In addition to the population schedules with which we are familiar, there are other special census schedules that may be of interest. These include Slave Schedules, Mortality Schedules, Agriculture Schedules, Manufacturing Schedules, and Veterans Schedules, all of which were prepared to provide information for administrative or decision-making purposes. In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, let's discuss several of the special census schedules that may be new to you.

Slave Schedules
In the 1850 and 1860 censuses, free African Americans were enumerated by name. Slaves, however, were enumerated separately from white persons and information about them was very brief. In effect, slaves were listed under their owner's name, and the only information included in these separate schedules were age, gender, and a racial designation as either black or mulatto. If the slave had some physical or mental disability, this may have been listed. Slaves over the age of one hundred were listed by name and, in some cases, may include details of their origin and their life. Otherwise, the inclusion of names is limited.

The information included in slave schedules is exceedingly limited and provides little conclusive evidence of a specific person. The value of the schedules, however, lies in verifying that a specific person owned slaves and in confirming hypotheses formed from other material. For instance, your family tradition may include information that one of your male ancestors was born in 1842 in Augusta County, Virginia, and was born into slavery to a specific slaveholder. The 1850 census slave schedule for that county might confirm that the slaveholder did, in fact, own slaves and that there was a male slave whose age corresponds with the 1842 birth year. This corroboration may spur you forward to seek tax rolls, property records, probate files, and other records for that slaveholder which might name your ancestor.

Mortality Schedules
Mortality schedules are an interesting and often overlooked resource. They provide a listing of persons who died in the twelve months prior to the census, and can sometimes help locate an individual who has otherwise disappeared. Mortality schedules are also useful in African American research in the 1850 and 1860 censuses because the names of deceased slaves are included for the first time.

The 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, and special censuses taken in 1885 included questions concerning the deaths of people in the previous twelve months—from 1 June of the previous year to 31 May of the census year. Information recorded on the mortality schedules included the name of the deceased, sex, age, color (white, black, or mulatto), place of birth, month in which the death occurred, occupation, disease or cause of death, and the number of days the person was ill. In 1870, the parents' place of birth was added.

Mortality schedules can be invaluable for locating a person who died in the year prior to the census; locating records of African American, Native American, Chinese, and other persons; and determining places of birth for some persons where no other such information exists. Determining the place and date of death on a mortality schedule can point you to other records created in the same geographic area as a result of the person's residence in that area or his or her death.

Locations where mortality schedules may be obtained can be found in The Source, available at http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/product.asp?pf%5Fid=12046&dept%5Fid=10101000.

Agriculture Schedules
Agriculture schedules were taken from the 1840 through 1910 censuses. They include a great deal of information about specific farms and can be used to supplement what is found in other census records or to replace land and property records that are missing, were destroyed in courthouse fires, etc. Typical information on the agriculture schedule includes the name of the owner of the farm, how long he has farmed that land, acreage, the value of the farm, expenses to operate the farm, the type and value of the farm's produce, and the quantity of each type of livestock.

Unfortunately, the 1890 schedules were part of the records destroyed in the fire that destroyed the vast majority of this census material, and the 1900 and 1910 schedules were destroyed by Congressional order. What remains, however, are the 1840-1880 records and they are not stored in a central location. For a complete list of where these records are located, please check The Source at http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/product.asp?pf%5Fid=12046&dept%5Fid=10101000.

Manufacturing Schedules
There have been a number of manufacturing census schedules compiled over the centuries, and have sometimes been referred to as "industry schedules." The earliest such census was taken in 1810 but has been mostly lost and the data is incomplete. Others and their content were taken and some various records are available through 1880. Where they exist, they may contain the owner's name, the type of business, the capital invested, the type of products produced, and the value of machinery and materials. Again, for a complete list of where these records are located, please check The Source at http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/product.asp?pf%5Fid=12046&dept%5Fid=10101000.

Veterans Schedules
Another often-overlooked census record type is the veterans schedule. Veterans have been specially enumerated in the census since 1840 when Revolutionary War pensioners were listed on the reverse side of the regular population schedules. The U.S. government published a volume of these pensioners in 1840 titled, "A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Service," which has since been reprinted by the Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore.

In 1890, a special census was performed for Union veterans and their widows. Some of this material was destroyed in the 1921 Washington, D.C., fire which claimed most of the 1890 census. However, portions of this material survived and contains information such as the Civil War veteran's name, his widow (as appropriate), his rank and unit with which he served, dates of enlistment and discharge, length of service, post office address, and any disability. In some cases, Confederate veterans were enumerated in these schedules.

Veterans schedules are ideal for verifying military service dates and the specific unit in which an individual served. These pointers can be used to search out pension records, military histories, and other materials.

Why Look at These Schedules?
When you encounter dead ends, especially when no record seems to exist or when an ancestor seems to disappear into thin air, alternate records may provide a missing link. Some of the records described above are more useful than others, particularly the Veterans Schedules, the Mortality Schedules, and the Slave Schedules. However, if your ancestor was involved in farming or ran a manufacturing industry, an Agriculture Schedule or a Manufacturing Schedule may provide rich content to expand your knowledge of the family farm or business.

As I continue working on my family history, it is my curiosity about details of my ancestral tapestry that keeps me digging deeper. Learning more about my ancestors' lives gives me a better understanding of who I am, how my ancestral families came to be where they were, and why they made the decisions they did. This is part of the joy of genealogy. I hope you'll continue to explore these avenues too—using tools like these special census records.

Happy hunting!

George

Editor's Note
More information on the 1890 Fire and the Special Enumeration of Union Veterans and Widows can be found in the NARA Prologue article, "'First in the Path of the Firemen' The Fate of the 1890 Population Census," Part 2, by Kellee Blake, available online at: http://www.nara.gov/publications/prologue/1890cen2.html