Portuguese censuses

• Even if the history of Portuguese censuses is rich as in Portugal there have been population counts since early times, so far there are no census records available to be consulted on line.
• As this called my attention very much, I contacted the LDS to see if they are working on any project to put Portuguese censuses online or in case they aren´t, to see if they know of any other organization either public or private carrying on a project of this nature. The answer was very kind and quick but discouraging: they are not working on Portuguese censuses, they do not know of anybody doing so, and they do not even have microfilmed census records on their Salt Lake Library so far. 
• Taking this into consideration, I doubted about the utility of writing about Portuguese censuses. At the end, I decided to do so anyway, provided there is very little information on Portuguese censuses available online in English, so I guess whatever I can provide here might be of potential interest to people not speaking Portuguese. In any case, I will be keeping an eye on this issue, so as to update this article as soon as I get any news on censuses made available online.

Brief history of Portuguese censuses of genealogical interest.

• The first trace of counts approaching a census took place in the year 0, by order of the Emperor Caesar Augustus.
• In the middle ages, during the period of occupation of the Arabs, several counts were carried.
• Portugal as we know it today was established in 1139 and during the 15^th century lived its golden period thanks to the colonies acquired in Africa and America.  This turned Portugal in one of the most rich and influential countries, something that lasted until the 16^th   During the times of Afonso III (1260-1279) and. João I (1421-1422), population counts were carried but these censuses were restricted to the count of the men apt for war («Rol de Besteiros»).
• The first census of general scope would be made only in 1527, in the reign of King John III. Other collections followed, general or restricted, as the “Count of Men” or ”People’s review of War” of 1636-1639 (under Philip III), “the Marquis of Abrantes” Census of 1732-1736 (under João V) or the “Pina Manique census” of 1776-1798 (under Queen Mary I).
• The first population counts approaching the modern concept of census only appeared in the 19th century. The first of these (1801 census) was based on numbers provided by the ecclesiastical authorities of the parishes, as -in contrast to the weak State presence- the Church kept detailed records of individuals (baptisms, marriages, deaths).
• Despite of the fact the State later enhanced its presence, the administrative machinery remained weak at the local level, so that on the 1849 census it was still necessary to use parishes as a primary source of information.
• The 1864 census was the first to be governed by international guidelines, marking the beginning of the modern era censuses in Portugal.
• The 1878 census, showed some innovation with respect to information collected. It included new information about elementary instruction (can read and write, know only read, can’t read or write) and a section about the “physical or special circumstances” of recorded, classified in six illnesses or injuries (deaf and dumb, deaf, dumb, blind, dumb, and alienated).
• Although the international guidelines indicated that censuses should be conducted every 10 years, the next census only took place in 1878, followed by another 1890. The 1890 census followed new methodological guidelines, as per the International Congress of St Petersburg of 1872.
• Again, even if the next census should have been carried out in 1888, it was postponed to the year 1890 and from then on, the decennial periodicity was kept. From the methodological point of view this census demonstrates greater caution in the collection, the processing and the presentation of final data.
• On the 1900 general census, religious data was collected by the first time, using the following categories: Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Israelis, Muslims and no religion. As for marital status, the category “legally separated” was included.
• The 1911 general census kept the same methodology and the observed variables, but to the collection of marital status data, the category “divorced” was added.

How can I manage to find my Portuguese ancestors? Is it hard?

• Even if for the time being Portuguese census records are not yet available to the amateur genealogist, other valuable resources are available on line:. vital records, biographies, cemeteries data, immigration records, land records, military records, obituaries, etc.
• com provides plenty of links to useful online resources at: http://search.ancestry.mx/Places/Europe/Portugal/Default.aspx?geo_a=r&o_xid=62916&o_lid=62916&o_sch=Partners
• It is also advisable to check FamilySearch for Portuguese genealogy resources at: https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Portugal_Online_Genealogy_Records

Sources:

https://familysearch.org/wiki/pt/Portugal

http://censos.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpgid=censos2011_apresentacao&xpid=CENSOS

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censo_demogr%C3%A1fico_em_Portugal

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils

Spanish Censuses

Genealogists searching ancestors in Spain have in the various Spanish census records a very rich source of information as many censuses have been carried in the Spanish territory since early times.

Outline on Spanish censuses of genealogical value.

Even if at the very beginning the purpose of the censuses were not to count people but to determine whose persons could be charged with taxes, Spanish censuses are a goldmine for genealogical information.

For practical purposes, Spanish censuses can be divided into 2 stages: censuses carried between the early 16^th. century and up to the first half of the 18^th. century, and censuses carried from the second half of the 18^th. century on.

• Censuses belonging to the first stage, have very particular characteristics:

-as mentioned earlier, were carried not to learn about the population in general, but to know which people was able to pay taxes

-therefore, such censuses were not addressed to the population in general but just to those people called in Spanish “vecinos pecheros” that were specifically people from which taxes could be collected

-the information was not collected directly from the censed people but from the local authorities who were in charge of giving information about the neighbors.

-the most famous one was carried in 1753 and is known as “Cadaster from Marquis de Ensenada”. FamilySearch is at present joining efforts with Spanish authorities so as to turn into digital images the microfilms of this census.  Some of these images are already available on line at FamilySearch site.

See: https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Spain,_Catastro_de_Ensenada_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)

• Censuses carried from the second half of the 18^th. century on, were addressed to all the population. The unit of interest is therefore the person, and questions are addressed to the people directly. Some of these censuses are available on line through FamilySearch and other public and private databases.

Spanish censuses from the first half of the 19th century.

The war of independence (1808-1812) stopped the census activity. However we should mention the existence of counts of the population from not so reliable sources, known as police census. For example, in 1826 police gave an account of population by province according to which Spain had about 13 million inhabitants (excluding the Canary Islands).

From the second half of the 19th century begins a period of systematization and improvement in the technique of data collection. Institutional censuses started with the creation of the Board of Statistics in 1856. The Geographical Institute, was created in 1870 and 1873 assumed the tasks of the Board of Statistics being therefore renamed as Geographic and Statistical Institute.

From the censuses carried during the second half of the 19^th century it is important to mention the 1860 census, as in this occasion noteworthy are the preliminary work to get the census frame (the list of all homes that had to be visited) to be the most up-to-date possible, so the list of populations was updated, municipal boundaries were asserted, and streets were labelled and  numbered.  This time all the population was measured, (which means that it was necessary to include sailors onboard, troops destined overseas etc.).

Is it hard to check Spanish census records?

In fact, and even if there is a lot of material, the answer to this question is yes.   And the reason is that so far only a small amount of records have been digitized and are available online. Digitalizing census records is a slow, complex, and expensive process, but it is essential to improve the conservation, management and dissemination of documents.

 Another problem is that most census records are not national but municipal, and therefore, are not grouped in a single database.

What is the solution and why?

Happily, digitized records are growing at an ever increasing rate, and thus, what is not available right now might become available on line in a few monthes. LDS is one of the institutions carrying out these digitalizations.

In what has to do with the colonial period in the Americas, Spanish archives are also rich in material.  These collections include censuses taken at the Spanish colonies. As this treasure has been mined for decades, excellent guides, indexes, and inventories have already been prepared.  Description of these archives and their collections, including virtual visits, can be found at http://www.cultura.mecd.es/archivos/ while computerized access to these collections is available at http://www.aer.es. The Archivo General de Indias, located in Seville, followed by the Archivo General de Simancas, located in Valladolid, and the Archivo General de Segovia, located in Segovia, are the most important, both in quality and quantity of their collections relating to the Spanish colonial period, but literally hundreds of other libraries and archives in Spain have collections with materials relating to the Americas.

Image of the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, Spain. Photo courtesy of: http://www.abc.es/cultura/20130309/abci-archivos-201303082044.html   This is the only archive so far declared World Heritage by the UNESCO.

Sources:

http://www.ine.es/explica/explica_historia_censos.htm

http://pares.mcu.es/Catastro/

https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Spain,_Catastro_de_Ensenada_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)

https://www.ancestry.com/wiki/index.php?title=Locating_Colonial_Records_of_Genealogical_Value

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils

 

Canadian Census

Genealogists with Canadian ancestors are lucky enough to have a lot of censuses covering a wide range of time that are available online, to search ancestors.

Besides vital records, census records are a smart way to approach ancestors as they are a gold mine for information that is not easy to get from other sources.  For example, the 1921 Census asked 35 different questions about each individual like: can read and write? months at school since September 1, 1920; employer, employee, worker, or working on own account?;  total earnings in past 12 months, etc.

• In Canada, historical censuses (1666-1911) have been indexed, microfilmed, and digitalized. Indexes and links to them are listed at the Library and Archives Canada web site. Http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/
• These censuses are also available at:

Ancestry (subscription required; free at many public libraries): http://search.ancestry.com/search/group/canadiancensus FamilySearch (free): https://familysearch.org/search/

An index can also be found on Automated Genealogy website (http://automatedgenealogy.com/) where you can browse the indexed surnames in each district and sub-district. [i]

• 1921 Census is now available at ca on a free basis (just a free subscription is required to check it; prior censuses can also be checked up on Ancestry.ca upon payment of a fee).
• Census returns after 1921 are in the custody of Statistics Canada. In Canada, law does not permit the disclosure of personal information from post-1921 census The only exception is for people who require information about themselves. Third parties cannot obtain information about another individual without the individual’s written consent.
• Some returns prior to 1851 are partly nominal but most returns from 1851 to 1921 are of great value to genealogists as they enumerate each person individually, with details as to age, gender, country or province of birth, religion, racial or ethnic origin, occupation, marital status and education. In some years, censuses also indicate year of immigration.

Some other facts about Canadian Censuses of genealogical value:

• The first census in what is now Canada took place in New France in 1666. Returns noted the age, sex, marital status and occupation of 3,215 inhabitants.
• Prior to the 1871 Census, census enumerations were conducted in different areas in various years. As provinces joined Confederation, they were included in subsequent federal census returns.
• The first national census of the country Canada was taken in 1871. All inhabitants of Canada were censed including aboriginals. While this was the first national census of Canada, only four provinces existed at the time: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Other areas of what later became part of Canada continued to be enumerated in their own separate censuses.
• As in the United States, the original purpose of the censuses was to help determine parliamentary representation based on population[ii].However, as time went by, censuses became more complex. For the 1911 Census data was collected using 13 schedules, which included a total of 549 questions. Only Schedule 1 (Population) has been preserved. For the 1916 Census data was collected using just three schedules, but again, just Schedule 1 (Population) was preserved.
• The 1921 Census is the most recent census available to the public. The records cover Canada’s peak immigration period, the rise of aboriginal and women’s rights and the formation of this country’s modern identity.

Image of 1921 census record, courtesy of http://www.ancestry.ca

Is there anything in particular I should take in account when searching ancestors at Canadian censuses?

Indeed, yes.  There are a few things to bear in mind when checking up Canadian censuses:

• The Dominion Bureau of Statistics was authorized by the Public Records Committee to microfilm and destroy the original paper records from historical censuses. As a result, only a microfilm copy of these censuses exists as an archival holding. The microfilming of these records was not of consistent quality and not all images are readable. As these census records were digitized by scanning the microfilms, a page that was unreadable on microfilm is also unreadable on the online version. Besides this, there are many indexing errors and omissions in databases because of poor handwriting in the original documents.
• Spelling variations of names are common in old records. Also, many names were written phonetically, as they sounded to the person recording them. Also, when in Canada, some immigrants anglicized their names. Boisvert for example, may have evolved into Greenwood. Johan Kuch might have started calling himself John Cook. So, when searching ancestors, try different variations of your ancestor´s name.

Last but not least: search your ancestors in every census in which they could appear: as mentioned in our previous blogs about other countries´ censuses, you could learn something new from each census.

[i] http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1851/Pages/about-census.aspx

[ii] http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/pages/census.aspx

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils

 

The US Census

Continuing with our series of articles about census records of genealogical value, we would be making reference here to the US historic censuses.[i]

• The first thing to point out is that census records from 1790 to 1940 are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration while the U.S. Census Bureau, deals with census performed after 1940.
• The most recent publicly available census records are from the 1940 Census, released April 2, 2012. Another thing to be taken into consideration is that census records in the US became publicly accessible just 72 years after each decennial census.
• However individuals may request their own records before they are publicly available via the Census Bureau’sAge Search service.

What kind of information can I get from my ancestors at US censuses?

• The United States has collected data about its population since 1790 and continues to do so every 10 years. In the US censuses carried by the Federal Government besides as serving for the normal purposes every census is used “serve as inventory of everyone living in the United States” and are “ taken for the purpose of determining representation in the House of Representatives”.[ii]
• Up to 1840 censuses have limited value from the genealogical point of view as they name only the head of household and headcounts.
• Beginning in 1850, the census records began asking for more information and therefore, became a useful source of genealogical information, with the exception of the 1890 Census that unfortunately was destroyed by fire and only a few fragments remain.

As follows we provide a table detailing the information of genealogical value available per census.  This table has been created and published by the LDS Family Search and can be found at: https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Beginning_Research_in_United_States_Census_Records#What_are_the_United_States_census_records.3F

 

Basic Family Information Found in the U.S.Census by Year (other smaller details also given but not listed here)
Year of census	Useful Information
1850	Name, age, and gender of each family member Occupation Birthplace If married that year
1860
1870	Adds: Whether father and mother are of foreign birth
1880	Adds: Marital status Relationship to head of household Place of birth for father and mother
1900	Adds: Number of years in current marriage Month and year of birth Mother of how many children Number of children living Naturalization status: alien, papers submitted, or naturalized Year of immigration to U.S. How many years lived in U.S.
1910	Drops: Month and year of birth Number of years in U.S. Adds: Whether Civil War Veteran
1920	Drops: Number of years married Mother of how many children and number of children living Whether Civil War Veteran Adds: Year of naturalization Native language Native language of father and mother
1930	Drops: Native language of father and mother Adds: Age at first marriage Military veteran, which war
1940	Drops: Age at first marriage Father’s and mother’s birthplaces Military veteran, which war Year of immigration Native language

How can I have access to US historic census records? Is it hard?

• No, it isn´t hard. Online subscription services to the National Archives are available to access the 1790–1940 census records and many public libraries provide access to these services free-of-charge. Contact your local library to inquire if it has subscribed to one of these services. Check this at: http://www.census.gov/
• Besides the National Archives there are many providers both by subscription and free of charge.
  • familysearch.org is one of the free suppliers of US censuses but they do just supply the indexes and not the images.
  • The National Archives, provide online free data of the 1940 Census
  • You can check both indexes and images of US censuses online by paying a fee at:

http://www.ancestry.com

http://www.findmypast.com

http://www.myheritage.com

• In addition to the censuses conducted by the federal government, many state censuses have been conducted. Some of these censuses date to the colonial period. Although the National Archives may have some of these records, it is advisable that you contact your local archives or local library to inquire about their state census holdings

 Is there anything else I should take into consideration when searching ancestors in the US censuses?

• Indeed, yes. You should take into consideration that search results may vary by site, due to both, variations in search engines and differences in interpretation of handwriting in   If you can´t find your ancestors in one collection, you might try others.
• However, before giving up with a collection you can try spelling the first or last name of your ancestor differently. It may have been indexed incorrectly.
• Besides this, consider that often a person who has both a first and middle name might appear with the first name in one census and the middle name in another census. Try searching both ways.
• Also, when searching for a woman, make sure to search for her under her maiden name and under each of her married names.
• Look for your ancestors in every census in which they could appear: you could learn something new from each.. [iii]

Last but not east, combine the information you learn from the census records with vital records and other information you might already have.  This could lead you to search other records, and continue growing your family tree.

[i] https://www.census.gov/history/

[ii] https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Beginning_Research_in_United_States_Census_Records#What_are_the_United_States_census_records.3F

[iii] https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Beginning_Research_in_United_States_Census_Records#How_do_I_access_them.3F

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils

 

French Census, why are we looking for this information?  Is it difficult?

Looking for French ancestors might be overwhelming. I can tell this from my own experience.  In France, vital records are departmental and not national. French departments across the country have digitized and made available a variety of vital records, parish registers, and census records. However, the records and years available vary by department, and on top of this, to be able to use them, you must know or search for your ancestor´s place of residence first. The genealogy expert Kimberly Powell [i] also points out that “…in large cities, such as Nice or Paris, there may be many civil registration districts, so unless you can identify the approximate location where (your ancestors) lived, you may have no choice but to browse through the records of multiple registration districts”.

In what has to do with censuses in France, many have been local as well. Of course, besides local censuses, there have been some national censuses. But there is a “but”: national censuses have not yet been digitized and must be consulted at the departmental archives, which is something difficult even if you live in France.

The first census listing names in France (and thus useful from a genealogical point of view) was taken in the year 1772.  One was carried out in 1975, and another under Napoleon in 1801; next one was recorded in 1806, next in 1821, and from then on census was performed every 5 years. While 1871 census was delayed until 1872, 1916 census was skipped because of World War I.  But somehow between 1795 and 1836, censuses show only statistics without personal names, and just after 1836 they provide the most useful information genealogically speaking.

What is the solution and why?

• National censuses have not yet been microfilmed and therefore, for the time being, the only solution for checking most censuses is going to the local archives.
• Good news is that LSD is working on these censuses right now. I myself have recently volunteered to index for LDS and I am mostly consecrating to French censuses. Hopefully, little by little we will start having some more information online. It is a pity this work hasn’t been done before: as far as I was able to check, registers have been very well preserved, and information is very clear. Indexing French census schedules is not difficult at all.
• Census records already published by LDS, are available both the LDS Family History Library and on the web. By clicking on a specific department of an interactive map of France available at https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/France_Genealogy, you can access specific information for such department.
• com has also some interesting information available online. Check http://search.ancestry.co.uk/Places/Europe/France/Default.aspx for some French censuses.
• Besides this, the genealogy expert, Kimberly Powel, in her article “French Genealogy Records Online. French Databases — Actes Etat Civil” [ii]provides useful links to 54 French departmental archives. You can check full article at http://genealogy.about.com/od/france/tp/France-Genealogy-Records-Online.01.htm
• Apart from census registers, you can search French ancestors, by locating their vital records. As mentioned above, in France, vital records are departmental and not national. However by checking the “Tables décennales de l´état civil” – most of which are available on line – you can get the place and the date of the event you are looking for, to later check the right register for the full information.  The “Tables décennales” are some kind of indexes carried apart from vital records that gather information in groups of 10 years.  Records from 1792 on can be found on line: you just have to place in google the phrase “tables décennales” and you will get several useful links to them.
• You can also take profit of military records, which are a gold mine for ancestor´s information in France. The[iii] “military records are held by the Army and Navy Historical Services in Vincennes, France. Records survive from as early as the 17th century and may include information on a man’s wife, children, marriage date, address, a physical description of the man, and details of his service”.  com is a good source for military records too. You can check them at: http://search.ancestry.co.uk/Places/Europe/France/Default.aspx?category=35&ldf=2
• Cemetery records are also a noticeable source of genealogical information in France. They are kept locally and may include the name and age of the deceased, the birth date, death date, and place of residence. The cemetery keeper may also have records with detailed information[iv].
• Last but not least, notarial records are also an important genealogical source in France and can include such records as marriage settlements, wills, inventories, guardianship agreements, and property transfers. Some of the oldest available records in France are part of this collection: some date back to the 1300s. Unfortunately most of them are not indexed, but can be checked at departmental archives. In practical terms, it is almost impossible to research these records without hiring a professional genealogist.[v]

Is there anything  should I consider when looking for French ancestors at the French Censuses?

• Indeed yes. The information on French censuses should be used with caution, since the information was not being given by the householder but may have been given by any member of the family or a neighbor. Some information may be incorrect or deliberately falsified.
• For those not reading French, LDS provides a list of the most commonly used genealogical terms in French at https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/France_Language_and_Languages#General_Word_List

[i] Kimberly Powell, “French Civil Registration. Vital Records of Birth, Marriage and Death in France.” About parenting, http://genealogy.about.com/od/france/a/French-Civil-Registration.htm, May 2, 2016.

[ii] Kimberly Powell, “French Genealogy Records Online. French Databases — Actes Etat Civil », About parenting, http://genealogy.about.com/od/france/tp/France-Genealogy-Records-Online.htm January 23, 2016.

[iii] Kimberly Powell, “Genealogy in France. More Sources for Genealogical Information in France”, About parenting, http://genealogy.about.com/od/france/a/french_ancestry_5.htm, June 30, 2016.

[iv] Kimberly Powell, “Genealogy in France. More Sources for Genealogical Information in France”, About parenting, http://genealogy.about.com/od/france/a/french_ancestry_5.htm, June 30, 2016.

[v] Kimberly Powell, “Genealogy in France. More Sources for Genealogical Information in France”, About parenting, http://genealogy.about.com/od/france/a/french_ancestry_5.htm, June 30, 2016.

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils