The 1850 Census of the United States is one of the most important tools in the hands of genealogist and historians. This is the first of the census that list the names of the head of the household with those living in the house as well. It does not give the relationship of those living there with the head of the house as do later census, but the names are there. The age, occupation, land value and the birth place of the individual are given in this census. Each piece of the information gleaned from this census are clues to later questions in our research.
Example from this census:
#156 James HATFIELD - 32 - laborer - Tenn.
Cintha - 30 - housewife - NC
Elizabeth - 2 - Tenn.
Zacary T. - 1 - Tenn.
Nancy JOHNSON - 7 - Tenn.
Melcum [male] - 5 - Tenn.
paper, 132 pp.
ISBN: 9780788471209
101E-TN0019