Dead People in the Census?! Using Mortality Schedules in Your Genealogy Research

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

If you want to go even deeper into census records, check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5WaepqmnJ50has

[@geraldwalker7609]

So glad they did. It's one of the few records naming my great grandmother who died early in 1880 at the age of 26.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

It can be so hard to find records about our female ancestors. I'm glad you were able to discover that record for your great-grandmother.

[@eujackmac]

Thank you for this. I found an ancestor in the mortality schedule but I didn't know the check the household. That will help me immensely!

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sharontabor7718]

Look up the instructions for census enumerators for each census. Each one has a different date for reporting. Ex; in 1850, the instructions read "The name of every person whose usual place of abode on the 1st day of June, 1850, was in this family," Some years it was August 1, etc. Now it is April 1. A person could have been listed in the household if they died after that date, but before the census taker came calling. I have a situation where the person is listed as having died in March on the Mortality schedule, but is listed on the census which asked for living people as of August 1.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

Yes. I’ve seen that happen as well. What I’m referring to here are people who who died before the census date and are included in a special part of the census called the mortality schedule.

[@Rebecca_of_Oregon]

Thanks for telling us about another great resource. I don’t believe I have ever heard about the mortality schedules before.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

You are so welcome!

[@debbieroot4618]

One of my ancestors, Nathan Baldwin, was listed in the 1850 mortality census. His dtr was listed also.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

On the one hand, it's sad to see these records, but it's also good to see that some record exists.

[@itrthho]

Wow, . I have heard of these schedules, but have never been given so much information on them...thanks

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

You're so welcome!

[@gailpepper1201]

Thanks for all the tips you share Amy! I'm looking forward to the 1950 census release! While I wasn't born yet, my oldest brother was so it will be interesting to take a look at the generations of our family living then.

[@pamsloan84]

NJ also had an 1885 census.

[@suzannemcclendon]

Yes, I definitely got value from this video! Maybe somehow this will help me with my brick wall. Thank you!

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

I hope it helps! Good luck with your research!

[@suzannemcclendon]

@@AmyJohnsonCrow Thank you. I've extracted all of the people from the 1870 mortality schedule for Sumter County, Alabama and am working on making corrections (the transcriber marked many people married, even a 2 week old baby!). The extraction process also didn't bring over the family number, so I am going back through to get those, too. I wish that they had these mortality schedules for all of the census years after 1850. My 2nd great-grandfather (husband of my brick wall) died the month before the 1900 census. They had 6 children, two of whom I have absolutely no information on beyond a number on the 1900 and 1910 census born to mother/still living columns. I need all the luck I can get on this one. Thanks again!

[@dplj4428]

Mortality schedule, good to know as a cross-reference. I also keep in mind that records might prove same person, but because of misspelling or recorder filled in forms inaccurately.

[@victoriad9483]

I have an ancestor who died in March 1865 in New York. His widow and children are listed in the 1865 census but he is not in the mortality schedule for their location. Sounds like I’ll have to try the surrounding districts.

[@tanelise4673]

Both of my ggg grandparents were on the 1880 schedule. They died 2 months apart in 1879

[@jeffreylnottinghamschrader9478]

A different but related question. I have a relative whose tombstone is inscribed with a Nov 11, 1829 date of death, along with his age in years. But he is listed as the head of household in the 1830 Norfolk Virginia census (with ticks listing all household members.). The first probate records related to his death appear in Apr 1831 (auction of property). Is it likely a deceased person would have been included in the 1830 census?

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

That sounds pretty unusual. The first thing I would look at is the tombstone. Is it consistent with what they would have made in 1829/1830 - same material for the stone, style of carving, etc. - or is it something that dates much later? If it's later, the tombstone might be wrong. The second thing I'd look at is a review of all of the probate. When was the estate opened? Even if the probate papers themselves haven't survived, is there a court docket that shows the estate being opened? (The estate had to have been opened before the auction of the property.) Have you looked at tax records (both real and personal)? Those can narrow down a date of death. Technically, anything is possible, but I think reviewing some of the other records might give you a clearer idea of what happened.

[@jeffreylnottinghamschrader9478]

@@AmyJohnsonCrow Thank you for the response. To add even more flavor I am trying to determine whether a person born circa 1830/31 is his child (DNA matches suggests so), hence the significance of his death date.

[@fayeskean259]

Very interesting! Did this happen in Canada, do you know?

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

There's at least a partial one in the 1871 Canadian census. FamilySearch has the index for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. I'm not sure about other Canadian census years.