South Carolina, State and Territorial Censuses - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection consists of digital images of census records ranging from 1829 to 1920. The images were scanned from microfilm copy. This collection includes the following censuses:


 * City Council of Georgetown census, 1920
 * State censuses, 1829-1875
 * Union County census, 1869
 * City Council of Aiken census, 1868
 * Village of Edgefield census, 1891.

Record Content
The information in the records varies by census. You may find any of the following:


 * Full name of your ancestor
 * Others living in same household
 * Relationship to others in household
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Color or race
 * Numbers of individuals in the household grouped by age or color
 * Address
 * Employment
 * Occupation
 * Military service
 * Number of children born/living
 * Education
 * Ability to read/write

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Your Ancestor’s name
 * Other identifying information such as their residence, age, names of other family members and relationships.

Search the Collection
To browse the collection by image: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the “Schedule type” category ⇒ Select the “County” category ⇒ Select the “Township or Other Division” category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date and locate birth records in county files.
 * Look for your ancestor in every census during his or her lifetime.
 * Study others in the same household, neighbors, and anyone with similar names nearby on the censuses to locate possible relatives.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may live nearby.
 * If your ancestor used multiple names throughout their life, look for all their names.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring locality.
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census or may not have fit the group of people that were included in the census.

Related Websites

 * South Carolina GenWeb Project
 * South Carolina Census Finder

Related Wiki Articles

 * South Carolina Census
 * South Carolina Genealogy

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation: