Nel wrote:
>Thank you so very much for verifying my suspicions. I believe you've just
knocked a brick from my wall and my progress from this point should go more
smoothly.
>I will also be bringing this matter to our Hatcher list so that others can
be aware of a potential "trap" in their analysis of this type of data. Just
another example for stressing the need to always think outside that box :-)


Nel,

Given that your Hatcher cousins are likely to expect you to provide evidence
for your assertion <g>, I'll add here what I didn't take the time to do when
I quickly dashed off an answer. The key portion is in the third paragraph
below.

*******************

"Sir: The 'act to provide for taking the fifth census or enumeration of the
inhabitants of the United States,' copies of which are herewith transmitted,
prescribes that this enumeration shall be taken under the direction of the
Secretary of State, and according to such instructions as he shall give,
pursuant to the act. In obedience to the injunctions therein contained, the
following instructions are now transmitted to you . . .

"[Enclosure] No. 3"
"Interrogatories to be put by the assistants of the mashals [sic], in taking
the fifth census or emumeration [sic] of the inhabitants of the United
States.

"Who was on the first day of June, 1830, the head, (master, mistress,
steward, overseer, or other principal person, as the case may be,) of this
family?

[many questions snipped here]

"What number of free which males were there on that day, in this family,
..... What number of slaves and colored persons were there on that day, in
this family? ...

[snip]

"N.B. Th[e] assistants will give notice, if necessary, to the free persons
over sixteen years of age, of the obligation to answer these interrogatories
by reading to them the sixth section of the act."

---Circular, 15 April 1830, Martin Van Buren, Secretary of State, "To the
marshal of the United States for the district of [blank]," S. Exec. [?] Doc.
No. 4, 22nd Cong., 1st Sess. (1830).


Elizabeth

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

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