| United States 1850 Federal Census Population Schedule |
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Getting Started
What You Are Looking For
Step 1. Obtain the following information to enable you to find your ancestor's name in the 1850 census.
Step 2. Find your ancestor's name in an 1850 census index.
Step 3. Copy the information from the index.
Step 4. Obtain the census film.
Step 5. Find your ancestor's name in the census.
Step 6. Copy the information from the census.
Step 7. Analyze the information you have found.
Step 8. Search all other censuses taken during your ancestor's lifetime.
Getting Started
The 1850 census population schedules For more information about the 1850 population schedules, see Background.
These 8 steps will help you find your ancestor in the 1850 census.
You need to know:
If you don't know which state or territory, see Tip 1.
If you don't know who the head of the household would have been in 1850, see Tip 3.
Search a census index
For organizations that have 1850 census indexes or to find indexes on the Internet, see Where to Find It.
If you do not find your ancestor's name in the census index, see Tip 2.
For ways the census can help you find your ancestor's parents, see Tip 3 and Tip 4.
If your ancestor's name appears to be listed in the wrong county, see Tip 5.
The best method of copying information is to:
Obtain the census film that has the county and town or township where your ancestor lived.
For a book which may help you find the right film for a particular township or ward, see Tip 6.
For organizations from which you can obtain census film, see Where to Find It.
Using the information you found in the index, find your ancestor's name in the census:
If you can't find your ancestor's name and the right combination of his or her family's names and ages in the census, see Tip 7.
If you are not sure that the person in the census is your ancestor, see Tip 8.
Make a photocopy of the census page(s) containing the information about your ancestor. Be sure to include the name of the county, town, township, or ward, which are found at the top of the page.
If you cannot make a photocopy, you may print blank 1850 census form on which to record census information.
Document the source of the information, by writing the title, film number, and page number on the photocopy.
You may request photocopies of United States Federal Censuses from many libraries and archives, and from the Family History Library.
For more information about what to copy, see Tip 9.
Ask yourself these questions:
For suggested records that may contain information about the family relationships of those persons in the household or living nearby, see Tip 3.
For a summary of the information contained in the 1850 census, see Tip 10.
By comparing all the censuses that were taken during your ancestor's lifetime, you may find important additional information about your ancestor and his or her family. For more information about comparing censuses, see Tip 11.
©1998, 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
list the residents of a state by recording the names of the heads of households and other persons living in each household. The records are arranged by state, county, and then town, township, or ward. The names of heads of households have been indexed for every state in which the 1850 census was taken.
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What You Are Looking For
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Steps
Step 1. Obtain the following information to enable you to find your ancestor's name in the 1850 census.
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Step 2. Find your ancestor's name in an 1850 census index.
for your ancestor's last and first name. The 1850 census has been indexed for the heads of households for all states.
1850 census index on the Internet for a fee (see Tip 1).
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Step 3. Copy the information from the index.
the source of the information by writing the state, census year, title, book or film number, and page number of the index on the photocopy.
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Step 4. Obtain the census film.
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Step 5. Find your ancestor's name in the census.
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Step 6. Copy the information from the census.
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Step 7. Analyze the information you have found.
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Step 8. Search all other censuses taken during your ancestor's lifetime.
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[FamilySearchTM: Research Guidance
Version of Data: 6/8/2001]