Maryland, Dorchester Census, 1882 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of the census of Dorchester for the year 1882, which is arranged by wards.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The census may contain:
 * The name of the head of household
 * Residence
 * Race
 * The number of males and females in the household
 * The ward of residence within the county

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The place of residence of your ancestor
 * The ward where your ancestor lived

What Do I Do Next?
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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age listed 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.
 * Birthplaces can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family*If they are subject to military service they may have military files in the State or National Archives.

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * 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. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Maryland.
 * Maryland Guided Research
 * Maryland Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.