Quick Links (details below)
1870 Population Schedule: FamilySearch (Images 277-424) – Ancestry
1870 Mortality Schedule (1 page): FamilySearch – Ancestry
The 1870 Census was the first census to provide detailed information on the black population, only years after the culmination of the Civil War when slaves were granted freedom.
What’s included:
- Dwelling-houses, numbered in the order of visitation
- Families, numbered in the order of visitation
- The name of each person whose place of abode on 1st day of June, 1870, was in this family
- Age at last birthday. If under 1 year give months as fractions, thus, 3/12
- Sex – Males, (M.); Females, (F.)
- Color – White (W.), Black (B.), Mulatto (M.), Chinese (C.), Indian (I.)
- Profession, Occupation, or Trade of each person, male or female
- Value of Real Estate
- Value of Personal Estate
- Place of Birth, naming State or Territory of U.S., or the Country, if of foreign birth
- Father of foreign birth
- Mother of foreign birth
- If born within the year, state month (Jan., Feb, &c.)
- Attended school within the year
- Cannot read
- Cannot write
- Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic
- Male Citizens of U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards
- Male Citizens of U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards, whose right to vote is denied or abridged on other ground thus rebellion or other crime
My Notes
- Stamped page numbers on every other page – would have been on the right hand page of a 2 page spread
- I’ve also included the handwritten page numbers because in the days before finding these images on the internet, I would write in my notes “ED 103, sheet 4” to help me find it again on the microfilm reel if I ever needed to. I’m willing to bet that some of you have notes like that as well. (There are no ED numbers in this census)
- I thought it was interesting to note how long it took the enumerator to finish a district – in many cases around 30 days. Your ancestor may very well have moved during those 30 days meaning they don’t appear or may appear twice.
Where to find it: (ready for this section)
- FamilySearch –
- There are 2 ways to look at these images. You can just look at the images as if you were scrolling through the microfilm or you can view them as a break down of Russell County by Enumeration District. If you are looking at the break down images, you need to know which ED to look at in order to access the pages. Because I found the 2nd way to be so confusing, I thought about leaving that way out. But perhaps there’s some reason that I’m not thinking of as to why you’d want them broken down that way.
- I’m editing this post to move those “confusing” links to the very bottom of the post. Look for them there, if you are interested.
- FamilySearch does include a search page in case you don’t know which Enumeration District your ancestor was in. This is a link to search the film which includes Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell and Scott Counties. Use the column on the left side of the page to enter your Ancestor’s name. Link
- If you click on the “Image Index” tab at the bottom of the screen, you can see a transcription for each name on the page. This can come in especially handy when the ink was light!
- There are 2 ways to look at these images. You can just look at the images as if you were scrolling through the microfilm or you can view them as a break down of Russell County by Enumeration District. If you are looking at the break down images, you need to know which ED to look at in order to access the pages. Because I found the 2nd way to be so confusing, I thought about leaving that way out. But perhaps there’s some reason that I’m not thinking of as to why you’d want them broken down that way.
- Ancestry – darn, not free…BUT, I’m including it because it makes it easier to attach a file to your tree, if you have one. Also, compared to the other websites, I love being able to use the “filmstrip” along the bottom of the screen to go page by page or to jump ahead several pages. There is also a search page. Link
- At the bottom of the screen, next to where it is showing you the page that you’re on, there is an icon of 2 people with 3 lines next to their heads. Click on this to see Ancestry’s transcription of the names on the page.
Links:
- Search page –
- Precinct #1 – Post Office: Jamestown
- June 17 – July 19, D Gather Shepherd
- 56 pages – Stamped 136-163 (Page 1-56)
- The first 7 names are a continuation of the last family in Precinct #5, then Family #1 begins.
- FS Link – Image 277-332
- Ancestry Link
- City of Jamestown Precinct No 1
- August 29, D Gather Shepherd
- 4 pages – Stamped 164-165 (Page 1-4)
- FS Link – Image 333-336
- Ancestry Link
- Precinct #2 – Post Office: Creelsboro
- July 20-30, D Gather Shepherd
- 20 pages – Stamped 166-175 (Page 1-20)
- FS Link – Image 337-356
- Ancestry Link – Ancestry includes this section with Precinct #1 as well as a separate section.
- Precinct #3 – Post Office: Rowena
- August 1-11, D Gather Shepherd
- 20 pages – Stamped 176-185 (Page 1-20)
- FS Link – Image 357-376
- Ancestry Link – Ancestry has page 1 in a section of its own. Link
- Precinct #4 Wolf Creek – Post Office: Hammons Store
- August 12-27, D Gather Shepherd
- 27 pages – Stamped 186-199 (Page 1-27) (1 blank page afterward)
- FS Link – Image 377-403
- Ancestry Link – Ancestry has page 1 in a section of its own. Link
- Precinct #5 – Post Office: Jamestown
- June 6-16, D Gathers Shepherd
- 20 pages – Stamped 200-209 (Page 1-20)
- FS Link – Image 405-424
- Ancestry Link
1870 Census Mortality Schedule
What’s included:
- Number of the family as given in the 2d column of Schedule 1
- This is an item often overlooked! You can see which family in the regular census reported the death of the specific person.
- Name of every person who died during the year ending June 1, 1870, whose place of abode at the time of death was in this family.
- Age at last birthday. If under 1 year, give months in fractions, thus – 3/12.
- Sex – Males (M.) Females (F.)
- Color – White (W.), Black (B.), Mulatto (M.), Chinese (C.), Indian (I.)
- Married (M.) or Widowed (W.)
- Place of birth of this person, naming the State or Territory of the U.S., or the country, if of foreign birth.
- Father of foreign birth.
- Mother of foreign birth.
- The Month in which the person died.
- Profession, Occupation, or Trade.
- Disease or Cause of Death.
Additional FamilySearch Links
(Not sure why FamilySearch has them organized in 2 ways. The images are identical to those listed above.)
