Complete Text of Column Headings for 1880 U.S. Census in Fredericksburg, Virginia
In addition to other instructions the enumerators were given instructions on the sheets concerning how to determine who was to be enumerated. These instructions are:
Note A.--The Census Year begins June 1, 1879, and ends May 31, 1880.
Note B.--All persons will be included in the Enumeration who were living on the 1st day of June, 1880. No others will: Children BORN SINCE June 1, 1880, will be OMITTED. Members of Families who have DIED SINCE June 1, 1880, will be INCLUDED.
Note C.--Questions Nos. 12, 14, 22 and 23 are not to be asked in respect to persons under 10 years of age. [This note was often forgotten]
For Cities there were two additional columns
Name of Street
House Number [Fredericksburg did not have street numbers assigned properties until 1890, so this column is not included]
The numbered columns were
(1) Dwelling houses numbered in the order of visitation
(2) Families numbered in order of visitation
(3) The name of each person whose place of abode, on 1st day of June, 1880, was in this family. [note: I have broken this into two columns the family name and the given name.]
The next four columns are a personal description
(4) Color--White, W: Black, B: Mulatto, Mu [shortened here to M]: Chinese, C: Indian, I.
(5) Sex--Male, M: Female, F.
(6) Age at last birthday prior to June 1, 1880. If under 1 year, give month in fractions thus, 1/12. [I have rendered this with the number of months and m thus 1m]
(7) If born within the census year, give the month.
(8) Relationship of each person to the head of this family--whether wife, son, daughter, servant, boarder, or other.
The next four columns describe the civil condition
(9) Single
(10) Married
(11) Widowed [a D indicates divorce]
(12) Married during census year.
The next two columns describe occupation
(13) Profession, Occupation, or Trade of each person, male or female.
(14) Number of months this person has been unemployed during the census year.
The next six columns describe the health of the individual
(15) Is the person (on the day of the Enumerator's visit) sick or temporarily disabled, so as to be unable to attend to ordinary business duties? If so, what is the sickness or disability?
(16) Blind.
(17) Deaf and Dumb.
(18) Idiotic.
(19) Insane.
(20) Maimed, Crippled, Bedridden, or otherwise disabled.
The next three columns describe the education of the individual
(21) Attended school within the census year.
(22) Cannot read.
(23) Cannot write.
The next three columns describe the nativity of the individual
(24) Place of Birth of this person, naming the State or Territory of United States, or the Country, if of foreign birth.
(25) Place of Birth of the father of this person naming the State or Territory of United States, or the Country, if of foreign birth.
(26) Place of Birth of the mother of this person naming the State or Territory of United States, or the Country, if of foreign birth.
Last Updated on 31 May 2009
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