Use this TimeLine Format to find ages, names, and birthdates from 1790-1850 US Census Data
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The Problem



The Solution



Introduction
Census data are among the most useful of all genealogy records available to the family historian, but the records taken before 1850 make it difficult to find birthdates.

CensusMate makes it easy to organize and work with the pre-1850 data -- This website demonstrates this novel timeline format. It shows and explains many examples, and allows downloading of blank worksheets for use with your own data.

The two figures below hint at the way the census data on Henry Haynes and his family are easier to understand and analyze in the timeline format. Go to the examples to see the details ... but first, peek at our suggestions for using the site-->

Our suggestions for understanding and using this site ...
1810 census snippet - typical pre-1850 census
1810 Census - Snippet of Data

Problems with pre-1850 Census
  • Only the head of household is named.
  • Ages are bracketed into coded ranges.
  • Those age ranges vary from two to 20 years,
  • The ranges change from year to year.
  • The 1820 census, for example, is modified from the 1810 census.
  • And the 1830 census is modified from that.
  • Analyzing those data causes errors and confusion.
Timeline format for 1810 census - easy to analyze
1810 Census - Timeline Format


Solutions with CensusMate Timeline Format
  • Age range brackets are easy to see.
  • Range of birth years is shown on the timeline.
  • Data can be aligned with other census years to greatly narrow the range of birth dates.
  • Data from other sources such as wills, bibles, marriages, or later census can help analysis.
  • The combination helps identify unnamed children.
  • Math calculations are unnecessary, avoiding errors.
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© John L. Haynes 2000-2003
 
ver 1.1 06-May-2009
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