbers coming up next, but not in all rolls. For instance, one "divider" may be numbered 350 and the next "divider" 400, but between the two "dividers' there may be surnames coded 353, 360, 364, ect. Also instead of being in numerical order they are "inter-filed" alphabetically by given name (first name). When you are researching with certain "prefixes" to surnames such as 'Van', 'Von', 'Di', 'de' 'le', 'Di', 'D', 'dela', ect... They are sometimes disregarded in the alphabetizing and in the SOUNDEX coding.
Source & Reference Notes!
I would like to share information with anybody who is working on these related families in Rutherford/Cleveland Co.'s North Carolina and the Spartanburg/Cherokee Co.'s South Carolina.
Would like to share information on the following Sevier & Cocke Co.'s, Tennessee families:
Created: Dec. 01, 1996; Feb 20, 2001; Sep 23, 2008; Sep 10, 2009; Jan 18, 2010; |