Always remember, when looking at census records:

1. Given names may vary from one census to the next

(compare ages to try to determine if person on one census

is the same as a person on another)

2. Ages may vary from one census to the next

3. Place-of-birth may vary from one census to the next

4. It was not uncommon for people to not know their cor-

rect age.

5. At times, the above is also true for place-of-birth

6. It was not uncommon for enumerators to record places-

of-birth incorrectly

7. Try to compare census records from several years with

each other

ABOVE ALL, KEEP AN OPEN MIND WHEN DEALING WITH CENSUS

RECORDS. WHILE THEY ARE ONE OF THE VERY BEST SOURCES

OF INFORMATION, THEY CAN ALSO BE MISLEADING AND, YES,

AT TIMES, INCORRECT. IT IS O.K. TO DO SOME GUESSING

WHILE FORMING THEORIES, BUT WHEN RECORDING THE FINAL

HISTORY, THE GUESSING MUST STOP; THAT IS, INFORMATION

SHOULD BE RECORDED AS "PROBABLE," "UNDOCUMENTED," ETC.

1900 FEDERAL CENSUS-LAMAR COUNTY, TEXAS

535/559 Spencer Littlejohn head bm Feb 1845 55 married 21 years

SC SC SC (in 1880, Spencer's age is 21-He was probably

born about 1855 and age in 1900 was about 45.)

Nora wife bf May 1856 44 married 21 years TX TX TX

Electer daugh bf Jan 1880 20 single TX SC TX (1880-

Liza E. born Oct 1879?)

?Jeems? son bm Feb 1883 17 single TX SC TX

Charlie son bm May 1884 16 single TX SC TX

Bethel son bm June 1886 13 single TX SC TX

Rosa S. daugh bf Aug 1889 10 single TX SC TX

Blanche daugh bf Feb 1892 8 single TX SC TX

Dudley son bm May 1893 7 single TX SC TX

Roscoe son bm Feb 1895 5 single TX SC TX