Mississippi, State Archives, Various Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The collection covers the years 1801 to 1902.

Record Description
This collection includes digital images of the following records:


 * State and territorial census records
 * Tax rolls
 * Register of military commissions

Record Content
Census records prior to 1870 list the following information:


 * Name of head of household
 * Number of free white males in the household
 * Number of free white females in the household
 * Total number of free whites in the household

Census records for 1870 list the following information:


 * Name of head of household
 * White males over 21
 * White males under 21
 * Colored males over 21
 * Colored males under 21
 * White females over 21
 * White females under 21
 * Colored females over 21
 * Colored females under 21
 * White males who are qualified electors
 * Colored males who are qualified electors
 * Adult males, white and colored, who are not qualified electors
 * White males who are over 21 and disabled

Census records for 1880 list the following information:


 * Name of head of househould
 * Age
 * White or colored
 * Birthplace
 * Occupation
 * Naturalized or unnaturalized foreigener
 * Number of bales of cotton raised in 1879

The tax rolls list the following information:


 * Name
 * Number of acres
 * Value of acres
 * Details of crops raised

Military registers list the following:


 * Name
 * Company
 * Rank
 * Enlistment date

How to Use the Record
State and Territorial Census Records:

Compare the information in the census to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination. Be aware that as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

When you have located your ancestor in the census, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * If the age is listed, use it to determine an approximate birth date. This date along with the place of birth can help you find a birth record. Birth records often list biographical and marital details about the parents and close relatives other than the immediate family.
 * If the birth places are listed, they can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Use the race information to find records related to that ethnicity such as records of the Freedman’s Bureau or Indian censuses.
 * If naturalization information is given, use it to find their naturalization papers in the county court records. It can also help you locate immigration records such as a passenger list which would usually be kept records at the port of entry into the United States.
 * If they are subject to military service they may have military files in the State or National Archives.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as school records; children’s occupations are often listed as “at school.”
 * Use the information about religious beliefs find local church records.

It is often helpful to extract the information on all families with the same surname in the same general area. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related.

Be sure to extract all families before you look at other records. The relationships given will help you to organize family groups. The family groupings will help you identify related families when you discover additional information in other records.

Some other helpful tips to keep in mind are:


 * Married family members may have lived nearby but in a separate household, so you may want to search an entire town, neighboring towns, or even county.
 * You may be able to identify an earlier generation if elderly parents were living with or close by a married child.
 * You may be able to identify a younger generation if a young married couple still lived with one of their sets of parents.
 * Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the census.
 * You should also be aware that the census may identify persons for whom other records do not exist.

Tax Rolls:

Tax records are usually used to supplement census records. Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index to the assessments. Use the locator information in the index (such as page number or assessment number) to locate your ancestors in the assessment rolls. Compare the information in the assessment to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. Be aware that as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

When you have located your ancestor in the tax rolls, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may be new details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Tax assessments identify the name and residence of the taxpayer. This information can help you locate land records and census records.
 * The description of the real estate, number of acres owned, types of buildings, identifiable personal property, and the farm animals can help you determine an occupation: someone living at a church is probably a minister; someone with several acres of land or many farm animals is probably a farmer; someone living on the same property as the school may be a teacher; someone living above or behind a store is probably a merchant. Occupations can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as school or church records.
 * Following an ancestor through the assessment rolls can help you establish a family migration pattern or identify the year an individual moved into an area or left the area.
 * The assessment rolls can also indicate that an individual died. Use the last known tax year as an approximate death year. Use the death year and residence to locate death or probate records.

Some other tips to keep in mind are:


 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all individuals with the same surname in the same general area. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related.
 * Other family members may have lived nearby so you may want to search an entire town, neighboring towns, or even a county.
 * Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the assessment rolls.

Military Registers:

To begin your search you will need to know the following:


 * Full name
 * County where served
 * Approximate dates of service

If you are having difficulty finding your ancestor, look for variations in the spelling of the name. If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names. You may also want to check neighboring counties.

Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. This information will often lead you to other records. You may find these search tips helpful:


 * Use the county where your ancestor is listed to locate census, church, and land records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased, this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been seeking the pension.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Record History
Many colonial records for the lower Mississippi Valley were placed in archives in France, Spain, and England. These include correspondence about military and governmental affairs, some censuses, birth and burial registers, land grants, and surveys. Many of these records were transcribed by Dunbar Rowland and collected in a set of manuscript volumes known as the Mississippi Provincial Archives. This collection is at the Mississippi Department of History and Archives and on microfilm at the Family History Library.

Why This Record Was Created
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History was founded in 1902. It is the second-oldest state department of archives and history in the country. A comprehensive historical agency, the department collects, preserves, and provides access to the archival resources of the state, administers museums and historic sites, and oversees statewide programs for historic preservation, government records management, and publications.

MDAH Digital Archives include:


 * Electronic records received from government agencies and officials
 * Donated and acquired electronic resources
 * Digital copies of original materials from MDAH collections, including paper documents, photographs, maps, audio, and video

Record Reliability
The records in this collection are generally reliable.

Related Wiki Articles
Mississippi Genealogy

Related Websites
Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Mississippi State Archives and Libraries

This section of the article is incomplete. You can help FamilySearch Wiki by supplying links to related websites here.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71.
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023.

Sources of information for This Collection
Mississippi. State Archives, Various Records, 1801-1902. Mississippis State Archives. Jackson, Mississippi.