Sally (researching Cumberland County) wrote:
>What does BS between last and first name mean on the 1820 census?  For
example -- Robinson, BS, John?
>The very next line reads Ross, free Negroe, David, if that provides some
clue.


Does anyone have other examples of this "B.S." and "S.M." from other
counties?  Another thought occurs to me as I continue to analyze those
households.

Stamped p. 129
[Consecutive entries]
Hobson, BS, Samuel (1 male 26-45, with 2 slaves)
Hobson, Samuel (2 males 45+, 1 male 26-45, 1 female 10-16)

Stamped p. 134
[Consecutive entries]
RobINson BS, Field (1 male 16-26, 1 male 45+, 3 fem. & slaves)
RobERTson, Sr., Jeffery (big household)
RobINson, John (1 male 16-26, 1 male 45+, 1 fem. & slaves)
RobERTson, Jr., Jeffery  (big household)
[skip 14 ...]
Robinson, S.M. Field (1 male 26-45)
Robinson, Gross? (male 26-45 with big family)

Stamped p. 135
[1 entry intervenes]
Robinson John (big household)
Robinson, Samuel (no males, 1 female 45+, slaves)
Robinson, BS, John (1 male 26-45, slaves)

The patterns I see here is this:
1. All BS males are next door to households whose head is old enough to be
father of the BS male. (Possible exception: p. 134, although it appears that
in the process of semi-alphabetizing entries, the census marshal may have
switched the order of the RobINson and RobERTson households.

2. Two of the BS males have no other white occupant in the household. The
third does. But if there is a young adult male and an older male, we can't
assume the eldest is considered the head-of-household.

3. The SM male is also a single male, with no other whites in the dwelling.

4. The SM male is listed consecutively with another same-surname male; but
the adjacent householder is in the same age group rather than older and has
a family.

These elements make me wonder if "BS" might be "Bachelor Son" and "SM" might
be "Single Male."  

Countering this hypothesis, however, one finds a number of entries
throughout the county such as this:

p. 129
[consecutive entries]
Haskins, Sarah	(female 45+ with male 16-26 and slaves)
Haskins, John T. (male 16-26, no other whites, several slaves)
Haskins, Creed T. (male 26-45, no other whites, several slaves)

This, too, would seem to be a situation in which there are "single males"
and "bachelor sons" next to a potential parent, but there appears no SM or
BS for either of the Haskins males.

Other examples to study, for SM and BS in 1820 Virginia--if they exist in
other counties--would be nice to have, before I go too far out on a limb
here!

Elizabeth

------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG
Advanced Research Methodology & Evidence Analysis
Samford University Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research

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