6.4 Recording and Presenting Census Data

Census records are complex and contain a lot of helpful information. At the discovery of a record, it is not always obvious which elements are going to be most helpful. At minimum, the researcher should record “census” as an event on the family group record or in genealogy software with a citation for the record. This citation should be repeated, with the date and place from the document, for each person listed on the census record. However, it may be helpful to pull out other information to record on the family group record that can be identifiers in future searches or the key to finding other documents.

Besides the “census” entry, the same record and citation may be used for a “residence” entry with the address of the home. “Occupation” is also a good piece of information to list on the record. If items like these are recorded, use the same citation for each line that contains information from that census record. Referring back to the 1920 census for Guy and Lena Juniper, Guy was working as a railroad switchman so that item should be listed on the family group record as "occupation" with the date the census was taken and the census record noted as the source. Lena was working as a schoolteacher so that is her occupation with the same date and source.

When working records like this this, the same citation is also used as another source for name, gender, birthdate, and other items listed on the record. Good researchers save time in the long run when they slow down and work through each census schedule to glean every piece of information and record it. Being thorough will keep the researcher from repeatedly returning to the record repeatedly when verifying information, and writing research reports, biographies, or compiled lineages. What seems slow at this stage will speed up the project overall because a complete census survey gives a broad outline of the lives of the family members in addition to great clues for where and when to search for other records.

The census survey offers a solid opportunity to utilize charts or graphics to present findings within the research report. For a family that often moves, consider a simple chart with each census year listed and the corresponding city or address where the family was living. Maybe occupations are what needs to be the focus or listing which children are living with the parents could be most important. Perhaps creating a map would be helpful. If pertinent information can be communicated in visual form instead of written out in long sentences, it will help reports be more orderly, efficient, and easy to understand.

Remember, whenever possible, work backwards in time, starting with the most recent available census. If it is difficult to find someone in a certain census, search for siblings or another member of the family who should be listed on the record. For example, if searching “Guy Juniper” resulted in a “NIL” seach, a research would try with Lena’s name and then Elizabeth’s to find the record.

When seeking women and children, try every surname connected to them. A divorced woman may still use her former married name so she can keep the same last name as her children. A widow may retake her maiden name late in life. Even just nostalgia on census day could be a reason a person gives a former name to the enumerator. If a child is not found with the expected surname, try the mother’s maiden name. Stepparents may adopt a child or just call a child by the stepparent’s last name. Try every known name connected with the family if the record proves difficult to find. Document every search in your research log. When a record is identified, create a citation for the source in the log. Then, go to the family group record or software program to record the facts and events detailed on the census.

Sometimes a census record proves elusive. Try each of the big four websites because the same record is indexed differently on each website. It may be difficult to find on one but easier on another. Be thorough. Over time, with more information, a record that was not found during the census survey may be identified during other phases of the project. Before moving on to seek vital records, researchers should make sure they have exhausted all types of census records in every applicable jurisdiction. One way to do this is to consult the FamilySearch Wiki for the place and work through the collections listed on the census page for the area. There may be more census collections listed in the catalog for that location.

If a census has been taken in a smaller jurisdiction in the area of research, there may be something like a state/province census or even a county or city census. For example, New York takes a state census on the years that end in five so the state census appears right between the federal census years. This is very helpful in giving information about where a family is living, changes in occupation, the birth of a child, and more. It is especially helpful around the 1890 US census because those records are mostly lost to research. Having a state census in 1885 and 1895 can compensate for that lost information.