belcher blues genealogy newsletter December 2009

Researching Census Records:

Many Census records are on line but some you have to go through each page.
Ancestry.com they have a search but you have to pay for it.
Rootsweb.com has some also and some are searchable and some are not.

When you research through census records there are a few thing for you to remember.
They are not all accurate although they are public records.

Some are translated as other names if you are looking at a translation and not the actual document
If you have seen actual census records, you will know what I am talking about.
The handwriting differs to each person that did the census and the translating their handwriting can be tricky.
I have found many names spelled wrong or mispronounced in the census.
Belcher, can be Belher, Belche, Belsher,Betcher, etc.
Bart has become Bert, Bat, so remember when you are searching to use many different ways a person could mispell the name.
Nicknames were used a lot which also can be very confusing.
Polly was often used for a girl named Mary. so we have lots of people calling then Mary Polly,
which sometimes that was really their name.
Mike, Mick, Mic, were used for Michael.
Jas, Jim, for James
Margaret had several, Peggy, Maggie, Mags, Meg, Margie,
Robert, was Rbt., Bob, Bobby, Rob, Robbie and Bert.

so you can see sometimes we have to try all variations to find someone.
Why was these used?.
One reason, the Census takers used to visit each persons home and ask them the questions.
They had to travel far and took lots of time. If a person wasnt at home, They would ask a neighbor.
If the neighbor was a relative it wasnt so bad they might know somewhere near their ages and their correct names and children.
If the neighbor wasnt a relative they often told them the names they used for them and what they though their ages were.
This put census records off sometimes by 1-10 year sin some cases.

Most are off a year or two. but some by far more.

The Translators on Ancestry.com are very good but they often get a name that they think it is but it isnt.
The handwriting caused this. Some could write very good,
others just enough to read what they wrote and often the people they went to didnt read or write.
That made it doubly hard. Names were often misspelled, especially last names so in official documents
Surnames changed a lot. They often wrote them down as they sounded. That is why we have so many derivitives of our surnames.

Different Census records have different information. Some have age, where born, where father was born, where mother was born,
occupation, whethere they could read or write. Others have all that and a birth month and date and how much their land was worth.
They might also have a parent father, father in law, mother
or mother in law listed living with them or a stepchild or a sister or brother
then you could get the last name of the wife that way.
The person listed is always in relation the the head of household.
If its a many listed as head then they are his parents or sister, etc.
If the head is a woman then they are hers.

U.S. Census Records started about 1790 they only have head of household
There are earlier Census Records in Virginia but you have to go through them, they were called Tax lists
and Slave Schedules.

Some County records have more so if you live near the county or you can write to them to search for you.
1850 started the U.S Census with wife and children:
1850-1930 are public records at this time.
We have a census scheduled for 2010 so they should release 1940 Census for the years 1930-40 sometime in 2010
It may take a while to have them on the internet.
Census Records are a great way of finding ancestors but you must remember many common names have multiple people
that are the same age and named the same.
So keep your mind open to change if you find something that sends you another direction.

Dont be so closed minded when you find someone that you know 100% that its him unless you have other documentation to prove it.

Here are some places you can find census records online:
Ancestry.com a FEE place.

Rootsweb FREE

US GenWeb FREE different states links Information

Census Online FREE

Maryland Archives FREE

Virginia Tax Lists
FREE These are early and you have to go through them yourself
There are others in different state archives if you put in a search with whatever you are looking for it often comes up.
Good Hunting

Gayl

Gayl Wells

E-Mail

View The Belcher Blues Guestbook

Sign The Belcher Blues Guestbook

Thanks for signing
Your comments are appreciated