5 Mistakes You Are Making in Your Census Research

[@victoriabrown4852]

2 comments: 1st, If the person/family are at the beginning of the page or the last, make sure to check the previous or next page in case there are more family on a different page. 2nd, I received my grandmother's notes on family genealogy and found a name but didn't know if it was a first or last name or why it was important. When checking a census record, I noticed a neighbor with that mystery name as a last name, and I was able to find a previous wife and children for my great grandfather that I never knew.

[@jettaearhart5009]

Wonderful video. I would love to see one on the other types of census that may be available and how we could go about finding them.

[@LisaLissonAYMC]

I'm always looking for new ideas for future videos. I will add that to my list!

[@cathyholcombe4674]

Hello Lisa, My GG-GF allegedly has six siblings of which he is next to the youngest. On the 1880 and 1900 censuses, he says his mother is from England. His siblings say GA. The thing is, I haven't been able to connect him to his siblings or his parents. Have you ever come across this situation in your research?

[@mmdoubleuu]

Yes, figuring out address! And you said, you "note" other names, etc in the community. How, where? In software, in your head? Confused

[@vickidills6522]

Other names can usually be found on the same census image. Most documents are multiple pages and you can scroll through.

[@BuckeyeBurnz]

One thing is always confusing regarding the address or location. Many early ones (Canada) do not have addresses just a family number listed starting at one. Not even listing land description. Can you explain how we get more detail to where exactly they lived within that census area.

[@rebeccaoliver7977]

At the top of the US census forms there is specific information that is smaller than a county. I capture that because it has many times been a clue.

[@maryd9331]

Note all the surnames in order on the page of your ancestor. Then go to the next census, 10 years later, where there might now be street names, and see if you can find any of those names still living there, even if your ancestors aren't. Then you might puzzle out which house was your family's.

[@brendaashton6428]

For many Canadian cities there are City directories. These are fantastic for locating specific addresses and occupations year after year. Directories and tax assessments revealed that for over 25 years 8-10 households and 4 generations of my family lived within a 1 km square in Hamilton Ontario.

[@mmdoubleuu]

Yes, figuring out address! And you said, you "note" other names, etc in the community. How, where? In software, in your head? Confused

[@rebeccaoliver7977]

I record my info on blank census forms for the appropriate year. I jot the info down for my family and look at pages before and after. I like having the tangible data to lay out in front of me - just yesterday I was reviewing several pages of my hand notes to look at all of the relatives when I realized two were missing. A couple in their 50s. Both poof! I was lucky there was a mortality schedule for 1850. I found they both died two months before the census was taken. Also, I highlight the names that are my direct lines so I can quickly focus/orient. With all the info. I won’t need to return and can plug it in or verify against info as it comes along. I keep a file folder with all census data for a particular family line. I started doing this because I had three generations of men with the same names and needed to be clear where they were every year. Hope this is of some help. Thought I like the info on the computer, sometimes nothing beats a hard copy laying on the table in front of me.