Worksheet for Genealogy and Family History

Use a CensusMate worksheet to narrow in on Tabitha's birthdate using 1810 to 1830 US Census data, without using any math.
 
   
Examples
 
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How old was Tabitha?
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How old was Tabitha Turner when she married Henry Haynes and took over his nine children?

What woman would marry a farmer with NINE children?

When was "Tabby" born?

In May 1784, recently widowed Henry Haynes of Bedford County, VA, with nine children to raise, married Tabitha Turner, his wife’s first cousin.

Question: How old was Tabby when she married Henry?

This question can be solved using the census entries for Henry and Tabitha. The CensusMate timeline format makes it easy to analyze those difficult pre-1850 census data.

1. Start with the 1810 census data;
2. Add the 1820 census data;
3. Add the 1830 census data.

1. Start with the 1810 census data
  1810 data easily show Tabby was born between 1765 and 1784
2. Add the1820 Census Data
 
Henry Haynes died in 1816, so the family is listed in 1820
with his widow Tabitha as the head of the household.
Align the family's 1820 listing with the 1810 listing
 

When we combine the 1810 and 1820 data, the dates narrow.

Now it’s easy to see she was born between 1765 and 1775.

In 1810, Tabitha was listed as "26 to 44." The year scale above the table shows she was born in the nineteen year period before 1784, and after 1765. In 1820, she is listed as "Over 45," that is born before 1775. If both are true, she was born in the ten year period 1766 to 1775.

 
3. Add the 1830 Census Data
Now add the 1830 data

Continuing in a similar way, we can now add the 1830 data for Tabby who is now living alone. The children have all moved out, probably into their own home