Due to the availability of census indexes and images, and the hundreds of Vital Records databases on a variety of sites now, we at SOY are temporarily suspending our concentrated effort to keep updating these census transcriptions. They are constantly being added to on "Art's" computer, however, and I'll be happy to assist anyone who needs help. Art Cohan
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- Census History and Maps
- Search the Shermans in the Census Pages
- Philosophy
- Vital Records, Civil War Records, and Marriage Records for some states
- General Census Information
- Additional Census Information
- Soundex
- How Members of Households Were Counted
This site is provided as a guide to locating SHERMAN families. It is not intended to be "exact", and some census spellings have been changed to a common spelling, to facilitate locating individuals using the search engine.
For example, Sam is changed to Samuel, Hellen to Helen, Elisabeth to Elizabeth, etc. as we proceed. Many variant spellings are included, and we make no distinction between SHERMAN and SHEARMAN. Occasional notes are added to help the user identify families.
If you have any indexes you would like to contribute to these collections, please send to Art Cohan.
Federal censuses have been taken every ten years since 1790.
Most of the 1890 census was destroyed, and a great deal of the info is LOST. A lot of effort has been put into trying to recreate info from Tax lists, city directories, etc. on an individual state basis.
The 1930 census is the last federal census released. Federal Privacy laws dictate 72 years for census - so the 1940 will not be released until 2012.
==========
Those from 1790-1840 listed only the name of the Head of Household, and then just numbers of members in other categories (males under 16, etc.).
1850 was the first census to
list all family members by
name, age, place of birth (POB), etc.
1860 thru 1920 were similar to the 1850, except different
columns of information were taken for each.
==========
Microfilms of all these are available, but you must have a good idea where the family lived to search; at least the county. (exception - see separate info on SOUNDEX.) Exactly what info was taken for each census is available by a sample sheet, available at any FHC, or I can easily mail you a blank set.
Indexes of many of these census are available from a variety of sources. Many have been printed as volumes for different dates/states, and assorted ones can be found in libraries. They will give the name (alpha by surname, then given name), county, and actual census reference. Indexes are also now available on CD's (for sale) by many sources, or available at some libraries - and many are now coming "on-line."
If the time period fits, usually the Soundex film is a great starting point, as it will usually tell you the town and county (unless you are sure of that), and gives you the actual census info (Volume, page, sheet, dwelling #).
Some states took their own census, mostly in between the Federal Census (i.e.: 1855, 1865, 1875, etc.). All of this info is available at your local FHC.
==========
Asterisks (*) are common in the originals and indicate where there is a probable error. You'll note, it usually looks like a misspelling.
If you have any questions,
please contact Art
Cohan.
What should be on the census (if the census taker filled everything in).
CENSUS HEADINGS - Actual images of the census headings for 1800-1820, 1830-1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920.
1790 to 1840: Name of the head of household, count of people by sex and age
1850 (indexed): For free persons: Name, age, sex, color, occupation, state of birth, value of real estate owned Slave schedules: name of owner, number of slaves owned, number of slaves manumitted, age of each slave, sex, color, if deaf/blind/insane/idiotic, or if a slave was a fugitive from the state (no individual names of slaves in most cases)
1860: For free persons: name, age, sex, color, occupation (for those over 15), value of real estate (usually only for the head of household), birthplace (state, territory, or country), married in previous year, whether deaf/blind/insane/idiotic/pauper or convict Slave schedules: same as 1850.
1870: Name, age, sex, color (white, black, mulatto, Chinese, Indian), profession/occupation/trade, value of property owned (real and personal--usually only answered for the head of the household), place of birth (state/territory in US, country if foreign born), if parents were foreign born, if individual was born or married in previous year & the month the event happened, attended school in previous year, ability to read, ability to write, death/dumb/blind/insane/idiotic identified. May also identify Civil War veterans.
1880: Name, address, sex, race, age, relationship to head of household, marital status, whether married within the previous year, birth month (if under 1 year old), occupation, state/country of birth, school attendance, ability to read (if over 10 years), if sick/temporarily disabled on census day. The returns also indicated if someone was blind, deaf, mute, 'idiotic', insane or permanently disabled (Note: this was also the first census to include the relationship of an individual to the head of the household.)
1890: Census burned (well, most of it - about 1% is still available), so you can't check that one.
1900: Soundex index is very good (or so the reference books I've read claim). Information included: name, relation to head of household, address, sex, color/race, *month & year of birth*, age on last birthday, marital status, years married, # of children born to the mother & # living, birthplaces for each individual, year of immigration, naturalized or not (if over 21), occupation, read, write & speak English, home owned or rented or on a farm, whether home mortgaged, Civil war veteran or widow of one.
1910:
Soundex not as good, and not all states were done.
Filming of lesser quality.
Information: name, relation to head, sex, race, age,
marital status, length of present marriage, # of children/living
children
for mother, birthplace, parents' birthplaces, year of immigration
&
citizenship status, language spoken, occupation, industry,
employee/emplorer/self-employed,
if unemployed in 1909, able to read/write, home owned /rented,
Union/Confederate
army/navy or widow
1920:
Soundexed
Name, address, relation to head, home owned/rented, sex,
color, age, marital status, year of immigration, if naturalized, year
of
naturalization, attended school in previous year, able to read/write,
place
of birth (fairly detailed for some parts of Europe, because of changing
boundaries), mother tongue, mother's POB, mother's mother tongue,
father's
POB, father's mother tongue, able to speak English, trade/business/work
done, employer/salary/wage worker/self-employed.
Soundex Census records were developed as a WPA project during the depression years. Basically, people went through all the census records for the years 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 - and filled out a small card for each household.
That card lists all family members and others living in the household. A separate card was filled out for anyone with a separate surname, living in the household. For example, if a person owned a boarding house, one card was filled out for the owner, which listed ALL occupants, and a separate card was filled out for each occupant showing the owner of the boarding house as the primary "Enumerated With" person.
Each surname was given a four digit code called a "Soundex Code", derived from a simple formula, which basically grouped different surnames that sounded similar into one group. The exact formula is available in the front of each Soundex Census catalogue at your FHC. (The Soundex Code for "SHERMAN", and variant spellings is S655.)
Then ALL the cards of each code were placed together and sorted alphabetically by FIRST NAME for the entire state (for each year), and microfilmed..
So, if you're looking for Charles Sherman in Missouri, it's very simple to go to that one film for S655, proceed to the "C's", and all the Charles' in Missouri should be in that one place.. IF you know he was about 8 years old in 1880 (for example), but do NOT know his parents, then browsing through the S655 codes for that 1880 film should show the household he was living in, and all family members.
The few problem areas with this is that: a) the 1910 census was only completed for some Southern states, and most northern states are not available; and b) the 1880 census was only completed where there was at least one child under the age of 10 in the household..?? (Cards were normally [a few exceptions] not completed if there were no children, or they were all older than 10.)
The 1880 and 1920 cards show the head of household, all persons residing there, their ages and place of birth, relationship to head of household, and the location of the household (down to house number and street, if applicable). It also shows the location (sheet, volume, enumeration district) of the actual census record. The 1900 film shows the same information, except it also shows the month and year of birth, as opposed to only the age on the other years.
Please note that most of the 1910 effort was done in "Miracode", which is a computerized system, rather than handwritten "Soundex". It is not clear there, but the coding system for the actual census location is as follows:
(sample) 109 0241 0151
109
= Volume number
0241 = Enumeration District
0151 = Visitation Number (household or dwelling number)
An excellent place to start
searching for anyone in this
time frame, particularly if you are not positive of the county they
were
in.
This is the breakdown of how Members of Households were counted by census takers prior to 1850 in Federal Censuses, and how they appear in some Indexes.
1790 - Count
made of males over 16, males under 16, and
total females.
1800/1810/1820 - Count made by following categories:
In some states/areas, the
third column under the males is SPLIT into TWO columns - age 16-18, and
then 18-26. That would mean SIX columns under the
males. Females remained at five columns.
| 1810 - 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 |
| 1840 - 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 |
| 1850 | 1860
| 1870 | 1880
| 1900
|
| Marriage Records
|
| 1870 | 1880 |
| Vital Records
|
| 1650 - 1790 | 1800
| 1810 | 1820
| 1830 | 1840
| 1850 | 1860
| 1870
| 1880 | 1930
|
| Connecticut
Vital Records |
| Connecticut
Probate Records |
| 1800-1840 | 1850-1870 | 1880 |
| Marriage Records |
| 1820 - 1840 | 1850
| 1860 | 1870
| 1880
|
| Civil War Veterans
|
| Marriage Records |
| 1838
- 1850 | 1860
| 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 |
| County List |
| 1790 - 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 |
| 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 |
| 1800 - 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 |
| 1776 state | 1800-1820 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 |
| 1632 - 1800 | 1810
| 1820 | 1830
| 1840 | 1850
| 1860 |
| 1870
| 1880
|
The complete Michigan 1870
Census Index, plus the actual
census images, can be viewed FREE of charge on the Library of Michigan
Web site at http://envoy.libofmich.lib.mi.us/1870_census/
Minnesota
| 1860
| 1880
| 1900
| 1920
|
| 1820 - 1866 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1910 |
| 1850's | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 |
| 1800 | 1810 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920|
| 1779 - 1819 | 1830 & 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1920 |
| 1800 | 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 |
| 1860 | 1870
| 1880 | 1900 | 1910 | 1930 |
| Marriage Records
|
*Dakota Territory
| Marriage Records |
| 1733 & 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 |
| 1790 & earlier | 1800 | 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 |
| 1790 | 1800 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 |
| 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 |
| 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1880 | 1900 |
| 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1930 |
| Marriage Records |
| 1700s | 1800 | 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 |
| 1782 - 90 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 |1900 |
| Marriage Records |
| 1840
- 1870 | 1880
|
| 1840 - 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 |
| Marriage Records |
These Indexes are taken from a
variety
of sources, and
constantly being added/updated. If you note ANY corrections
or additions
(including the family groups from full census) - or have an Index that
you can contribute - please contact Art Cohan.
Back to the Shermans Of Yaxley Home Page
April, 2008