Wareham Census Record Extracts and Indexes

Wareham Federal Census Record Extracts and Indexes

General Comments on Census Records

The census extracts presented here are pre-1850, and the Veterans Census for 1890. For the pre-1850, only the names for the heads of each household are listed. Various indexes are available in book form and on CD-ROM, but are quite inaccurate and incomplete. Those presented here are more accurate, and include the actual data on persons within the households. In recognizing the names, I have the advantage of having done extensive work with the vital records and gravestones. However, the accuracy of the transcriptions still depends greatly on the penmanship of the census taker, which, in some cases, was not the greatest! For example, distinguishing between such similar names as "Bumpus" and "Burgess" can be difficult at times. I have tried to make the extracts as accurate as possible, but it is probable that some errors are still present. I hope they will prove useful, but in cases of doubt, a reading of the original record is always recommended.

Thus far, the census indexes presented here are for the years 1860, 1880, and 1920. The indexes include each Head of Family, and others living in the family with a different last name than the Head of Family. Be aware that the indexing process is very error-prone, due to errors in reading the data, errors in typing the data, and errors by the original census taker. Names which seemed most questionable are shown in the index followed by a question mark.