A good look at the 1830 U.S. Census

The 1830 U.S. census was the fifth census taken in the United States. This census is similar to the previous censuses in format and style. This census expanded on the questions that were asked by creating more age brackets broken down in 10 year increments. It also asked a few additional questions about the number of deaf and blind individuals.

The census was taken by the U. S. Marshalls and their assistants. It appears the 1830 census had pre-printed forms, so the forms are bit easier to read. The marshalls tallied the counts and forwarded them to Martin Van Buren, the Secretary of State. The sheets of the census were then deposited with local district courts for safe keeping. In time, the census sheets were forwarded to Washington D.C., and bound into books. The 1830 U.S. census has been digitized and is available for viewing at all the major genealogical sites.

Questions for the 1830 Census

Wikipedia provides a good summary on the questions asked in the census:

  • Name of head of family
  • Address
  • Number of free white males and females
    • in five-year age groups to age 20
    • in 10-year age groups from 20 to 100
    • 100 years and older
  • number of slaves and free colored persons in six age groups
  • number of deaf and dumb
    • under 14 years old
    • 14 to 24 years old
    • 25 years and older
  • number of blind
  • foreigners not naturalized

The age groupings were made smaller for this census. This is good because it makes it easier to assign family members to a particular category. It also narrows down the potential birth year for individuals. On the other hand, the number of census columns are significantly higher and spans two sheets. FamilySearch and Ancestry have separate images for each half of the sheet. This makes it difficult to follow the lines across the full sheet.

Missing Records

The 1830 U.S. census has fewer missing records than the previous censuses. A few counties in Maryland, a county in Mississippi, and a county in South Carolina are missing. A few areas were included with other states. For example, West Virginia was included with Virginia because West Virginia did not become a state until 1863. It is possible individual sheets from other states may have gone missing because of improper storage and handling.

Census Statistics

The total population of the United States increased about 33% to 12,866,020. The population of the United States seemed to be consistently increasing about 30-40% every ten years since the start of the census in 1790. The most populous state was New York and the least was Delaware. The most populous city was New York city with more than 200,000 people. Additional statistics can be found on the Wikipedia page for the 1830 U.S. Census.

A look at Colby Ross

For this look at the 1830 U.S. census we are moving to Tennessee. Census records for Tennessee prior to 1830 have been mostly lost. If researching individuals in Tennessee, the 1830 census becomes rather important.

Colby Ross1 was born about 1813 in North Carolina. His family was located in Franklin County, Tennessee (1830) and Dekalb County, Tennessee (1840), before finally landing in Limestone County, Alabama in 1850. Colby is with his wife Michael and his children, Cynthia Ann (1830), Thomas (1837), Parthena (1840), and William R. (1841) in Limestone County, Alabama in 1850. In 1860, Colby is remarried to Tabitha and is living with two of his children Parthena, and William R, in addition to Tabitha’s children from her first marriage. Colby dies 22 Jan 1882 in Athens, Limestone, Alabama.

Colby Ross is someone I have been researching as a potential father for Darthula Ross. The 1830 U.S. census does not answer that question, but it does provide insight for Colby Ross and his family. It is the earliest known record for Colby Ross.

1830 U.S. Census showing Colby Ross in Franklin County, Tennessee
1830 U.S. Census showing Colby Ross in Franklin County, Tennessee

Colby Ross is located at the bottom of the sheet with only 5 people in his household. The numbers break down like this:

  • White male age under 5 years = 1
  • White male age 20-30 years = 1
  • White females under 5 years = 1
  • White female age 20-30 years = 1
  • White female age 60-70 years = 1

Using later census records and his FamilySearch page, we can assign some of the known family to the count.

  • White male age under 5 years = 1
    • Uknown male child
  • White male age 20-30 years = 1
    • Colby Ross (born about 1813)
  • White females under 5 years = 1
    • Cynthia Ann Ross (born 1830)
  • White female age 20-30 years = 1
    • Michael (Colby’s wife, born 1808)
  • White female age 60-70 years = 1
    • Unknown female

Both Colby and his wife Michael were born between 1800-1810. Colby’s birth year of 1813 is an estimate from later censuses, so he fits into this age category. I suspect both Colby and Michael were in their early 20’s because they only had 2 children in 1830.

The male child under 5 years of age is unknown and may never be known based on a lack of records. Colby’s oldest son found in later census records is Thomas Ross born about 1837. There is no way to confirm, but it can be assumed this is likely a child of the couple.

The next mystery is the unknown female aged 60-70 years. This is likely a mother or mother-in-law, though it could be a grandmother as well. Colby and Michael’s parents are unknown. It may be impossible to know for sure who this person is.

Sources

  1. 1830 U.S. Census, Franklin, Tennessee, population schedule, Western District of Tennessee, p. 75 (penned), line 27, Colby Ross household; digital image, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 5 March 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 176.
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