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Archiver > MDGARRET > 2008-01 > 1201460466


From: "Walt Warnick" <>
Subject: Re: [MDGARRET] Hanson and Clarissa (Friend) Wilburn
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:01:06 -0500
In-Reply-To: <006d01c8610d$935f61f0$6501a8c0@yourd26ef63b94>


Pat,

I have found lots of highly questionable information in the 1850 census,
especially about the names of children. I have no knowledge about how this
happened, but it is almost as if the census taker was informed about a
household, whereupon he recorded the name of the head of that household, but
then he never visited it. He seems to have simply dreamed up names of
members of the household, or relied upon an unreliable informant. So, in
going through the 1850 census, I find some households where the info fits
well with that from other sources, but then nearby households are listed
where nothing fits except the name of the head of household. Figuring out
what is reliable and what is unreliable is very difficult from this vantage
point.

Like you, I have noticed gaps in the 1860 census. I have also noticed
highly questionable entries. The 1860 census for Allegany County seems to
me to be troublesome.

The moral of the story is that census records can sometimes be very
informative, or very misleading. Good luck.

Walt

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:]On
Behalf Of Pat Thompson
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 12:54 PM
To:
Subject: [MDGARRET] Hanson and Clarissa (Friend) Wilburn


I am looking for the children of Hanson W. Wilburn (b. abt. 1818) and his
wife Clarissa Ann Friend (b. abt. 1820).

I found them in the 1850 census in Maryland but when I find Hanson and
Clarissa next in 1870 Kansas census, these children are not with them.
1850 Allegany Co. MD, District 2
House 443-446
Hanson Wilburn, 32, laborer, $100, b. MD
Clarissa, 30, b. MD
Gabriel, 8, b. MD
Maria, 7, b. MD
Jane, 6, b. MD
Walker, 5, b. MD

There seems to be many names missing from the 1860 Allegany Co., MD census,
especially in the Swanton/Altamont area. Has anyone else found families
missing from that census and if so, are the records available any where or
permanently missing from the Federal records?




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