Alabama Census

Introduction
A census is a count and description of the population of a country, territory, state, county, or city. A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate the places where your ancestors lived and identify the dates they lived there. You can also find family information, particularly in more recent censuses. Use the information with caution, however, since any member of the family or a neighbor may have given the information to a census taker.

Federal Censuses
Population Schedules (1790–1930). Federal censuses from 1790 to 1840 list the names of heads of households but do not give the names of other persons living in the household. Census records from 1850 on show the names of each member of the household and give his or her age, state or country of birth, marital status, occupation, and race. Naturalization and immigration information is included in the 1870, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 censuses.

These records can also give clues to number of years married (1900 to 1910), death dates (in mortality schedules, 1850 to 1880), previous residences, adoptions, and divorces. Parents or other relatives may have been living with a family when a census was taken. Other persons in the county with the same surname may be related. Statewide indexes help locate families when you know only the state where they lived.

Federal census records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The [http://www.familysearchwiki.org/.. United States Research Outline]provides more detailed information on these records.

No federal census records exist for Alabama for the years 1790 and 1800. The 1810 Mississippi Territory census of Washington County, now part of Alabama, is available.

The 1820 federal census was lost for all counties. However, the state census exists for Baldwin, Conecuh, Dallas, Franklin, Limestone, St. Clair, Shelby, and Wilcox counties.

The 1890 federal population census for part of Perry County, Alabama, survived a fire in 1921. The remaining portion is for Perryville, beat number 11 and Severe, beat number 8. The records are on microfilm:

United States. Census Office. 11th Census, 1890. Population Schedules of the Eleventh Census of the United States, 1890. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0407. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1962. (FHL film 926497.) An index is:

Nelson, Ken. 1890 U.S. Census Index to Surviving Population Schedules and Register of Film numbers to the Special Census of Union Veterans. Revised Edition. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, 1991. (FHL book 973 X2na 1890; 1984 edition is on film 1421673 item 11.)

The 1890 Federal Union Veterans and Widow’s census did not survive for Alabama.

The Family History Library also has microfilms of some county and state copies of the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 censuses. These are sometimes more accurate and have more information than the federal copies. The library catalog entry shows if the censuses were filmed at the county courthouse.

Statewide indexes are available in book format for the 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, and 1870 censuses. These list the names of heads of households. The Family Finder Index on compact disc and the Accelerated Indexing Systems microfiche include Alabama indexes for 1820–1850. Soundex (phonetic) indexes are available on microfilm for part of the 1880 and all of the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 censuses.

An 1870 census card index that has a card for each family is available for 31 counties: Autauga, Baker, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton (see Baker County), Clarke, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Dekalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston (see Henry County), Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lowndes, and Macon. The cards list name, age, race, gender, birth place, occupation, real estate and property value, mortality information, county, page, beat (area visited by census taker), post office, precinct, range, and township. The page number on each card refers to the page number in the census copies held by the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Some of the information may not be accurate. The schedules mentioned on the cards refer to Schedule One, which lists residents. Schedule Two is the mortality schedule, and Schedule Three is for agriculture. These films are:

Alabama. Department of Archives and History. 1870 Census Index to Selected Alabama Counties. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1989. (On 14 FHL films beginning with 1556985.)

County-wide indexes to federal censuses often contain the names of each person in the household and may also include heads of households that were overlooked or whose names were misspelled in statewide indexes. County-wide indexes are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under:

ALABAMA, [COUNTY]- CENSUS- [YEAR]

Multistate Indexes. Some statewide indexes mentioned above are combined into composite master indexes of several census years, states, and census types:

FamilyFinder Index and Viewer. Version 4.0. Family Tree Maker Archives, index. [Novato, California]: Brøderbund Software, 1997. (FHL compact disc number 9 1997 index.) This does not circulate to Family History Centers. It is a single composite index to early Alabama tax lists, 1790–1860 federal censuses, 1850 and 1860 slave schedules, and 1850–1880 mortality schedules. An Internet edition of this index is also available:

"Internet FamilyFinder" In FamilyTreeMaker.com [Internet site]. [Novato, California]: Brøderbund Software, 21 July 1999 [cited 17 March 2000]. Available at:

www.familytreemaker.com/allsearch.html

You can search the "Internet FamilyFinder" index free. It displays the census year and state for each name matching the search. It may also list many vital records and genealogical collection citations. Once you know the census year and state you need, you must use the original index on compact disc, microfiche, or book to obtain enough data to find the name in the original census schedules. For a subscription fee, similar index information is also available at:

www.Ancestry.com/census/. ($)

Jackson, Ronald Vern. AIS Microfiche Indexes of U.S. Census and Other Records. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems International, 1984. This set has not been assigned Family History Library fiche numbers, but is available at many Family History Centers. It contains names from early censuses, tax lists, and residents’ lists 1704 to 1819, and from the Alabama 1820, 1830, 1840, and 1850 censuses.

Census records for selected counties of many states have been combined in an index on compact disc in:

Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties. Version 3.0 [Novato, California]: Brøderbund Software, 1995–1996. (FHL compact disc number 9 parts 310–20.) The compact discs identified as parts 311–320 include Alabama and index portions of the 1790 to 1870 censuses. This does not circulate to Family History Centers.

When census indexes are not available or omit a name, you can still look for the name in the original census schedules. In large cities, it helps first to learn a person’s address. This can be done by searching city directories near the time of the census. Information for a directory was gathered long before publication. Therefore, a directory for the year after the census may match the census better than the one published during the census year. (See the "Directories" section for more information.) Once you learn the address of an ancestor, search the original census schedules for that address.

The following can help determine which census schedule and enumeration district to search for:

Census Descriptions and Geographical Subdivisions and Enumeration Districts. National Archives Microfilm Publications, T1224 and T1210. These describe the boundaries of the area covered by each census taker:


 * 1880 no records exist for Alabama
 * 1900 (FHL film 1303019)
 * 1910 (FHL film 1374001)
 * 1920 (FHL film 1842702)

Maps are helpful to use with censuses because of boundary changes that have occurred over the years. A publication that is especially good to use with Alabama census records is Thorndale and Dollarhide’s Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790–1920. It is cited in the "Maps" section of the United States Research Outline under the subheading "Locating Township and County Boundaries."

Veterans’ Schedule (1840). In the 1840 federal census, a listing was made of Revolutionary War veterans that included the age of the veteran, the place where he was living, and the name of the head of the household. An index is:

A General Index to A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Service, 1840. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1965. (FHL book 973 X2pc 1965 index; fiche 6046771; film 899835.) The census of pensioners is published in:

A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. (FHL book 973 X2pc 1840; film 2321.)

Mortality Schedules (1850–1880). Mortality schedules exist for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. They list persons who died during the 12 months before the census was taken. For 1830 to 1900, the day set by law to begin taking the censuses was June 1. The mortality schedules are at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. The Family History Library has the 1850 to 1880 schedules on microfilm:


 * 1850 (FHL film 1533724 item2)
 * 1860 (FHL films 1533724 item3 and 1533830)
 * 1870 (FHL film 1405189) (See the 1870 census index above which includes 31 counties.)
 * 1880 (FHL films 1405190–91)

Mortality schedules include a person’s name, age, race, marital status, state or country of birth, month of death, and occupation. The names are recorded alphabetically by county, city, precinct, and district. In 1850 they list the names of free persons and slaves together. They often gave the slaves’ full names. The 1880 schedule also lists the state or country of birth of the person’s parents. When you find a person listed in a mortality schedule, you can look in the population schedule census for that same county and district. This may help you identify the family to which the deceased person belonged.

Statewide mortality schedule indexes include:

Jackson, Ronald Vern. Alabama 1850 Mortality Schedule. North Salt Lake, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1984. (FHL book 976.1 X2ja 1850.) This alphabetical list gives the name of the person, county, age at death, sex, month of death, state of birth, illness, and page number in the mortality schedule. Note that they also list the names of slaves.

Barefield, Marilyn Davis. Alabama Mortality Schedule 1860. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1987. (FHL book 976.1 X2bm.) This book is arranged by county and is indexed. It includes the person’s name, age, gender, marital status, state or country of birth, month and cause of death, and occupation.

Slave Schedules (1850–1860). Slave schedules for the 1850 and 1860 censuses list the names of slave owners, but do not usually list the names of the slaves. They give the number of slaves, whether male or female, and the slaves’ age-ranges. Alabama slave schedules at the Family History Library are cataloged with the population schedules. The 1850 and 1860 mortality schedules list the names of slaves who died during the 12 months preceding June 30, 1850, and June 30, 1860.

Colonial Censuses (1706–1795)
Early census records for 1706, 1721, and 1725 French settlements in or near Mobile, Alabama, have been published:

Deep South Genealogical Quarterly (FHL book 976.122 B2d.) See the "Periodicals" section These censuses are in the following volumes:


 * For the 1706 census see 1, number 1 (August 1963): 30
 * For the 1721 census see 1, number 3 (March 1964): 136–139
 * For the 1725 census see 1, number 2 (December 1963): 86

A census was taken in 1785 of the town of Tensas, which is east of Mobile. This was published in:

DeVille, Winston, "Some Anglo-Americans in the Deep South, 1785," Genealogical Helper. 36, number 5 (Sept.–Oct. 1982): 5–6. (FHL book 929.05 G286.) There are 46 men listed.

Censuses for 1786, 1787, 1789, and 1805 have been published in:

Andrews, Johnnie, Jr., and William David Higgins, Spanish Census Reports at Mobile. Prichard, Alabama: Bienville Historical Society, 1973. (FHL book 976.1 A1 number 20; film 908670 item 10.)

Census records for 1781 to 1795 are available in:

Feldman, Lawrence H., Anglo-Americans in Spanish Archives: Lists of Anglo-American Settlers in the Spanish Colonies of America; A Finding Aid. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1991. (FHL book 973 X2fe.) Included in this book are lists for Mobile and Tombecbe (now St. Stephens, Washington County) 1781, 1785, 1786, 1791, and 1795. These give the names of men or women who were heads of household.

Territorial Censuses (1795–1810)
The censuses of Washington County, Mississippi Territory, which included present-day Alabama, for 1801, 1808, and 1810 can be found in:

"Washington County (now) Alabama 1801, 1808 and 1810 Census." The Alabama Genealogical Register 9, number 3 (September 1967): 123–26. (FHL book 976.1 B2a.)

The Madison County 1809 census is available in:

"Madison County, Alabama 1809 Census." The Alabama Genealogical Register 10, number 4 (December 1968): 175–82. (FHL book 976.1 B2a.)

The 1809 census was also published in the Territorial Papers of Mississippi (see the "Land and Property" section).

The 1810 census of Mississippi Territory, which included present-day Alabama, is available in:

Alabama 1810 Census Index. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1981. (FHL book 976.1 X22a 1810.)

The Alabama 1816 census is published in:

Inhabitants of Alabama in 1816. Pell City, Alabama: Broken Arrow Chapter, DAR, 1955. (FHL book 976.1 X3i 1816; film 962161 item17.) The includes alphabetical lists of residents in counties in Alabama.

Census Substitutes
Records that identify a person’s place of residence are often used as substitutes for censuses, especially for colonial times, when censuses were not required, or for years when censuses are missing. Some census substitutes include oaths of allegiance and lists of petitioners. Other substitutes for census records are city directories, tax lists, and voting records that are described in the "Directories," "Taxation," and "Voting Registers" sections These records may be published as statewide census indexes which often provide only vague references to the source of the information indexed. Census-like indexes have been published in book form for 1811 to 1819, 1821 to 1829, and 1831 to 1839. The source of the data in these indexes is not always clear. These books are:

Jackson, Ronald Vern. Alabama, 1811–1819, Decennary Census Index. Salt Lake City, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1983. (FHL book 976.1 X22j 1811–1819.) This includes names from the 1811 and 1816 territorial censuses, marriage records, 1812 to 1819, and tax lists 1811 to 1815. The names from this index are included in AIS Search Two.

Jackson, Ronald Vern. Alabama, 1821–1829, Decennary Census Index. Salt Lake City, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1983. (FHL book 976.1 X22j 1821–1829.) This was prepared from marriage records and gives the names of the bride and groom, the county, and year. These names are not included in AIS Search Two.

Jackson, Ronald Vern. Alabama, 1831–1839, Decennary Census Index. Salt Lake City, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1983. (FHL book 976.1 X22j 1831–1839.) This book was prepared from marriage records for 1830 to 1839 and Mobile residents’ lists for 1837 and 1839. These names are not included in AIS Search Three.

State Censuses (1820–1866)
State censuses exist for 1820, 1850, 1855, and 1866. The Family History Library has copies of many of the 1820, 1855, and 1866 state censuses on microfilm. These were filmed at the Department of Archives and History. The library does not have copies of the 1850 state census.

The following counties’ 1820 state census records are on FHL film 1533830: Baldwin, Conecuh, Dallas, Franklin, Limestone, St. Clair, Shelby, and Wilcox. Census records for Lawrence County are on FHL fiche 6046599.

For 1855 the Alabama Department of Archives and History has the lists for 12 counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Blount, Coffee, Franklin, Henry, Lowndes, Macon, Mobile, Pickens, Tallapoosa, and Tuscaloosa.

The Family History Library has the 1855 census microfilms for 16 counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Blount, Coffee, Franklin, Henry, Lowndes, Macon, Mobile, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, and Wilcox. They are listed in the Locality Search in the Family History Library Catalog under the county.

Part of the 1855 census has been indexed:

Jackson, Ronald Vern. Alabama 1855 Census Index. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1984. (FHL book 976.1 X2j 1855.) The census lists only the head of household. Other persons are indicated by statistics in age groups and by gender. This indexes the records of twelve counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Blount, Coffee, Franklin, Henry, Lowndes, Macon, Mobile, Pickens, Tallapoosa, and Tuscaloosa.

The 1866 state census is available at the Alabama Department of Archives and History and microfilm copies for most counties are at the Family History Library. It lists the heads of households, regardless of color, and gives the number of persons in the various age ranges. It also indicates the number of deceased or disabled Confederate soldiers who were members of that family.

Confederate Veterans’ Censuses (1907, 1921, 1927)
Special censuses of Confederate veterans who were receiving a pension were taken in 1907, 1921, and 1927. Microfilm copies are available at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, and at the Family History Library:

Alabama. State Auditor. Confederate Soldiers in Alabama: 1907–1927. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988. (On ten FHL films beginning with 1533727.) The films for 1907 are first, followed by 1921 and 1927.

The 1907 census includes each person’s name, place of residence, date and place of birth, rank, date of entry into military service, date and place of discharge or separation, and name of military unit. The 1907 lists have been abstracted, indexed, and published. They are available in:

1907 Alabama Census of Confederate Soldiers. Cullman, Alabama: Gregath, 1982. Five Volumes. (FHL book 976.1 X22c 1907; on four films beginning with 1421815 item 23; on eight fiche beginning with 6093367.) The film and fiche have information for these counties: Bibb, Calhoun, Chilton, Choctaw, Cleburne, Coffee, Coosa, Cullman, Dale, Jackson, Lawrence, Lee, Marion, Mobile, Monroe, Morgan, Talladega, and Tallapoosa Counties. The volumes are alphabetical by county. This book gives the soldier’s name, full birth date, city and state of birth, when and where enlisted, unit, and mustering-out date.

The 1921 census provides each veteran’s name, place and date of birth, place of residence, length of Alabama residence, occupation, wife’s age and place of birth, marriage date and place, names of living children, occupation, and post office box. The forms also contain the veteran’s rank, company, regiment, captain and colonel’s name, battles, wounds, captures, imprisonments, and transfers.

The 1927 census contains the veteran’s name, his widow’s name, her age and birth date, and their marriage date. The records are arranged by county, then alphabetically by the name of the widow. This series is not complete. Some of the returns are found in the Confederate Pension Applications.

Many of the territorial and state census call numbers are found in:

Buckway, G. Eileen. U.S. State and Special Census Register. Revised Edition. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1992. (FHL book 973 X2be 1992; fiche 6104851–52.)

Other Alabama census sources can be found in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

ALABAMA- CENSUS

ALABAMA- CENSUS- [YEAR]

ALABAMA- CENSUS- [YEAR]- INDEXES

ALABAMA, [COUNTY]- CENSUS

ALABAMA, [COUNTY]- CENSUS- INDEXES

Web Sites
http://www.census-online.com/links/AL/

http://dir.genealogytoday.com/usa/al/census.html

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/census/alabama.htm