Bridging a Twenty Year Census Gap

In issue 17 of Casefile Clues we look at a family for whom I can't (at least not now) find in the 1860 census. We've seen Benjamin Butler before in 1870 and 1880 census enumerations. This week we look at how his likely 1850 census enumeration was found.

There several steps to the process and there is still a remote chance that I don't have the right guy in 1850, but the case is pretty strong.

In issue 17 we'll look at the research process and the case for why this Benjamin in 1850 is the same one in 1870 and 1880. The main problems are:

• the children from 1850 are out of the household by 1870
• Benjamin has moved several hundred miles
• Benjamin has apparently had two wives--an 1850 wife and an 1870/1880 wife.

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