Using Census Transcripts
The transcripts record more census data fields and so provide you with
more search options, allowing for greater accuracy in pinpointing individuals.
Whether using the online images, microfilm or census CD images they will
help make your research faster and more accurate.
In addition to the information already available for searching in the surname indexes you can search for the relationship to the head of household, the occupation and the birth county.
Search terms
The transcripts can be searched using a combination of Forename, Surname,
Age (+/– 5 years), Relationship, Occupation and County Where Born.
Like the surname indexes, you can also narrow your search down to a specific
District and Piece number within the County if you know it. Like the name
indexes, TheGenealogist’s census transcripts are also divided into
Counties.
The Master Search facility allows you to search for entries across all
counties and years. This is the best way to start if you don't know where
your ancestors lived.
Nicknames and Variants
There are options to include Nicknames in the Forename search, which
would for instance include Tom, Dick and Harry when searching for Thomas,
Richard or Henry.
You can also opt to search for Surname variants too, so that Smith
would also find Smythe etc.
Ages
Ages are automatically searched in +/– 5 year bands and you have the option to omit records with no age recorded
District
If you know the Enumeration District or the Piece number you can select it to narrow down your search.
Wild cards
The wild card symbol * can be substituted for letters anywhere in a search term, as long as the word contains a string of at least 3 letters.
Thus Rob* will find Roberts, Robertson and Robinson etc., *ton would find Hamilton and Washington and Rob*n would find Robertson and Robinson.
Relationship
Add a relationship to the head of household from this drop down list.
Occupation
A useful field for finding ancestors with common names, there may be 5 John Smiths in the district, but they are unlike to all be butchers.
Birth County
The “Where born” field probably contains more errors and miss-spellings than any other field in the census. To make searching easier this field has been standardised to contain only the County.
Accuracy and omissions
Remember that the enumeration books themselves are only a transcript of the individual household census forms, so the enumerator may have transcribed the information incorrectly in the first place or the information may simply have been wrong. Also some people managed to miss being enumerated at all, whilst others manage to be in two places at once. To help find awkward entries that have been mis-recorded, the search form offers the facility to use wildcard searches, or to look for nicknames and surname variants.
Follow the other census links to find out more:
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