Census takers have always been allowed to inquire with neighbors, etc., if an
actual home visit enumeration wasn't possible. That practice continues today. So
if someone is absent when the enumerator passes through they might ask a
neighbor the age/names etc of the missing people. One also suspects that
sometimes the enumeration sheets were filled out from memory/knowledge of
associates of the enumerator as a way of reducing workload. This had advantages
as usually enumerators prior to about 1930 were paid on a per capita basis.
----- Original Message ----
From: Hannah Powell <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, October 25, 2010 5:04:07 PM
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] When was the 1860 census taken?
The 1860 Federal Census does not appear to be as strange as the 1870 Federal
Census. I do a lot of work using the census records and I always have to figure
that the head of household may be 4-5 years off in age. There are many double
listings also. It seems when reading these records that the information must
come from something other than a visit from the census taker.
Hannah Powell
----- Original Message ----- From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2010 12:34 PM
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] When was the 1860 census taken?
Sure, check with Ed to see what he means. I don't have that particular book
handy, so I can't check to see what is being said or cited. But the 1860
census was taken in 1860, no question about it.
(Use Ancestry.com, or Footnote, or whatever you have access to, and look up
anyone in the 1860 census to check this.)
I wonder whether the context is the agricultural census, which of necessity
covers the previous harvest year, so 1859.
Peter Wallenstein
Quoting Paul Finkelman <[log in to unmask]>:
> I am sure Ed would respond to a question on this. He is still very much a
> working historian, even if his day job does not give him must time to work at
> it. And is if of course one of the nicest people on the planet.
>
> ----
>
> Paul Finkelman
>
> President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law
>
> Albany Law School
>
> 80 New Scotland Avenue
>
> Albany, NY 12208
>
>
>
> 518-445-3386 (p)
>
> 518-445-3363 (f)
>
>
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> www.paulfinkelman.com
>
> --- On Fri, 10/22/10, mlichtsr <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> From: mlichtsr <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [VA-HIST] When was the 1860 census taken?
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Friday, October 22, 2010, 12:24 PM
>
> On page 15 of America on the Eve of the Civil War (Edward L. Ayers and
> Carolin R. Martin, eds., University of Virginia Press, 2010) the reader notes
> that the 1860 census may have taken place a year earlier. In the opening
> paragraph of Chapter 1, Professor Ayers, leading the discussion, states: "It
> strikes me that these 1850s have been pretty interesting times. What do you
> think is going to leap out from the census that is being taken for the
> country? It will later be known as the 1860 census, but it was actually
> taken in 1859."
>
> Though it was authorized on May 23, 1850, I had always thought that if no law
> was passed by January 1, 1860, that the Eighth U.S. Census was to begin on
> June 1, 1860 as the original enabling legislation ordered. The June 1860
> start date seems to hold true for Orange County, VA. Assistant Marshal John
> F. Taliaferro started on June 15, turned in 220 pages of census schedules on
> October 31, 1860 and had Thomas R. Towles, justice of the peace, sign off on
> the transfer on that date.
>
> I am sure that Dr. Ayers is very busy as president of the University of
> Richmond, and I would not ask him to take the time to explain what he said.
> Perhaps someone else can enlighten me?
>
> Mitchell Lichtenberg
> Mt. Pleasant, SC
>
> ______________________________________
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>
______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
|
