MDSTMARY-L Archives

From: "David Roberts" <>
Subject: 1790 Census; 1850 Census
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2004 19:01:55 -0500
References: <20041028141041.99159.qmail@web50108.mail.yahoo.com>

Hi Kat:

A few years ago, I attended a joint New England HistGen - NYG&B conference
at Tarrytown, N. Y. One presentation was on the "final" form of the census,
as submitted to the Federal Government. Often, the census taker worked 1/2 a
dozen copies before he got it into a final form. Often, in the 1790 and the
next few, that final form was a semi-alphabet, which seems to be what you
are showing. I say "semi-alphabet" since he is just lumping the M's
together; not making a true alphabet w/in the M's.

I've seen this pattern in both Massachusetts and New York for this time
period, also.

The speaker said the Federal copy of the 1850 census that we all see on
microfilm is normally the least accurate of all the copies. IF you can find
the copy filed with the COUNTY or the STATE you might have better
information. The example he gave us was from Albany, N. Y., and the father
of noted black civil-rights leader W. E. B. Du Bois. Du Bois's father was
born Haiti [Santo Domingo]. On the Federal copy of the 1850 census, he and
every person on his page were born in New York. But then the speaker found
the county copy in the Albany County Clerk's Office; the elder Du Bois was
born in Haiti and all sorts of people on the page were born in various
states and foreign countries. It seemed by the time the census marshall got
around to filling out the federal copy, he just put New York at the top of
the birth column and put in ditto marks all down the page. Lots of lost
genealogy there !

So, what we see as "the census" is often a third or fourth generation copy.

I think what you have here is an attempt to place St. Mary's County [or a
District of it] into a loose alphabet.

Hope this is an answer that makes some sense.

David

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kathleen Mills Woodring" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 9:10 AM
Subject: [MDSTMARY-L] Desc. of Henry [Bennet] WALKER & Sarah MATTINGLY


> Dear List,
>
> I don't have much census experience, how was the St. Mary's 1790 census
recorded?
> Is it a coincidence that these names are side by side on the original page
or does this mean their properties are all in proximity or ...both?
> ...John Mills
> William Mattingly
> Elenor Mor[t]?
> Charles N. Mills
> Luke Mattingly
> Ignatius Mattingly
> John B. Mattingly
> James A. Mills
> Joseph Morgan
> John Mattingly
> James Mills
> Richard Melton
> William Morgan
> William McIver...
>
> On opposing page:
> ...Zachariah Mattingly
> Bennett Mattingly
> Henry Morgan
> James Melton
> Willaim Muir
> James Murray
> Mary Moore
> Justinian Mills
> Joseph Mills
> Joshua Millard...
>
> Note nearness of names Millard, Mills, Mattingly, Melton, McIver
> They're not exactly alphabetized either.
> Were they transcribed into a book from a series of lists made after
visiting properties then loosely organized by first letter of last name?
>
>
> Kat Woodring
>
>

This thread:

• 1790 Census; 1850 Census by "David Roberts" <>