Massachusetts State Census, 1855 - FamilySearch Historical Records

= Massachusetts 1855 State Census =

This wiki article describes a collection that is available for free online at FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. To access the collection, see

Collection Time Period
This census was taken beginning June 1, 1855.

Why this Collection Was Created
The state census of Massachusetts was taken in order to enumerate the population for representation purposes.

Collection History
In 1855 the legislature directed that a census be taken on June 1 of that year and every 10 years thereafter. The census schedules were delivered to the State Secretary and eventually sent to the State Archives for safe keeping. The census schedules are well preserved at the Massachusetts State Archives and they have been microfilmed.

How to Use the Collection
Census records are the best source to quickly identify a family group and residence. Use the place of residence and the birthplace for each person along with his or her age to search for other record types. The census identifies other persons in the household. The census may identify persons for whom other records do not exist.

Genealogical information in the census:
• Name    • Age     • Birthplace     • Sex     • Color     • Condition     • Occupation

Collection Description
The census schedules consisted of large sheets with rows and columns. The schedules were arranged by street in order of visitation. The census schedules are well preserved at the Massachusetts State Archives and they have been microfilmed.

Collection Reliability
Censuses are usually reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care of the census enumerator. Information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor.