4 Ways “Other” Census Records Can Help Your Genealogy Research

You can learn a lot about a locality by searching census records, but I’m not talking about the population schedules. What about the agricultural, industry, and other non-population census records? Your genealogy research wouldn’t be complete without putting your ancestors in the context of when and where they lived. These records are a way to do that.

In this blog post, we’ll explore four of the “other” U.S. census records and how they can fill in the gaps in your ancestors’ lives.

Where I Look First

When my genealogy research takes me to a new location, the first place I look is the FamilySearch Wiki. It’s one-stop shopping for what records are available at a particular time and place. Here’s what the Wiki homepage looks like:

From here, either type a place in the search bar at the top, or click on the continent name and start to narrow down your search. I’m in Maine, so let’s go there.

If I click on North America, the United States, then Maine, this page opens up. Every state’s page is set up the same, so navigating is easy.

Focus on the Maine Wiki Topics on the right…specifically, census.

If you click on the word “census,” the Maine Census page opens which will give you links to all the online population and non-population census records.

Population vs. Non-Population Census Schedules

A population census is a complete count of all individuals in a specific area or country. Well, it’s supposed to be complete. Its purpose is to gather information about every person and household within its jurisdiction. This type of census provides a comprehensive and detailed picture of who was living in a particular place at that time.

On the other hand, a non-population census focuses on specific groups or characteristics within the population rather than counting every individual. It might collect information about agriculture, industry, or housing conditions. Non-population census records help gather detailed data on specific aspects of society without the need to survey every person.

Non-Population Schedules for Maine

Most of the time we only look at the population schedules. It’s important to locate your ancestor in every census throughout their life. But today, let’s look at four of the non-population schedules:

Note: even though you are on the free FamilySearch website, you’ll notice these schedules are from Ancestry and will require a subscription to look at them.

It’s Time To Research

Industry

If we click on one of the options, say the 1850 Industry schedule, the search page on Ancestry opens up. We can search for a particular person, or even better, pick a locality from the dropdown menu that is already open for you.

If I scroll down to Scarborough/Cape Elizabeth I find a short one-page snapshot of what industry looked like on June 1, 1850, for this area.

In Scarborough, there was a tannery, blacksmith, sawmill, and gristmill. Let’s focus in on Cape Elizabeth and see what we can find out.

Shipbuilding was a big industry in this area as Cape Elizabeth is located on the Atlantic Ocean. Thomas Knight and the Butler brothers, Alford and Cornelius, had shipbuilding businesses valued at over $15,000 (last column), about $600,000 today. Silas Skillin was the owner of a sawmill…a very important complement to shipbuilding.

This census gives us wonderful specifics such as what kind of power was used to operate the machinery and how many male employees they had. Also, the employee’s wages along with the type of products made. The types of businesses also tell us what industries were important to that particular area, although I’m sure in 1850 you will find a sawmill and blacksmith in almost every area.

Social Statistics

If I change the Industry category to Social Statistics, I find that Maine lumped all the towns/counties together. A page-by-page search leads me to image #59, Cape Elizabeth.

I can find the value of real estate, how much tax was levied and in what categories, if there was a school in the area and how many students attended. Are there school records you could go find that listed your ancestor?

Residents were asked about crop shortage and what religion they practiced:

And, social statistics wouldn’t be complete without a record of paupers, criminals, and wages.

This kind of information is so important to add context to your ancestors’ lives. This reveals the kind of neighborhood they lived in…was it safe, affluent, or religious?

Agriculture

The 1850 agricultural schedule is once again broken out by county and then town…so it’s much easier to search.

Staying in Cape Elizabeth, let’s look at George Hannaford, grandfather of the three men who started the Hannaford grocery store chain. George had 66 acres of improved land and 34 acres of unimproved land with a cash value of $2000. The value of his hens, cows, and oxen was $322. Improved land meant land cleared for grazing, grass, etc. Unimproved land could have been woods or other land associated with the property.

Don’t forget the agricultural census has two pages. Advance to the next image to find out what kind of items your ancestors produced. George produced 4 bushels of beans, 200 bushels of Irish potatoes, 250 pounds of butter, and 30 tons of hay, and the value of his slaughtered animals was $9.

From here I might want to go to land records to see how George acquired his land and the value of it when it sold.

Mortality Schedule

The last non-population schedule we’ll look at is the Mortality Schedule. If you are looking for an ancestor who died in the year before June 1, 1850, you might find them here. Or if you can’t find your ancestor in the 1850 census and you suspect they might have died, look here. The list for Cape Elizabeth is small, but if one of these 6 people is the ancestor you’re researching then it’s powerful information.

Beside their name, you’ll get their age, gender, place of birth, and month in which they died. Since you’re looking at the year ending June 1, 1850, if it says “Dec.” you know it’s December 1849. If it says “Apr” then it’s April 1850. You’ll also see their occupation, cause of death, and the number of days they were ill. This is all wonderful information.

Finally

Most of these non-population schedules are available for 1850 – 1880. You’ll have to look at your particular research area to know for sure.

If you’re trying to piece together your ancestor’s life with more than names and dates, you can see why these “other” census schedules can be so valuable in your genealogy research. You may not find your ancestor by name, but you will be able to see how they lived their life in that particular time and place.

Genealogy tip: Just like the population schedules, enumerators gathered the information for the non-population schedules. Do you recognize neighbors or other surnames close to your ancestor?

If you’re on a journey to find your ancestors, let me know how I can help. Click below to schedule a free no-obligation call.