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About Census Records in The West Virginia GeoExplorer Project:

  
The Census component of the West Virginia GeoExplorer Database is a work in progress.

In 2012, we want to give you access to Jefferson County Decennial Census records for 1810 to 1880.  (The West Virginia Census for 1890 was destroyed in a fire in the early 20th century and is therefore not available.)  If time permits, we will also include the decennial censuses for Berkeley County, Virginia, for 1790 and 1800, since they contain information relevant to Jefferson County (which was formed from  Berkeley in 1801.)

Records will be searchable and sortable by any field.  Eventually, we hope to provide Personal Profiles and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) for many of the individuals listed in the censuses.  By viewing the profiles, you will be able to identify more precisely the person you are looking for and to use his or her PIN to search both census and textual records.  This approach should help you search through variant spellings of personal names in historical documents.  (See the Search Personal Identification Number section for more information on this approach.)

The information contained in censuses varied from one decade to another.  To help you understand these differences, the contents of each census are summarized below.  The "Instructions to Marshals" that were given to each census taker provide additional information on how data were collected.*  Additional information appears in the Instructions found on the Search page for individual censuses.


1810 QUESTIONNAIRE



NAME of Town, City, County or Village

NAMES of HEADS of FAMILIES

FREE WHITE MALES
  • Under ten years of age
  • Of ten years, and under sixteen Of sixteen, and under twenty-six, including heads of families
  • Of twenty-six, and under forty-five, including heads of families
  • Of twenty-six, and under forty-five, including heads of families
  • Of forty-five, and upwards, including heads of families
FREE WHITE FEMALES
  • Under ten years of age
  • Of ten years, and under sixteen
  • Of sixteen, and under twenty-six, including heads of families
  • Of twenty-six, and under forty-five, including heads of families
  • Of forty-five, and upwards, including heads of families
  • Of forty-five, and upwards, including heads of families
All other free persons, except Indians, not taxed

To view a specific page in the census, click on the appropriate page number below. To search the 1810 Census, select it from the pulldown list on the main menu bar and search by Surname and Name. (The database uses the spelling found in the original records.) From the search results, you can also click on the page link to view the original census page.



1810
Charles Town 54 55 56 57 58
Harpers Ferry 68 69 70 71 72
Shepherds Town 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107
Smithfield 59 60 61
Unincorporated Area 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67
68 69 70 71 72 74 75 76 77 78
79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 88 89
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98

1820 QUESTIONNAIRE



The instructions note: "Your assistants will ... understand that they are to insert in their returns all the persons belonging to the family on the first Monday in August [August 1, 1820], even those who may be deceased at the time when they take the account; and, on the other hand, that they will not include in it, infants born after that day."

Name of the county, parish, township, town, or city where the family resides.

Names of heads of families

FREE WHITE MALES
  • Free white males under ten years
  • Free white males of ten and under sixteen
  • Free white males between sixteen and eighteen
  • Free white males of sixteen and under twenty-six, including heads of families
  • Free white males of twenty six and under forty-five, including heads of families
FREE WHITE FEMALES
  • Free white females under ten years
  • Free white females of ten and under sixteen
  • Free white females of sixteen and under twenty-six, including heads of families
  • Free white males of twenty six and under forty-five, including heads of families
  • Free white females of forty five and upwards, including heads of families
Foreigners not naturalized

Numbers of persons engaged in Commerce

Numbers of persons engaged in Agriculture

Numbers of persons engaged in Manufactures

SLAVE MALES
  • Males under fourteen
  • Males of fourteen and under twenty-six
  • Males of twenty-six and under forty-five
  • Males of forty-five and upwards
SLAVE FEMALES
  • Females under fourteen
  • Females of fourteen and under twenty-six
  •  Females of twenty-six and under forty-five
  • Females of forty-five and upwards
FREE COLORED MALES
  • Males under fourteen
  • Males of fourteen and under twenty-six
  • Males of twenty-six and under forty-five
  • Males of forty-five and upwards
FREE COLORED FEMALES
  • Females under fourteen
  • Females of fourteen and under twenty-six
  • Females of twenty-six and under forty-five
  • Females of forty-five and upwards
All other persons except Indians not taxed

Note: Jefferson County records also include an unnamed column containing information of the occupation, race, or marital status of the head of the family. To view a specific page in the census, click on the appropriate page number below. To search the 1820 Census, select it from the pulldown list on the main menu bar and search by Surname and Name. (The database uses the spelling found in the original records.) From the search results, you can also click on the page link to view the original census page.
1820
Avon Mills 11
Cave Farm 12
Charles Town 1 2
Hall Town 11 12
Harpers Ferry 3 4 5
Lee Town 18 19 20 21 22 23
Old Furnace 14 15 16 17
Mills Grove 11
Mountain 12 13 14
Shannon Hill 11
Shannondale Springs 11
Shepherds Town 7 8 9 10 11
Smithfield 6




1830 QUESTIONNAIRE

The "Instructions to Marshalls" requires census takers to note "whether any person, whose usual abode was in the family on the 1st day of June, 1830, be absent therefrom at the time of making the inquiry, and if so, the sex, age, color, and condition, are to be asked and marked in the proper column, in the return of the family."

Name of County, City Ward, Town, Township, Parish, Precinct, Hundred, or District

FREE WHITE MALES

  • Under 5 years
  • 5 and under 10
  • 10 and under 15
  • 15 and under 20
  • 20 and under 30
  • 30 and under 40
  • 40 and under 50
  • 50 and under 60
  • 60 and under 70
  • 70 and under 80
  • 80 and under 90
  • 90 and under 100
  • 100 and upwards

FREE WHITE FEMALES

  • Under 5 years
  • 5 and under 10
  • 10 and under 15
  • 15 and under 20
  • 20 and under 30
  • 30 and under 40
  • 40 and under 50
  • 50 and under 60
  • 60 and under 70
  • 70 and under 80
  • 80 and under 90
  • 90 and under 100
  • 100 and upwards

SLAVE MALES

  • Under 10 years
  • 10 and under 24
  • 24 and under 36
  • 36 and under 55
  • 55 and under 100
  • 100 and upwards

SLAVE FEMALES

  • Under 10 years
  • 10 and under 24
  • 24 and under 36
  • 36 and under 55
  • 55 and under 100
  • 100 and upwards

FREE COLORED MALES

  • Under 10 years
  • 10 and under 24
  • 24 and under 36
  • 36 and under 55
  • 55 and under 100
  • 100 and upwards

FREE COLORED FEMALES

  • Under 10 years
  • 10 and under 24
  • 24 and under 36
  • 36 and under 55
  • 55 and under 100
  • 100 and upwards

TOTAL

WHITE PERSONS included in the foregoing

  • Deaf and Dumb under 14 years
  • Deaf and Dumb 14 and under 25
  • Deaf and Dumb 25 and upwards
  • Who are blind
  • Aliens-Foreigners not naturalized

SLAVES and COLORED PERSONS included in the foregoing

  • Deaf and Dumb under 14 years
  • Deaf and Dumb 14 and under 25
  • Deaf and Dumb 25 and upwards
  • Who are blind

To view a specific page in the census, click on the appropriate page number below.  To search the 1830 Census (currently being entered), select it from the pulldown list on the main menu bar and search by Surname and Name.  (The database uses the spelling found in the original records.)  From the search results, you can also click on the page link to view the original census page.

1830
Bolivar 172 173 174
Charles Town 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163
Harpers Ferry 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172
Middleway 175 176 177
Shepherds Town 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156
Virginius 174 175
Unincorporated Area 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120
121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130
131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140
141 143 143 144 145 146 147
Totals for Each District 177

1840 QUESTIONNAIRE



Name of the county, city, ward, town, township, parish, precinct, hundred, or district.

Names of Heads of Families

Free White Males divided into the following subgroups:

  • Under 5;
  • 5 & under 10;
  • 10 & under 15;
  • 15 & under 20;
  • 20 & under 30;
  • 30 & under 40;
  • 40 & under 50;
  • 50 & under 60;
  • 60 & under 70;
  • 70 & under 80;
  • 80 & under 90;
  • 90 & under 100;
  • 100 & upwards
Free White Females divided into the following subgroups:
  • Under 5;
  • 5 & under 10;
  • 10 & under 15;
  • 15 & under 20;
  • 20 & under 30;
  • 30 & under 40;
  • 40 & under 50;
  • 50 & under 60;
  • 60 & under 70;
  • 70 & under 80;
  • 80 & under 90;
  • 90 & under 100;
  • 100 & upwards
Free Colored Males divided into the following subgroups:
  • Under 10;
  • 10 & under 24;
  • 24 & under 35;
  • 36 & under 55;
  • 56 & under 100;
  • 100 & upwards
Free Colored Females divided into the following subgroups:
  • Under 10;
  • 10 & under 24;
  • 24 & under 35;
  • 36 & under 55;
  • 56 & under 100;
  • 100 & upwards
Slave Males divided into the following subgroups:
  • Under 10;
  • 10 & under 24;
  • 24 & under 35;
  • 36 &  under 55;
  • 56 & under 100;
  • 100 & upwards
Slave Females divided into the following subgroups:
  • Under 10;
  • 10 & under 24;
  • 24 & under 35;
  • 36 &  under 55;
  • 56 & under 100;
  • 100 & upwards
Number of persons in each family employed in:
  • Mining,
  • Agriculture,
  • Commerce,
  • Manufacture and trade,
  • Navigation of the ocean,
  • Navigation of canals, lakes, rivers, and
  • Learned professional engineers
Names and Ages of Pensioners for Revolutionary or military services, included in the foregoing categories

White persons who are Deaf and Dumb in the following subgroups:
  • Under 14;
  • 14 & under 25;
  • 25& upwards
White persons who are:
  • Blind;
  • Insane and idiots at public charge; or
  • Insane and idiots at private charge
Colored persons who are:
  • Deaf and Dumb; 
  • Blind; Insane and idiots at public charge; or
  • Insane and idiots at private charge
Schools &c
  • Number of universities or colleges
  • Number of students attending universities or colleges
  • Number of academies & grammar schools
  • Number of scholars attending academies & grammar schools
  • Number of primary and common schools
  • Number of Scholars at public charge
Number of white persons over 20 years of age in each family who cannot read and write.   To view a specific page in the census, click on the appropriate page number below. To search the 1840 Census (currently being entered), select it from the pulldown list on the main menu bar and search by Surname and Name. (The database uses the spelling found in the original records.) From the search results, you can also click on the page link to view the original census page.

1840
Bolivar 10 11 12 13
Charles Town 14 15 16 17 18 19
Harpers Ferry 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Middleway 19 20 21
Shepherds Town 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Virginius 13 14
Unincorporated Area 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58
59 60 61 62




Population of Local Counties, 1790 to 2010*
County Berkeley (W)VA Jefferson (W)VA Morgan (W)VA Loudoun, VA Clarke, VA Frederick, VA Frederick, MD Washington, MD
1790 19,713 18,962 19,681 30,791 15,822
1800 22,006 20,523 24,744 31,523 18,650
1810 11,479 11,851 21,338 22,574 34,437 18,730
1820 11,211 13,087 2,500 22,702 24,706 40,459 23,075
1830 10,518 12,927 2,694 21,939 26,046 45,789 25,268
1840 10,974 14,082 4,253 20,431 6,353 14,242 36,405 28,850
1850 11,771 15,357 3,557 22,079 7,352 15,975 40,987 30,848
1860 12,525 14,535 3,732 21,774 7,146 16,546 6,591 31,417
1870 14,900 13,219 4,315 20,929 6,670 16,596 47,572 34,712
1880 17,380 15,005 5,777 23,634 7,682 17,553 50,482 38,561
1890 18,702 15,553 6,744 23,274 8,071 17,880 49,512 39,782
1900 19,469 15,935 7,292 21,948 7,927 13,239 51,920 45,133
1910 21,999 15,889 7,848 21,167 7,468 12,787 52,673 49,617
1920 24,554 15,729 8,357 20,577 7,165 12,461 52,541 59,694
1930 28,030 15,780 8,406 19,852 7,167 13,167 54,440 65,882
1940 29,016 16,762 8,743 20,291 7,159 14,008 57,312 68,838
1950 30,030 17,184 8,276 21,147 7,074 17,537 62,287 78,886
1960 33,791 18,665 8,376 24,549 7,942 21,941 71,930 91,219
1970 36,356 21,280 8,547 37,150 8,102 28,893 84,927 103,829
1980 46,775 30,302 10,711 57,427 9,965 34,150 114,792 113,086
1990 59,253 35,926 12,128 86,129 12,101 45,723 150,208 121,393
2000 75,905 42,190 14,943 169,599 12,652 59,209 195,277 131,923
2010 104,169 53,498 17,541 312,311 14,034 78,305 238,700 147,430

*Source: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), United States Historical Census Data Browser.