Posts in August 5, 2026

Remember that pre-1880 US census records do not provide information about relationships within the household. Be careful inferring relationships only based upon placement with one census household. What you think is father, mother, and their children may be something else. It could be husband wife, his kids, her kids, and theirs. It could be husband, wife, his kids and theirs. It could be husband wife, her kids (with his last name because that’s what the census taker wrote down and then theirs. One of what you think is a child, could be a grandchild, nephew, younger sibling, etc. Use additional records to try and determine what the relationship actually is.