Census records can provide a lot of information to get you started on your ancestor hunt. You can track down names, birth dates, residences, marital status, and much more from old census records. Unfortunately, census records were not always well organised and didn’t have genealogists in mind. The filing system was complicated at best during different periods in history and unless you know the system, you could look through hundreds of pages and still be lost. Searching old census records can be time consuming and complicated in the beginning but the information could be of use. Once you learn the system, you will have an easier time sifting through the data.

Census records were categorized in several ways. Some states used the head of household to file the records. In the 1800s, records were filed using the Soundex or the Miracode format. Both coding systems are similar but the Soundex was used most frequently. Earlier records are filed and recorded on AIS microfiche.

The Soundex system is phonetic. Sounds were used to group names together and not alphabetical order. Here’s an example. If two names sounded alike such as Sell and Sellers, they were grouped together, as possibly were names like Peel and Peale. The point of the Soundex system was to make it easier for people to search for information based on the fact they knew what a name sounded like, but not necessarily the correct spelling. People would no longer furiously search for names in the wrong places.

When you find the reference to a name spelled like your ancestor’s name, write down all of the information that you see. On each page is a page number and a number that identifies the district or town where the census was taken, called the enumeration district number. The consonants in each name are then coded using a number system. The resulting code leads you to the card for that family’s information within the state where the census originated. Knowing the name of a town can lead to other records such as old newspaper editions, books that chronicle the history of that particular region, or famous people from that area. If you hit a dead end with the surname on the page, you can also investigate the neighboring people for clues about your family.

Census records can be located in several places: The Family History Library in Salt Lake City or one of its branches, the National Archives, the Census online, or you can get copies mailed to your own house.

Related Posts

1. Simple Tools for Ancestry Research
2. Story and Family History
3. Genealogy Software: Should you use it?
4. Free Family Tree Search: OneGreatFamily
5. Easy Family Tree Templates