Alabama Census

Additional Information may be found on the United States Census Portal page.

Availability
1790-1800 Federal Censuses--No records exist for Alabama.

1810 Federal Census--Mississippi Territory census of Washington County, now part of Alabama, is available.

1820 Federal Census--All counties were lost. Use the 1820 state census which exists for Baldwin, Conecuh, Dallas, Franklin, Limestone, St. Clair, Shelby, and Wilcox counties, as a substitute.

1890 Federal Census--Part of Perry County, Alabama, survived a fire in 1921. The remaining portion is for Perryville, beat number 11 and Severe, beat number 8. The records are on microfilm:


 * United States. Census Office. 11th Census, 1890. Population Schedules of the Eleventh Census of the United States, 1890. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0407. Washington, DC: National Archives, 1962. (FHL film 926497.)
 * Nelson, Ken. 1890 U.S. Census Index to Surviving Population Schedules and Register of Film numbers to the Special Census of Union Veterans. Revised Edition. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, 1991. (FHL book 973 X2na 1890; 1984 edition is on film 1421673 item 11.)

1890 Federal Union Veterans and Widow’s census--Did not survive for Alabama.

Historical Background
Alabama was admitted to the Union as the 22nd state in 1819.

Book Indexes
1820-1870--Statewide indexes are available in book format. These list the names of heads of households

Film Indexes
1870 Census Card Index-- The cards list name, age, race, gender, birth place, occupation, real estate and property value, mortality information, county, page, beat (area visited by census taker), post office, precinct, range, and township. The page number on each card refers to the page number in the census copies held by the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Some of the information may not be accurate. The schedules mentioned on the cards refer to Schedule One, which lists residents. Schedule Two is the mortality schedule, and Schedule Three is for agriculture. A card for each family, beginning on FHL Film 1556985, is available for the following 31 counties:

Online Indexes
Ancestry--www.Ancestry.com/census/ ($)

Heritage Quest Online--www.heritagequestonline.com

Soundex
1880-1930 Indexes--Soundex or phonetic indexes are available on microfilm for part of the 1880 and all of the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 censuses.

Colonial Censuses
1706–1795--Early census records for 1706, 1721, and 1725 French settlements in or near Mobile, Alabama, have been published:


 * Deep South Genealogical Quarterly (FHL book 976.122 B2d.) See the "Periodicals" section These censuses are in the following volumes:

For the 1706 census see 1, number 1 (August 1963): 30                        For the 1721 census see 1, number 3 (March 1964): 136–139                         For the 1725 census see 1, number 2 (December 1963): 86

A census was taken in 1785 of the town of Tensas, which is east of Mobile. This was published in:


 * DeVille, Winston, "Some Anglo-Americans in the Deep South, 1785," Genealogical Helper. 36, number 5 (Sept.–Oct. 1982): 5–6. (FHL book 929.05 G286.) There are 46 men listed.

Censuses for 1786, 1787, 1789, and 1805 have been published in:


 * Andrews, Johnnie, Jr., and William David Higgins, Spanish Census Reports at Mobile. Prichard, Alabama: Bienville Historical Society, 1973. (FHL book 976.1 A1 number 20; film 908670 item 10.)

Census records for 1781 to 1795 are available in:


 * Feldman, Lawrence H., Anglo-Americans in Spanish Archives: Lists of Anglo-American Settlers in the Spanish Colonies of America; A Finding Aid. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1991. (FHL book 973 X2fe.) Included in this book are lists for Mobile and Tombecbe (now St. Stephens, Washington County) 1781, 1785, 1786, 1791, and 1795. These give the names of men or women who were heads of household.

Mortality Schedules
1850–1880-- Mortality schedules exist for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. They list persons who died during the 12 months before the census was taken. For 1830 to 1900, the day set by law to begin taking the censuses was June 1. The mortality schedules are at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. The Family History Library has the 1850 to 1880 schedules on microfilm:

1850--FHL film 1533724 item 2                       1860--FHL films 1533724 item 3 and 1533830                        1870--FHL film 1405189 See the 1870 census index above which includes 31 counties. 1880--FHL films 1405190–91 Mortality schedules include a person’s name, age, race, marital status, state or country of birth, month of death, and occupation. The names are recorded alphabetically by county, city, precinct, and district. In 1850 they list the names of free persons and slaves together. They often gave the slaves’ full names. The 1880 schedule also lists the state or country of birth of the person’s parents.

Statewide mortality schedule indexes include:


 * Jackson, Ronald Vern. Alabama 1850 Mortality Schedule. North Salt Lake, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1984. (FHL book 976.1 X2ja 1850.) This alphabetical list gives the name of the person, county, age at death, sex, month of death, state of birth, illness, and page number in the mortality schedule. Note that they also list the names of slaves.
 * Barefield, Marilyn Davis. Alabama Mortality Schedule 1860. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1987. (FHL book 976.1 X2bm.) This book is arranged by county and is indexed. It includes the person’s name, age, gender, marital status, state or country of birth, month and cause of death, and occupation.

Slave Schedules
1850-1860 Slave Schedules-- Censuses list the names of slave owners, but do not usually list the names of the slaves. They give the number of slaves, whether male or female, and the slaves’ age-ranges. Alabama slave schedules at the Family History Library are cataloged with the population schedules. The 1850 and 1860 mortality schedules list the names of slaves who died during the 12 months preceding June 30, 1850, and June 30, 1860.

Veterans’ Censuses
1840 Federal Census--A listing was made of Revolutionary War veterans that included the age of the veteran, the place where he was living, and the name of the head of the household. An index is:


 * A General Index to A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Service, 1840. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1965. (FHL book 973 X2pc 1965 index; fiche 6046771; film 899835.) The census of pensioners is published in:
 *  A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. (FHL book 973 X2pc 1840; film 2321.)

Confederate Veterans’ Censuses
1907, 1921, 1927--Special censuses of Confederate veterans who were receiving a pension were taken. Microfilm copies are available at the Alabama Department of Archives and History at http://www.archives.state.al.us/, and at the Family History Library:


 * Alabama. State Auditor. Confederate Soldiers in Alabama: 1907–1927. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988. (On ten FHL films beginning with 1533727.)

The 1907 census includes each person’s name, place of residence, date and place of birth, rank, date of entry into military service, date and place of discharge or separation, and name of military unit. The 1907 lists have been abstracted, indexed, and published. They are available in:


 * 1907 Alabama Census of Confederate Soldiers. Cullman, Alabama: Gregath, 1982. Five Volumes. (FHL book 976.1 X22c 1907; on four films beginning with 1421815 item 23; on eight fiche beginning with 6093367.) The information for covers the following counties: Bibb, Calhoun, Chilton, Choctaw, Cleburne, Coffee, Coosa, Cullman, Dale, Jackson, Lawrence, Lee, Marion, Mobile, Monroe, Morgan, Talladega, and Tallapoosa Counties. The volumes are alphabetical by county. This book gives the soldier’s name, full birth date, city and state of birth, when and where enlisted, unit, and mustering-out date.

The 1921 census provides each veteran’s name, place and date of birth, place of residence, length of Alabama residence, occupation, wife’s age and place of birth, marriage date and place, names of living children, occupation, and post office box. The forms also contain the veteran’s rank, company, regiment, captain and colonel’s name, battles, wounds, captures, imprisonments, and transfers.

The 1927 census contains the veteran’s name, his widow’s name, her age and birth date, and their marriage date. The records are arranged by county, then alphabetically by the name of the widow. This series is not complete. Some of the returns are found in the Confederate Pension Applications.

State Censuses
1820, 1850, 1855, 1866--State censuses exist. The Family History Library has copies of many of the 1820, 1855, and 1866 state censuses on microfilm. These were filmed at the Department of Archives and History. The library does not have copies of the 1850 state census.

1820 State Census Records-- FHL film 1533830 includes the following counties: Baldwin, Conecuh, Dallas, Franklin, Limestone, St. Clair, Shelby, and Wilcox. Census records for Lawrence County are on FHL fiche 6046599.

1855 State Census Records--Alabama Department of Archives and History has the lists for 12 counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Blount, Coffee, Franklin, Henry, Lowndes, Macon, Mobile, Pickens, Tallapoosa, and Tuscaloosa.

The Family History Library has the 1855 census microfilms for 16 counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Blount, Coffee, Franklin, Henry, Lowndes, Macon, Mobile, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, and Wilcox. Part of the 1855 census has been indexed:


 * Jackson, Ronald Vern. Alabama 1855 Census Index. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1984. (FHL book 976.1 X2j 1855.) The census lists only the head of household. Other persons are indicated by statistics in age groups and by gender. This indexes the records of twelve counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Blount, Coffee, Franklin, Henry, Lowndes, Macon, Mobile, Pickens, Tallapoosa, and Tuscaloosa.

1866 State Census Records-- is available at the Alabama Department of Archives and History and microfilm copies for most counties are at the Family History Library. It lists the heads of households, regardless of color, and gives the number of persons in the various age ranges. It also indicates the number of deceased or disabled Confederate soldiers who were members of that family.

Many of the territorial and state census call numbers are found in:


 * State Census Register: State and County Censuses Located at the Famliy History Library. (FHL book 973 X23us, vols. 1-3)

Territorial Censuses
(1795-1810)

The censuses of Washington County, Mississippi Territory, which included present-day Alabama, for 1801, 1808, and 1810 can be found in:

"Washington County (now) Alabama 1801, 1808 and 1810 Census." The Alabama Genealogical Register 9, number 3 (September 1967): 123–26. (FHL book 976.1 B2a.)

The Madison County 1809 census is available in:

"Madison County, Alabama 1809 Census." The Alabama Genealogical Register 10, number 4 (December 1968): 175–82. (FHL book 976.1 B2a.)

The 1809 census was also published in the Territorial Papers of Mississippi (see the "Land and Property" section).

The 1810 census of Mississippi Territory, which included present-day Alabama, is available in:

Alabama 1810 Census Index. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1981. (FHL book 976.1 X22a 1810.)

The Alabama 1816 census is published in:

Inhabitants of Alabama in 1816. Pell City, Alabama: Broken Arrow Chapter, DAR, 1955. (FHL book 976.1 X3i 1816; film 962161 item17.) The includes alphabetical lists of residents in counties in Alabama.

Web Sites
Ancestry: http://www.ancestry.com

Heritage Quest Online: http://www.heritagequestonline.com

Census Online: http://www.census-online.com/links/AL/

Genealogy Today: http://dir.genealogytoday.com/usa/al/census.html

Access Genealogy: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/census/alabama.htm

Bibliographic Citations
Alabama Research Outline. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., 1988, 100.