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Archiver > Dutch-Colonies > 1999-11 > 0941504919


From: "Christopher H. Wynkoop" <>
Subject: Re: Census Question & Travel times
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1999 17:08:39 -0800


"B. Barnes Suwathanangkul" wrote:
>
> I know this isn't really the place for this question BUT I thought there
> are so many experts here I'd ask anyway
>
> in the early census 1790
> say Jane Smith married and started a new family with her husband John Doe-
> IF her young (under 10) orphaned brother George Smith went with Jane to
> her new home come census time how would George Smith show up in the census
> would he be listed seperatly as a Smith or would he be in the Doe family
> as a child
>
> also -would anybody be able to tell be how many days it would take to
> travel from Attleboro Mass. to Steuben County NY traveling circa 1800
>
> and just in case -are there any DAY experts on the list
>
> A YANKEE in BANGKOK
> B.Barnes Suwathanangkul :
> PO BOX 31 Bangkhunnon Bangkok Thailand 10703
> Suwathanangkul(Su-wa-tha-nang-kun)

Hi Barb,

I don't know if you got an answer to either of your questions
regarding the Census records or 19th century travel times, (at least I
don't recall seeing one on the list in the past 4 days or so), but for
what it's worth here's my take on the subjects:

First your question regarding the Federal Census records:

Families are listed by Head of Household only and thus children,
unless they qualified as Head of Household, (unique in my experience),
would be listed with the rest of the family members regardless of
whether their last name was or was not the same as the Head of
Household. In fact, it isn't until the 1850 Federal Census that anyone
other than the Head of Household was listed by name at all in the Census
records. Every other census since then has listed *all* members of the
household, including servants, in-laws, and farm hands under the Head of
Household only. The only place where you might find people of
different names living in the same household listed separately, would be
in the Census Indexes, which are a whole different kettle of fish.
These are *very* abbreviated versions of the actual census entries and
their purpose is to point you to the actual records themselves.

I hope this is of some help to you.

Next, your question regarding travel rates around the turn of the
19th century. I have a graphic up on my website which might help you.
(I've had it for several years so I'm not entirely sure where I came by
it, although I have the feeling it might have been Ancestry.com, but
don't hold me to it.) You can find it at:

http://members.tripod.com/~wynkoop/special/ratestrv.jpg

The starting point seems to be, (conveniently so for us), New York City
in 1830. I frankly think the travel rates suggested here are a little
swift, but maybe someone else would care to add their two stivers to the
pot.

Regarding the Day family, I'm sorry that I can't help you there,
but, Hey!, two out of three ain't bad! ;-)

Hope this is of some help!

Best wishes,

Chris

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