Census

Tax List and Records from Colonial and Revolutionary War Eras

https://digital.ncdcr.gov/collections/tax-lists-and-records

Thirty-four tax lists exist for 15 counties: including Martin and Pitt Counties. Data collected: head of household, acreage, tax valuation, and poll numbers. An important pre-census source of data.

 

Overview of North Carolina Census Records 1787-1890

https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/overview-of-north-carolina-census-records-1787-1890/2601501?item=2609454

The N.C. State Archives created circular #2 which includes a brief history behind each census and charts which censuses survive for each county.

 

1775 Continental Congress Census (Pitt County Only)

https://www.ncgenealogy.org/read-a-back-issue/?pdfpath=A1980000_1980-1989&pdfname=Jv07n04_Vol_7,_No._4_-_Nov_1981  (access only for members of the North Carolina Genealogical Society)

 

Jean Anderson, 'The Census of 1775 as Seen in Pitt County, NC,' The North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal 7, no. 4 (November 1981): 186-96.

 

North Carolinas 1st Provincial Congress requested the following information about its inhabitants: White Males (16-50; under 16; over 50), White Women, Female Children, Males Slaves Taxable, Female slaves taxable, and slaves not taxable. Pitt County records survive but Martin and Edgecombe Counties are missing.

 

1787 North Carolina State Census

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3005/

The NC Act of 1784 required that a census be taken with nonspecific instructions. As a result, some counties listed heads of households while some only listed numbers. Records exist for Edgecombe, Pitt and Martin Counties, among others. Martin collected head of households and age ranges. Except for one district, Pitt only listed age ranges.

 

1790 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5058/

Assistant marshals were appointed to conduct enumerations. The public could review the results to correct errors. County totals were then sent to President Washington. The district superior courts held the originals. In 1830, the originals for the 1790-1830 censuses were transferred to the secretary of state in Washington, D.C. The information collected, noted the head of household, number of free white males of sixteen years and older, number of free white males under sixteen years, number of free white females, number of all other free persons, number of slaves, and sometimes town or district of residence. Halifax District should also be checked for Martin County and Edgecombe County records because of boundary changes.

 

1800 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7590/

The categories in the 1800 census added to the breakdown of sex and ages. Head of household, # of free white males and females in age categories: 0-10, 10-16, 16-26, 26-45, 45+; # of other free persons except Indians not taxed; # of slaves; the town/ district and county of residence. 

 

1810 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7613/

The categories in the 1810 Census were the same as those in the 1800 Census.

 

1820 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7734/

In addition to what had been collected in the 1800 Census, the 1820 census noted the number of free white males 16-18; number of persons to be naturalized, engaged in agriculture, manufacture or commercial, number of “colored” persons and the number of other persons, except Indians. The information collected helped determine taxes and seats in Congress.

 

1830 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8058/

Enumerators collected the head of household; number of free white males and females: 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, 70-80, 80-90, 90-100, 100+; the name of a slave owner and his number of slaves; the number of male and female slaves and free "colored" persons by age categories; the number of unnaturalized foreigners; the number of deaf, dumb, and blind persons within a household; and town/district, and county of residence.

 

1840 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8057/

In addition to the information collection in the 1830 census, the 1840 census, asked for: the ages of revolutionary war pensioners and the number of individuals engaged in mining, agriculture, commerce, manufacturing and trade, navigation of the ocean, navigation of canals, lakes and rivers, learned professions and engineers; number in school those over age twenty-one who could not read and write, and the number of insane.

 

1850 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8054/

Instructions were printed, which increased overall accuracy. For the first time, the names of every person in the household was recorded. Enumerators collected: name; age as of the census day; sex; color; birthplace; occupation of males > fifteen; real estate value; whether married within the previous year; whether deaf-mute, blind, insane, or "idiotic"; whether able to read or write for individuals >20; and whether the person attended school within the previous year. No relationships within a household were collected.

 

1860 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7667/

Instructions were printed, which increased overall accuracy. Some areas were fine-tuned. In addition to the categories collected in the 1850 census, enumerators now collected whether a person was deaf, dumb, blind, insane, a pauper, or a convict; whether able to read or speak English; and whether the person attended school within the previous year. No relationships within a household were collected.

 

1870 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7163/

Enumerators collected the following information: every person in the household, name; age at last birthday (ages of infants under one year of old was represented as fractions, such as 1(month)/23); sex; color; profession; occupation or trade of every male and female; real estate value; place of birth; whether mother and father were of foreign birth; whether born or married within the year and the month; those who could not read; those who could not write; whether deaf, dumb, blind, or insane or "idiotic". No relationships within a household were collected.

 

1880 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6742/

For the 1st time, relationships within members of a household were collected. It also identified state, county, and other subdivisions; street name and household number for urban settings (of very limited use in rural northeastern North Carolina); illness or disability at the time the census was taken; marital status; number of months unemployed during the year; and the state/ country of birth of parents of every individual.

 

1890 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5445/

A fire at the Commerce Department in Washington, DC on 10 January 1921 destroyed most records. Only fragments of 1,233 pages or pieces survived for only 6,160 individuals, including enumerations for Alabama, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas. For North Carolina, the only fragments to survive were for Gaston County: South Point Township, Ricer Bend Township; and Cleveland County: Township No. 2. Martin, Edgecombe, and Pitt Counties were complete losses.

 

1900 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/

Enumerators of the 1900 census were instructed to record the names of every person in the household. Enumerators were asked to include the following categories in the census: name; address; relationship to the head of household; color or race; sex; month and year of birth; age at last birthday; marital status; number of years married; the total number of children born of the mother; the number of those children living; places of birth of each individual and the parents of each individual; if the individual was foreign born, the year of immigration and the number of years in the United States; the citizenship status of foreign-born individuals over age twenty-one; occupation; whether the person could read, write, and speak English; whether the home was owned or rented; whether the home was on a farm; and whether the home was mortgaged.

 

1910 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7884/

This new index (released June 2006) maintains the old head of household index and adds to it a new every name index (including a re-keying of the heads of households). As a result, for many heads of households you will see two names - a primary, and an alternate. The primary name is the newly keyed name. The alternate name is the name as it appeared in the original head of household only index. Alternate names are only displayed when there is a difference in the way the name was keyed between the two indexes. By making both names available to researchers, the likelihood of your being able to find your head of household ancestor has increased. Likewise, researchers who were once able to find their head of household ancestor under a particular spelling will still be able to easily find that ancestor.

 

1920 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061/

The following information was collected: the names of all people within a household, the name of street, avenue road, etc., house #, dwelling # & family # in order of visitation, relationship to head of family, whether home owned or rented and whether free or mortgaged, sex, color/ race, age at last birthday, marital status, naturalized or alien and year of naturalization, whether they attended school any time since 1 September 1919, able to read, able to write, place of birth, mother tongue, places of birth and mother tongue of each parent, fluent in English, type of work, type of industry, whether employer, salary or wage worker, or self-employed, number of farm schedule.

 

1930 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/

The following information was collected: the names of all people within a household, address, relationship to head of family, whether home is owned or rented, home value, if it was a farm, and if they had a radio.  and whether free or mortgaged, sex, color/ race, age at last birthday, marital status, naturalized or alien and year of naturalization, whether they attended school any time since 1 September 1919, able to read, able to write, place of birth, mother tongue, places of birth and mother tongue of each parent, fluent in English, type of work, type of industry, whether employer, salary or wage worker, or self-employed, number of farm schedule. Sex, race, age, marital status, college attendance, ability to read and write, birthplace, and birthplace of parents, language spoken before coming to the United States; year of immigration; whether naturalized or alien; ability to speak English, occupation industry, type of worker and whether worked the previous day, military and war fought in. Servicemen may be listed where they served, rather than in their hometown. Children that were born between the official start date of the census and the actual day of enumeration were not included. Individuals that were alive on the official start date of the census but deceased by the actual day of enumeration were included. Indians were included in general population but were asked different questions than the general population.

 

1940 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2442/

Enumerators recorded answers for the following questions on the 1940 census:

Address, home value and whether owned or rented, name of each person whose usual place of residence on 1 April 1940 would be in the household and their relationship to head of household, sex, color/ race, age at last birthday, marital status, education, place of birth, citizenship, residence on 1 April 1935, employment status for ages 14+, occupation and how many weeks worked and income in 1939, 5 % of the population were supplementary questions including: birthplace of parents, native language, veteran status (including widow or minor child of a veteran), social security details, occupation, industry, and class of worker, marriage information for women (married more than once, age at first marriage, number of children).

 

1950 United States Federal Census Population Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/

The census is organized alphabetically by state, county, and enumeration district. Supplemental questions included: age, gender, race, marital status, occupation, nationality, citizenship, Veteran status, family members, residence including enumeration district, highest grade level completed, and how much they earned. The 1950 U.S. Census includes enumeration district maps, population schedules, Indian reservation schedules, and more.

 

Indian Census Rolls: 1885-1940

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1059/

This database contains an index and data such as, agency or reservation name, tribe name, name, gender, age/birth date, marital status, and relationship to head of family, and degree of Indian blood. These records were normally submitted yearly. Most records 1940 and after are retained by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and are not in this database. No records are available for Martin, Edgecombe or Pitt Counties.

 

Mortality Schedules: 1850-1880

 

Vital statistics were not officially reported in North Carolina until 1920. These schedules contain valuable information, possibly not found anywhere else, between 1850-1880. That data includes, gender, marital status, birth year, birthplace, age, death date, cause of death, census year and place. These serve as valuable substitutes that can fill in missing data during the years 1850-1880.

 

U.S., Federal Census Mortality Schedules Index, 1850-1880

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3530/

 

U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1276/

 

Slave Schedules

 

1850 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8055/

1860 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7668/

During the 1850 and 1860 United States Federal Censuses, enslaved individuals were recorded separately from the general population. Information collected included age, sex, and some names usually found in the "name of slave owners" column if they exist. Non-indexed information includes, freedom seekers (fugitives), freed, and deaf & dumb, blind, insane or idiotic. Of note, individuals were usually listed according to age, not family unit. Most useful when used to supplement other schedules. The slave owner’s plantation and size may have been recorded.

 

Agricultural Schedules/ Social Statistics Schedules 1850-1880

 

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1276/ (Limited)

 

Schedules for the North Carolina counties of Martin, Edgecombe and Pitt can be viewed on microfilm at the North Carolina State Archive. The NC State Archives is at 109 E. Jones St. in Raleigh, NC. The search room is open Tuesday – Friday, 9-5, and Saturday, 9-1. They are closed Sunday and Monday.

Phone: (919) 814-6840. Email: archives@dncr.nc.gov . The librarians readily provide assistance via email. For specific guidelines and policies for viewing microfilm, visit https://archives.ncdcr.gov/about/visit/visit-state-archives-north-carolina .

 

Information on the agricultural schedules includes: the total land acreage, the farm value, machinery and livestock, amount of wool, cotton, grain, etc. produced, and the value of animals slaughtered, etc. In 1880 farm operators were labeled as owner, tenant, or sharecropper. There were a large number of sharecroppers in Martin, Edgecombe and Pitt Counties and this gives a glimpse into their day-to-day life.

 

The social statistics schedules were for specific geographical regions, not individuals. A glimpse of how people lived during this period.  Information collected: Real Estate value, annual taxes, cemetery facilities, including maps, number of schools, teachers, and pupils, type of libraries and number of volumes they held, name, type, and circulation of newspapers, church denominations, church capacity, and value of property, native and foreign born paupers and expense to support them, native and foreign born criminals convicted and in prison, average wages paid to farm hands, day laborers, carpenters, and female domestics.