Washington Census Tips

United States Census Washington Census  Tips

Comments from group 12/5/13
 * There is a need for general helps, not just by specific topics
 * Oldest child may marry the oldest child in another family
 * Most stay within the same religion not as much as they do today
 * English children many times were named after the King or Queen, in US after famous (GW, BF, Martin Luther, Ethan Allen, etc.)
 * Beware of reader fatigue: don't put much general info on a county page. Keep it pertinent to the county
 * Find the balance between enough for the "freshmen" but don't overwhelm them.

Census Tips

 * Why:
 * Relatives, such as grandchildren or married children, may live with them
 * They may live with a child, such as a married daughter, in their later years
 * Neighbors may be relatives or old friends from their home state.


 * Why:
 * You may find sisters living in the area.
 * Your ancestor's widowed mother may have remarried.
 * Notice the ages: were the women old enough to be sisters? Aunts? The mother?
 * Notice your ancestor's deeds and other records: Were any of those husbands witnesses?


 * Why:
 * Gaps in ages of children may be a clue to:
 * A second marriage of the couple: Check marriage records for this.
 * A child died young. Check cemetery, church, funeral, and other records.
 * Where the children were born (state, nation) may be a clue to:
 * When the family migrated
 * Ages of husband and wife may be clues:
 * In a second marriage, the husband may be older than the wife.
 * Compare ages of the wife and the children:
 * The oldest child: was the wife too young to be the mother? (Child-bearing years for most women were between 16–40.)
 * The youngest child: was the wife too old?


 * For example:

Maiden Name of Mother
A child's middle name is sometimes the maiden name of the mother

Immigration and Naturalization
Some federal censuses give the year of immigration.