Genealogy Lesson #17: The 1850 U.S. Federal Census

First, here are the answers to the scavenger hunt questions from lesson #16 posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2020.

In the 1860 census you were look John Losee who was born on 17 August 1841 and his father Leonard Losee.

1. What is John Losee’s occupation?

• Fisherman

2. Is John’s occupation the same as his father Leonard’s?

• Yes, Leonard Losee is also listed as a fisherman.

3. How many children do Leonard and Lydia have living with them?

• 5

4. What are the children’s names?

• Mary Jane (age 20), John (age 19), Benjamin F (age 17), Leander (age 15), Sarah (age 4)

5. Which of the kids attended school in 1860?

• Benjamin and Leander.

6. What town and “Post Office” is this family residing in?

• Town of Hempstead, Post Office: Hempstead

Now, try your hand at finding my Losee line in the 1850 census.

As you recall, you can access the individual U.S. Federal Census record sets through a multitude of databases, however, we were using FamilySearch.org.

Sign into your FamilySearch.org account.

Click on Search. This is usually located in the top navigation bar.

Choose Records. This is usually accessible by hovering on the work “Search” in the top navigation bar.

Go to the “Find A Collection” section of the search page. This section is usually on the bottom right.

Type into the search box “United States Census” and you will see a drop down menu appear listing all the U.S. Census records sets.

Choose United States Census, 1850.

The 1850 census is the first to list every household member by name. Keeping in mind that enslaved people were not listed by name, instead they were listed on what are known as the Slave Schedules. Whereas the 1870 census often proves to be a stonewall for African-American genealogy researchers, the 1850 census often proves to be a barrier for those with Early American non-enslaved (white) lineage.

We won’t be examining the 1840-1790 census for now as those records only list the head of household followed by marks to indicate the number of family members categorized by race, sex, and age. Instead, we will be moving on to discuss other important genealogical resources; specifically, the vital records.

This 1850 census, though, is a curious census for me. Let’s see if your review of my Losee line in the 1850 census brings up the same questions for you as it does for me.

Look for John Losee (born on 17 August 1841) living in the household of his father Leonard Losee (born in about 1817). Remember that Leonard’s wife’s name is Lydia A. She was born in about 1820.

1. Where is the family of Leonard and Lydia Losee living in 1850?
2. What is Leonard’s occupation?
3. Name the children living with Leonard and Lydia?

Have fun and stay tuned!