Massachusetts Census

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Existing and lost censuses
For a list of available and missing Massachusetts censuses, click here.

Availability
1800 Suffolk County--Census is mostly lost.

1850 United States Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1850 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1850, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

1855 Massachusetts State Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1855 Massachusetts State Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1855, birthplace, occupation, other family members, whether married or single, and neighbors. For a description of this collection, see Massachusetts 1855 State Census. 1860 United States Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1860 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1860, birthplace, occupation, other family members, whether married or single, and neighbors.

 1870 United States Census---A free internet index and images can be viewed on FamilySearch Record Pilot site. This index includes the full name, age, sex, race, birthplace, occupation, month if born in census year, month if married in census year, birth place of father and mother, if born in a foreign country.

1880 United States Census– A Free Internet Index and Images to the US Census can be viewed on the Family Search Record Pilot – Pilot Site. This index includes an every name index to population schedules listing inhabitants. It includes the full name, race, sex, age, birth month (if born during the previous year), relationship to head of household, whether married, single or divorced, whether married during the previous year, country or state of birth of each person and his parent’s, occupation and street address and house number.

1890 Census--Census was destroyed, except for a list of Civil War Union soldiers, which has a published index.

1900 Federal Census - A free Internet index and images to the 1900 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. Important additions to this census are month and year of birth of each household member, number of years married for each married person, number of children born to each mother and the number of those still living, year of immigration, and number of years in the United States.

Historical Background
1788--Massachusetts came into the Union as the 6th state.

Ancestry
All census records for Massachusetts are indexed on Ancestry.

Statewide indexes to federal censuses
Book Indexes: 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860


 * 1790–1850: microfiche indexes
 * 1870 Hampden County: book index
 * 1880 (partial), 1900, 1920 and 1930: Soundex (phonetic) indexes on microfilm
 * 1910: no index for Massachusetts

Town indexes to federal censuses
Can sometimes help locate names missed in statewide indexes. They are sometimes listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under MASSACHUSETTS, [COUNTY], [TOWN]-CENSUS

City Finding Helps
City Directories: In large cities first find the person's address in the city directory for the same year as the census. Then look for that address in the census.

The following reference tools help determine which census schedule microfilm and enumeration district to search for specific addresses:


 * Kirkham, E. Kay. A Handy Guide to Record- Searching in the Larger Cities of the United States. Logan, Utah: Everton, 1974. (Family History Library book 973 D27kc; fiche 6010059-60.) Includes ward maps and street indexes for Boston for 1850–1855, 1860, and 1877.

United States. Census Office. Census Descriptions of Geographic Subdivisions and Enumeration Districts.


 * 1870 (Family History Library film 1402859) 1880 (Family History Library film 1402861) 1900 (Family History Library film 1303022) 1910 (Family History Library film 1374005) 1920 (Family History Library film 1842708)


 * Buckway, G. Eileen. U.S. 1910 Federal Census: Unindexed States: A Guide to Finding Census Enumeration Districts for Unindexed Cities, Towns, and Villages. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, 1992. (Family History Library book 973 X2bu 1910; fiche 6101340.) Lists all Massachusetts towns (or wards) with their 1910 census enumeration district numbers and Family History Library film numbers. Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Somerville, Springfield, and Worcester each have special instructions. These often includeFamily History Libraryor film numbers for city directories.
 * Malmberg, Emil and Maurine. Street Indexes to Unindexed Cities in the U.S. 1910 Federal Census. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, 1993. (Family History Library book 973 X2str 1910; fiche 6104151.) Lists Boston street addresses with their corresponding page numbers, 1910 census enumeration district numbers, and Family History Library film numbers.
 * Marnier, Mary Lou and Patricia Rougham Bellows. A Research Aid for the Massachusetts 1910 Federal Census. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Computerized Assistance, 1988. (Family History Library book 974 X22m.) This book gives the wards, precincts, enumeration districts, and starting page for each town. Includes maps. Refers to the National Archives microfilm numbers, which can be matched to Family History Library microfilm numbers.

Mortality Schedules
1850-1880--Mortality schedules for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 list those who died in the year before the census. These are at the Massachusetts State Archives, the National Archives, and the Family History Library:

1850 United States Census Mortality Schedules—A free Internet index and images to the 1850 United States Census Mortality Schedules can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search - Pilot Site. Mortality schedules provided nationwide death statistics for the twelve months prior to the 1850 census. Key genealogical facts found on the 1850 mortality schedule are: Name, age, sex, color, married or widowed, birthplace, month of death, occupation, cause of death.


 * Mortality Schedules 1850-1880

1850 (Family History Library film 1421015–16)                       1860 (Family History Library film 1421017)                        1870 (Family History Library film 1421018–19)                        1880 (Family History Library film 1421020–23)

State Censuses
1855 and 1865 State Censuses--The original censuses are at the Massachusetts State Archives. The Family History Library has copies of:


 * Massachusetts, Secretary of the Commonwealth. State Census, 1855–1865. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1974. These records are arranged by county and town. They list an individual's name, age, state or country of birth, and occupation.

1855 Massachusetts State Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1855 Massachusetts State Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1855, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

1865 Massachusetts State Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1865 Massachusetts State Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1865, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

Websites

 * FamilySearch: Record Search Massachusetts 1855 State Census. This free site will let you view and save.
 * Ancestry: http://www.ancestry.com
 * Heritage Quest Online: http://www.heritagequestonline.com
 * Census Online: http://www.census-online.com/links/MA/
 * Genealogy Today: http://dir.genealogytoday.com/usa/ma/census.html
 * Access Genealogy: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/census/massachusetts.htm
 * Census Finder: www.censusfinder.com/massachusetts.htm
 * USGenWeb-Massachusetts: www.us-census.org/states/massachusetts/
 * Mortality Schedules: http://mortalityschedules.com/
 * Massachusetts Genealogy Census Records: http://massachusetts-genealogy.com/Massachusetts-Census-Records.cfm