Published: June 02, 2007 08:16 pm         

Genealogy: Census of 1840 brought changes to the practice

The 1840 census represents the last of the federal censuses that focus on the heads of households only. Like all of the censuses before it, the 1840 was still under the jurisdiction of the U.S. marshals.

The 1840 census began on June 1, 1840, and the enumerators had 18 months to complete their count. This means that the last enumeration day was Dec. 31, 1841. But no matter what day the enumerator arrived at the home during those 18 months, the information recorded was to reflect the composition of the household on June 1, 1840. Two copies of the 1840 census were to be made by the enumerators – one to be deposited with the state’s U.S. District Court and one to be sent to Washington, D.C.

The 1840 age breakdowns for white males and females, free colored persons, and slaves is the same as on the 1830 census. Age categories for free white persons (both male and female) were: “under 5 years, of 5 and under 10, of 10 and under 15, of 15 and under 20, of 20 and under 30, of 30 and under 40, of 40 and under 50,” etc., continuing in 10-year increments for adults all the way up to “of 100 and upward.” For free colored persons and slaves, both male and female, the age categories were “under 10 years, of 10 and under 24, of 24 and under 36, of 36 and under 55, of 55 and under 100, and of 100 and upwards.” (Please note in my column on the 1830 census that ran on March 22, these age categories for free colored persons and slaves were incorrectly reported).

One of the additions on the 1840 census schedules was to record the name and age of any Revolutionary War pensioner still living. “Pensioners” included actual war veterans or their widows. Anyone lucky enough to discover a pensioner’s name on the census should then check out the 2,670-roll microfilm series M804 at the National Archives and Records Administration titled “Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Application Files.”

Another change on the 1840 census was the addition of an “idiot or insane” category for both “white and colored” persons. Remember that these words were medical terms back then. “Idiot” referred to one whom we would now call mentally handicapped or developmentally disabled; “insane” referred to one who was mentally ill, such as a person with schizophrenia. These categories were added to the deaf, dumb, and blind categories that were introduced in 1830. The census asked for the numbers of those in institutional care only (“at public charge”). There was no line on the 1840 census schedule to record the number of mentally ill and handicapped persons who were living at home with their families.

A third addition to the 1840 census was the addition of seven occupational categories: the number of persons in each household engaged in mining, agriculture, commerce, manufacture or trade, navigation of the ocean, navigation of canals, lakes, or rivers, and learned professional engineers.

And the final addition to the 1840 census schedules included several questions pertaining to the schooling of the household members: university or college (number of students), academies and grammar schools (number of scholars), primary and common schools (number of scholars at public charge), and number of white persons over 20 in each family who cannot read and write.

The 1840 census can be found on microfilm series M704 (580 rolls). The schedules for all states survive except for Pike Co., Mississippi, and Clarendon District, South Carolina.