Digging for Deaths Part 2: Census Mortality Schedules
As discussed in the first installment of this series, Census mortality schedules can be used without official vital records to document the deaths of individuals who passed within a year of the official census date. However, a deeper understanding of the structure of each year’s schedule and an eye for detail may lead to additional discoveries. Asking the Important Questions: Differences Between Census Years The numbers and types of questions asked differed across census years. For example, in the earliest mortality schedules created for 1850 and 1860, there were columns for the following information items: Decedent’s name Age Gender Color Free or enslaved Marital status Place of birth Month of death Occupation Cause of death Number of days ill In 1870, after the Civil War, the question of freedom status was removed. Two additional columns were added: one linking the individual to the family number in the population schedule and another asking …
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