| You will use a spreadsheet template to transcribe the 1840 Census. Excel or MSWorks templates are available for IBM
compatible PCs, and Excel or Clarisworks/Appleworks are available for MAC users. Your Census Project State Coordinator will need to know what spreadsheet software and which version you have and whether you have an IBM-type PC or a MAC. Email your Census Project State Coordinator if you did not receive a spreadsheet template with your assignment notification.
Alternate email for templates:
Transcriber@US-Census.org
You MUST use the correct census year template for the year you are transcribing because the columns vary for each census year. The 1840 template columns should match the columns on the census page from which you are transcribing.
You will need to copy EVERYTHING that is on your census.
1840 Census Data
(not all questions may appear on your census)
| Name of head of household |
Names may appear on the census as "John Doe", but you will enter
the last name (Doe) in the "Last Name" column of your spreadsheet and
the first name (John) will be entered into the "First Name" column.
| Free White Males |
under
5
years |
of 5
and
under
10 |
of 10
and
under
15 |
of 15
and
under
20 |
of 20
and
under
30 |
of 30
and
under
40 |
of 40
and
under
50 |
of 50
and
under
60 |
of 60
and
under
70 |
of 70
and
under
80 |
of 80
and
under
90 |
of 90
and
under
100 |
of 100
and
upwards |
Thirteen columns are under this heading, each for a different age grouping. Enter the number seen.
| Free White Females |
under
5
years |
of 5
and
under
10 |
of 10
and
under
15 |
of 15
and
under
20 |
of 20
and
under
30 |
of 30
and
under
40 |
of 40
and
under
50 |
of 50
and
under
60 |
of 60
and
under
70 |
of 70
and
under
80 |
of 80
and
under
90 |
of 90
and
under
100 |
of 100
and
upwards |
Thirteen columns are under this heading, each for a different age grouping. Enter the number seen.
| Free Colored Males |
Free Colored Females |
under
10
years |
of 10
and
under
24 |
of 24
and
under
36 |
of 36
and
under
55 |
of 55
and
under
100 |
of 100
and
upwards |
under
10
years |
of 10
and
under
24 |
of 24
and
under
36 |
of 36
and
under
55 |
of 55
and
under
100 |
of 100
and
upwards |
Six columns are under each heading, each for a different age grouping. Enter the number seen.
| Male Slaves |
Female Slaves |
under
10
years |
of 10
and
under
24 |
of 24
and
under
35 |
of 36
and
under
55 |
of 55
and
under
100 |
of 100
and
upwards |
under
10
years |
of 10
and
under
24 |
of 24
and
under
35 |
of 36
and
under
55 |
of 55
and
under
100 |
of 100
and
upwards |
Six columns are under each heading, each for a different age grouping. Enter the number seen.
| Total Number of Persons in each family employed in |
| Mining |
Agriculture |
Commerce |
Manufacturing
and
Trades |
Navigation
of the
Ocean |
Navigation
of Canals,
Lakes,
and Rivers |
Learned
Professors
and
Engineers |
Seven columns are under this heading, each for a different occupation
field. Enter the number seen.
| Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Service |
Pensioners age |
If there is a pensioner in the household a name will be under this heading. Enter the name
EXACTLY as you see it. If there is no name, leave it blank. Enter the Age of the Pensioner as seen.
The 1840 is the only census that lists Revolutionary War or Military Service Pensioners.
| White Persons included in the foregoing |
deaf and dumb,
under 14 |
deaf and dumb,
of 14
and
under 25 |
deaf and dumb
25 and
older |
blind |
insane and
idiots at
public charge |
insane and
idiots at
private charge |
Under this heading are three columns for deaf and dumb (each one for a different
age grouping) and a column each for: Blind, Insane/Public, and
Insane/Private. Enter the number seen.
| Colored Persons included in the foregoing |
deaf
and
dumb |
blind |
insane and
idiots at
private charge |
insane and
idiots at
public charge |
Four columns are under this heading: deaf and dumb, Blind, Insane/Public,
and Insane/Private. Enter the number seen.
| Schools |
Name of
University
or
College |
Number
of
students |
Academics
and
Grammar
Schools |
Number
of
students |
Primary
and
Common
Schools |
Number
of
students |
Enter whatever is written in, to the best of your ability.
This column may or may not be on your census. Enter the number seen.
How to Enter the Census Data into the 1840 Spreadsheet Template
1st PART OF YOUR SPREADSHEET TEMPLATE
(Common Information Fill-in Block)
Enter the specific census information in the fill-in block. The fill-in
block will be either at the top of your spreadsheet, or on the far right of the
columned census headers, or on a separate worksheet.
- Census Year
- Microfilm Reel # - The 1840 Microfilm Reel numbers all start with M704- followed by another number. Check the Assignment Web Pages to verify the film number of your transcription.
- State
- County or Parish
- District, City, Town, or any other named area division
- Enumerator's Name
- Your name/email as the transcriber
- Your proofreader's name/email
- The source of your census material (CD, microfilm, etc.)
2nd PART OF YOUR SPREADSHEET TEMPLATE
The 2nd part of your template will have abbreviated column headings for each of the columns in the 1840 census plus a Page#, Line#,
and Remarks column.
All the information is to be entered exactly as recorded by the enumerator, except when the enumerator used "ditto", ditto marks ( " ), or the word "do"
for the NAMES. In this case, please enter the information that the ditto mark represents.
PAGE NUMBERS
There may be more than one number on each census page. The numbers may be stamped or handwritten. If there is a stamped number, enter it in the Page#
column for the first name on the page.
If you find two stamped page numbers on a census, (1) check the State/Year Index to see which number was used, or (2) if transcribing from the SK Publication book or CD, follow the numbering used in the SK Publication Index
or CD.
A handwritten page number, in addition to the stamped page number, may have been written on each census page by the photographers who microfilmed the census. Do not be concerned if these handwritten page numbers are not in
sequential order.
If your template does not have a separate column for H-W PG#'s, either insert a
column for this purpose to the left of the REMARKS column or type the Handwritten Page#
in the REMARKS column of the first name on the page that does not already have
something in the Remarks column.
Transcription Example: Handwritten page # 45, -or-
H-W Pg: 45
LINE NUMBERS
Many early censuses do not have line numbers, but you will enter line numbers on the spreadsheet template as if they did. The enumerator may have put anywhere from 20-50 names on a page, it just depends on how many he wanted on a page or how many he could fit onto a page. Begin each new page with Line# 1 if no line numbers are written on the census. Line numbering will help you keep track of your transcription progress
and will help when a proofreader needs to refer to one of the names when
contacting you. Later on it will help researchers looking up your
transcription on a census.
ENUMERATION DATES
Many of the earlier census years do not have an Enumeration Date. If your
census does, and if your template does not have a separate column for Enum/Date,
either insert a column for this purpose to the left of the REMARKS column or
type the Enum-Date in the REMARKS column of the first name on the page that does
not already have something in the Remarks column.
Transcription Example: Enum-Date: June 1, 1840
CITY, TOWN, TOWNSHIP, OR ANY OTHER NAMED AREA DIVISION
Many of the earlier census years do not have named areas. If your
census does, and if your template does not have a separate column for this,
either insert a column for this purpose to the left of the REMARKS column, or
type the named area in the REMARKS column where it occurs.
When you complete the transcription of a division, we recommend that you send it
to your proofreader so the proofreading can be started while you continue to
work on the rest of your census. That way, it can be placed online as
"partial" while the transcription is still in progress.
HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD NAMES
Names must be entered EXACTLY as you see them recorded on the census.
- Do not abbreviate a name if the enumerator wrote out the entire name and do not spell out the full name when he abbreviated it. If you see Wm, enter Wm. If you see William, enter William.
- Do not correct the enumerator's spelling errors. Even if it is your own family and the name is terribly
misspelled, enter it exactly as it appears on the census.
- When the enumerator used "ditto", ditto marks ( " ), or the word "do", please enter the name that the ditto mark represents. See example dittos marks the enumerator may have used.
- If a name was abbreviated, and the final letter is a little raised, add an apostrophe in place of the omitted letters in the name.
Transcription Example: Thos - you would enter: Tho's
- Questionable letters in a name should be indicated by an asterisk * and you may want to put a note in the Remarks field of that line to note that some letters are hard to read or unreadable.
Transcription Example - LAST NAME: D*e
FIRST NAME: Jo*n
- Titles (ie: Jr., Sr., Dr.) are to be entered at the end of the person's first name(s).
Transcription Example - LAST NAME: Doe FIRST
NAME: John Sr.
- Enter NS (no surname) *ONLY* for names such as:
- Brother Ignatius
- Sister Mary
- American Indian Names (Running Doe)
- Servants (John A man of color)
* Look closely for surname ditto marks before you use NS. See these examples.
Template Tips
The Remarks column
It is the right-most column on your template. Please use the remarks field to enter everything on the census that needs to be brought to the attention of a researcher or any other information you feel is important. (ie: any additional writing on the census; if a name is hard to read or unreadable; a disruption in the numbering sequence; etc.) If the comment you want to make is too long for the Remarks field, type your information in a separate file and reference the page and line number so researchers will know what line you are referring to. When you submit your census transcription to the Census Project, you can include the extra comments file at that same time. If you do not have a Remarks column on your template, you may add one on the far right.
How to Freeze the Template Column Headers
Using Excel, you can freeze the column headings of the first page, and several of the left columns. The frozen areas will remain visible while the entered data scrolls underneath the headers and off the screen. It is much easier to enter the census information when you can see the column header and row name for the line you are entering.
- To freeze the top horizontal header rows, select the row below where you want the split to occur.
- To freeze the left vertical columns, select the column to the right of where you want the split to occur.
- To freeze both the horizontal headers, and the vertical columns click the cell below and to the right of where you want the split to appear.
Note: If you move the top census information block off the screen before you do step 2, it will leave more screen room for the rows you are entering. To do this, use the horizontal scroll bar and the up/down triangle pointer buttons at the top and bottom of the scroll bar and scroll so that you see only the column header at the top of the screen and not the 6 or 7 rows that contain the census info.
- On the menu-bar, click "Window".
On the "Window" drop-down menu list, click "Freeze Panes".
- Later if you want to undo the frozen panes:
On the menu-bar, click "Window".
On the "Window" drop-down menu list, click "Unfreeze Panes".
MAKE A BACKUP COPY!
To make a backup copy of your census file, after finishing for the day and
saving the file to your hard drive, do a "File, SAVE AS" and save it somewhere else on your computer OR on a diskette. If the file gets too big for a diskette, use a ZIP Program to zip it so that it will fit onto the disk. Better
to be safe than to lose all of your hard work from a computer problem.
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