Learn how to research and make the most of the pre-1850 U.S. Census.
1790 to pre-1850 U.S. census do contain less information than those from 1850-1940. You are only provided the name of the head of household, and the remainder of the persons are grouped by race/sex/age category. Each census during this period does increase in information provided; for example, 1830/1840 census, you are given the place of the birth, race (white/colored), whether the person is a naturalized born citizen and military service in the 1840 census. You can effectively use the data to build a household profile and search other records to expand your knowledge.
Pre-1850 U.S. Census Table of Contents
Find the following sections in the article on how to research the pre-1850 U.S. Federal Censuses.
- Four-step Research Strategy
- How to Build a Case for Your Research
- How to Research Head of Household
- How to Find Names of Women
- How to Research Age and Family Composition
- Use Census Substitutes to Find Individuals
If you are moving back through the censuses, you have already found that it is much easier to go from 1940-1850, mainly due to the provided names, ages, and relationships. You need to be extra careful in the pre-1850 censuses to make sure you have identified the right individual and household. I have had more than my share of individual and family tree research that I have had to unravel and rebuild because other researchers, historians and genealogists have made quick decisions about lineage without confirming their assumptions.
Four-step Research Strategy for Pre-1850 U.S. Census
What is the four-step research strategy for the pre-1850 U.S. Census?
I want to share a simple four-step strategy I’ve used to help increase your success with pre-1850 U.S. Federal census research.
Step 1: Create a Family profile from the 1850 census
Starting with the 1850 census, create a family profile you have confirmed as your family or the household you want to research. For example, I have identified the James Stewart household as my family and created a spreadsheet/chart that looks like this:
| Name | Sex | Age | Race | Location |
| James Stewart | Male/Father/Head of Household | 42 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Susan | Female/Mother | 41 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| David | Son | 21 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Sarah | Female | 19 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Archibald | Son | 17 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Amos | Son | 15 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Martin | Son | 12 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| James | Son | 9 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Martha | Female | 7 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
Step 2: Subtract 10 years from each person’s age
In the 1840 census, you are only provided the head of household name and category combinations by race/sex/age/age. To increase my probability of finding the proper household, I will subtract 10 years from the age of each person in 1850. Step 2 of the spreadsheet/chart looks as follows:
| Name | Sex | 1850 Age | 1840 Age | Race | Location |
| James Stewart | Male/Father/Head of Household | 42 | 32 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Susan | Female/Mother | 41 | 31 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| David | Son | 21 | 11 | Whilte | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Sarah | Female | 19 | 9 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Archibald | Son | 17 | 7 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Amos | Son | 15 | 5 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Martin | Son | 12 | 2 | White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| James | Son | 9 | Not born yet | ||
| Martha | Female | 7 | Not born yet |
*Note that Martin is 5 years old. I will look for a household where a male child could be either in the male category of “5 & under” or “Under 5 years.”
Step 3: Apply the 1840 race/sex/age category combination to each person
Obtain either an 1840 census list of the category combinations and an 1840 blank census form for steps 3-4. Based on the estimated ages of each person, assign one of the 1840 category combinations for each individual in the household. Step 3 of the spreadsheet/chart looks as follows:
| Name | Sex | 1840 Age | 1840 Age Category | Race | Location |
| James Stewart | Male/Father/Head of Household | 32 | Male-30 & under 40 | Free White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Susan | Female/Mother | 31 | Female-30 & under 40 | Free White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| David | Son | 11 | Male-10 & under 15 | Free White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Sarah | Female | 9 | Female-5 & under 10 | Free White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Archibald | Son | 7 | Male-5 & under 10 | Free White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Amos | Son | 5 | Male-5 & under 10 OR Under 5 years | Free White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| Martin | Son | 2 | Male-Under 5 years | Free White | Fulton Co., Georgia |
| James | Son | Not born yet | |||
| Martha | Female | Not born yet |
Step 4: Build a household search for the household in the 1840 census
Based on steps 1-3, I will finalize my 1840 household search profile (s) and start my search in the 1840 census location for the James Stewart household. Key points to remember:
- James Stewart is the head of the household.
- Martin is 5, so I want to make sure I have a profile that will account for him being counted in either category. Profile 1 is for the “5 & under 10” category, and profile 2 is for the “Under 5 years category.”
- Since the family lived in Fulton County, Georgia, I will begin my search there.
- Use a blank 1840 census form to transcribe and record what you find.
1840 search profile 1: James Stewart household-Fulton county, Georgia
| Free White Males | Free White Females | ||||
| Head of Household | 30 & under 40 | 10 & under 15 | 5 & under 10 | 30 & under 40 | 5 & under 10 |
| James Stewart | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
1840 search profile 2: James Stewart household-Fulton county, Georgia
| Free White Males | Free White Females | |||||
| Head of Household | 30 & under 40 | 10 & under 15 | 5 & under 10 | Under 5 years | 30 & under 40 | 5 & under 10 |
| James Stewart | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Follow the same process for each census year 1830-1790. If you are researching the same family, you should be able to track them through the census. If, in the case of the James Stewart family, I will track them to the 1830 census. When I reach the 1820 census, I will need to research other records to help me narrow the possibilities of which head of household James belonged. If available, I will seek to research all available state censuses and census substitutes to help build a case for following the Stewart family through the pre-1850 censuses.
How to Build a Case for Your Research
How do you build a case for your research from the pre-1850 U.S. Census?
The most important counsel I can give when using the 1790-1840 censuses is not to make any assumptions based on the data you find, such as how big the family is by age and sex. Use the information you find to build a case and then use other records to confirm or disprove what think is being presented about the family. Never run with your assumptions until they can be proved. I spent several years searching out someone else’s family unit that was not confirmed from the census data on 1790-the 1840s. Of course, it was my fault that I didn’t confirm the data before I started extending the research. Remember the data is based on all persons located in the home. For example, please
- Don’t assume that the head of the household is the oldest male, although it usually is.
- Don’t assume, the oldest female is the wife of the head of the household. It could be a friend, neighbor, widowed sister or grandmother. It could even be a male who lost his wife, and the females are his children.
- Don’t assume that the head of the household is the first and only spouse. Are there different age groups for children? This could mean the man married a younger wife and had children, married another woman, merged two-family units, or even could be the male taken care of the deceased relative’s family.
- Don’t assume that all the children in the home belong to the head of the household. The children could be his siblings who are now living with him after the death of his parents or children of a brother or sister. The children could be friends who are away and happen to be in their home when the census was taken.
How to Research Head of Household
How do you research head of household in the pre-1850 U.S. Census?
In the 1790-1840 census records, the head of household is the only name given. All household persons (including head of household) are listed as total numbers under the age and group categories.
Search other records. Use the name of the head of household to search other records in the given location, such as wills/probate records, court records, church records, land records, tax records.
Oldest person. The oldest person listed in the age groups may not have been the head of the household. The individual could have been a parent or grandparent.
Family group. You can use the head of household and the age groupings numbers to identify the correct family group records and sort out records that might belong to the head of household with the same name. Caution; don’t discount a record that does not match up precisely to the head of household and category numbers. The listings included all persons in the home, such as family, friends, neighbors, boarders, and visitors.
Women. Finding information about the woman will be problematic if the man is still alive.
Jr./Sr. During the 1800s, “Junior” (abbreviated as Junr. Jun, Jr) and “Senior” (abbreviated as Senr. Sen., Sr.) were used as nicknames when two men in the community had the same name. Yes, John Jones Jr. could have been the son of John Jones Sr. or a John Jones, but I had learned it takes a little more confirmation with additional records before I made the link. Consider this; the older John Jones could have been a sibling, half-brother, cousin, uncle, or unrelated.
Same name. When you have heads of household with the same name, it can be unclear to know which one is your family. To help sort out which one is the right person, you will need to know when the individual was born and then compare ages through the various censuses.
Phonetically. Most census takers wrote the names of individuals (i.e., first and last) phonetically, meaning as they sounded. As you search for an individual among the different census and records created during their lifetime, be prepared to see their name written differently in each record. Make sure to record the variations in your profile. Also, consider a situation where an individual or the census taker was foreign. A German with the surname Braun could have had it spelled Brown, Broune, Browne, or Brawn.
Free persons. Number of “other” free persons is a category that refers to nonwhite racial/ethnic groups. Heads of households are named in this category.
How to Find Names of Women in the Pre-1850 U.S. Census
How do you find names of women in the pre-1850 U.S. Census?
There are few sources where you can search for women pre-1850 U.S. census period. The following are few ideas
Head of household. Search the pre-1850 U.S. census period to see if she is named as head of household.
Military pensions. Search for military pension records from the Revolutionary War. Widows of soldiers have been eligible to receive the pensions of their husbands from the Revolutionary War forward. Women could not join the military until 1890 as nurses, so you will not find wills based on their service until after this date.
Finding wills. Searching for wills by a woman can be hit and miss. If a woman died after her husband and remarried, the chances are there is no will because all she owned when to her new husband. However, If she was single when she died, there might be a will.
Church records. Search to see if church records exist for the community in this period. Usually, if you find them, start by looking for the person listed as head of household in categories of marriage, the christening of children, baptism of children, death of family members, etc. You may be able to find the wife’s maiden name if the witnesses are named in the marriage. If you find a first name for the wife, search all the first names in the church records to give you suspect families where she may have been a child.
Look for the same names. If you can find the names of children associated with the male head of household, look for other heads of household in the area with the same first name. Remember that children were usually given the name of their parents. Also, look at the middle names of male children. The mother’s maiden name was often preserved in the middle name.
Bible records. If you are fortunate, you may be able to find bible records. For example, the Library of Virginia has an extensive collection of the bible from the 17-1800’s. I was able to locate a family bible that had been preserved this way.
How to Research Age and Family Composition
How do your research age and family composition in the pre-1850 U.S. Census?
In the pre-1850 United States Federal Censuses, you can learn the approximate corresponding birth years associated with the age groupings provided.
Age brackets. Age brackets were divided into five categories, and there were columns for all other free persons and slaves to be counted.
Do not assume. Do not assume that 45+ female is married to the 45+ male, the children on home belong to the family, or the children belong to either the mother or head of household.
Slaves. Slaves were to be counted as 3/5th of person. We are not sure that the number in the slave’s category is actual slaves or the addition of 3/5th for each slave.
Free white males and females. Because we are given more age groups for Free White Males and Free White Females, it makes it easier to identify the exact person when we have presented names through other documents or later censuses. We can also make more sense of the 1790 census with the numbers presented in the limited age categories.
Category tabulation. Numbers shown in the categories include all persons in the home, such as family, relatives, friends, employees, visitors, and boarders.
Search other records. When you combine the age category with other records such as probate inventories and tax lists, you may determine the family’s names and birth order.
Ballpark. The age range provided in the categories only gives us a “ballpark” number. The ballpark figure helps track the head of household from one census to the next, especially if the name remains the same. We can also use the figure to help build an estimation of the family composition that needs to be confirmed with other records (e.g., church, wills/probate, land).
Oldest person. The oldest person listed in the age groups may not have been the head of the household. The individual could have been a parent or grandparent.
Family scenarios. You can use the age category to develop family scenarios about individuals who have died. For example, as you move forward in the census, you may find the age of a spouse to be much older or younger, such as when a wife is too young for some of the children being listed. You may find young children listed in one census and gone in the next census, which could mean that the child is dead or living somewhere else during the census. The death of a male can give clues to search for a will/probate record. If a female in an age bracket is missing, she could have died or married.
Age gaps. When you find age gaps in children, it could hint at several issues such as the child could have died (Note: Search to see if death, church or cemetery records exist), there could be a second marriage or merged family families (Note: search for marriage records where the family lived at the time.)
Estimated birth years. As you move forward and backward in the 1790-1840 censuses, create a chart for the known and suspect families. Include the head of household; age ranges by male and female with their estimated birth years. When you find the same or similar age ranges by male and female for all or partial family members, you have a much better chance of being focused on the right group.
Use Census Substitutes to Find Individuals in Pre-1850 U.S. Census
How do you census substitutes to find individuals in the pre-1850 U.S. Census?
If you are having a challenging time finding individuals on actual census schedules (federal, state, or local), remember that other record groups (census substitutes) could prove to be quite helpful. These records tend to list individuals for particular geographic areas during specific periods systematically.
The more challenging U.S. censuses are 1790 to 1840, where the head of household is the only name that is listed with members of the household in the home the day of the census (e.g., Family, relatives, boarders, friends, neighbors, servants, slaves) underage and other categories.
Even if you find an individual in the census, it could still be a good idea to look for these types of records to help expand your knowledge about the person in the geographic area where they lived.
The types of records you can search for include:
| Church records | |||
| Collection lists | Lists of paupers | Membership lists | Pew rents |
| Rate rolls | Subscription lists | ||
| Legislative records | |||
| Memorials | Petitions | ||
| Court records | |||
| Appointments of Justices of the peace | Commissions of officials | Freemen admissions | Jury attendance lists |
| Jury pay lists | Lists of attorneys | Lists of constables | Lists of freeholders |
| Lists of gamekeepers | Lists of jurors | Lists of rejected voters | Loyalty oaths |
| Oaths of allegiance | Oaths of office | Poll books | Register of freemen |
| Register of intended voters | Voters’ lists | Voters’ register | |
| Land records | |||
| Debt books | Entries plats | Ground rents | Headright claims |
| Heir lists | Immigrant land allowances | Inquisitions Devises’ lists | Land grant lists |
| Lists of indentured servants | Lotteries | Perambulations | Permits to settle |
| Plat maps | Processioning lists | Quitrents | Suspended land grants |
| Militia records | |||
| Casualty lists | Enlistments | Enrollments | Lists of males over age 16 |
| Lists of recruits | Substitutes | Lists of rejected men | Militia lists |
| Muster rolls | Muster-in rolls | Muster-out rolls | Payrolls |
| Troop returns | Wagoners’ rolls | ||
| Miscellaneous records | |||
| Lists of midwives | Lists of physicians | Lists of strangers | Manumission lists |
| Orphans’ register | Prisoners of war | Register of free Negroes | Register of prisoners |
| Register of slaves | Register of unmarried persons | ||
| School Lists | |||
| Attendance lists | Examination lists | Matriculation lists | Pupil lists |
| Subscription Lists | Teacher lists | Tuition lists | |
| Tax rolls | |||
| Assessors’ lists | Personal property | Poll tax | Real estate |
