OK. I don't pay for it, I was just basically on the site for curiosity purposes. Found out that in the 1920 Census, my great grandmother is listed as her first husband's wife AND her second husband's wife. (My family is DEVOUT Catholic, and I don't want any smart alec answers about polygamy.) How is this possible? I know her first husband died b/c of the Spanish Influenza (about 1928, without looking up the exact year). And I've been told by my great aunts and uncles that she didn't meet her 2nd husband til after her first died. Is it possible that back in 1920 the census took over 8 years to complete? That's really the only possible explanation I can come up with that makes sense logically, but if any of you have any other ideas, please, do tell...
2007-03-19 19:28:10 · 5 answers · asked by Cheyenne 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Genealogy
Contrary to some opinions shared above, it was not possible for the 1920 census to take 8 years to be completed. It has only one REAL purpose and that is to apportion legislative representation. There is a federal law that requires it to be completed within the first year of the decade.
If you found 2 men whose wife/wives had the same name/age/etc, I would suggest it's a cool coincidence. But I would not suggest it was the same woman. The real answer is to go to the County Clerk for that location and look up the records on both men and their marriage history. Records in the 1920s were very well kept and easily accessible (it's more than 72 years). I would venture to guess that the second husband's first wife had the same name as your grandmother. But it's just a guess until you pull the records.
BTW, to put your mind at ease you can pull the actual films for the 1920 census in that county and look at the dates of the individual visits to those households. I'd be shocked to find they were more than a week apart.
The other thing for you to do in light of their devout Catholicism is to contact the parish office for copies of their sacramental records. Explain what you've found and what you're hoping to find (the names of everyone's spouses, including maiden names of the brides) and request copies of everyone's Septulme (Rite of Christian Burial) records from the parish. That should tell you who was married to whom, when, who their surviving spouses were, etc. Catholic records use the same privacy laws as federal records...no release for 72 years from birth and marriage records, but immediate release if they know the person is dead.
2007-03-20 02:16:52 · answer #1 · answered by GenevievesMom 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Since the Spanish Flu began making its rounds and evolving in the US 1918 she very well could be enumerated one place as widow Jones and a week later as Mrs Smith in 1920. While the census is taken on whatever day the enumerator is at the door, there is a separate official census date. If you are certain your person is the exact same person I feel you are fortunate to have two "snapshots" that year, both should show you the residence address, exact day, and various other things.
I found one guy enumerated 3 times one census, he was on the move - home, then successive 2 hotels - note the exact dates on the sheet of each enumeration. Yes I'm certain it was him.
I was puzzled at one 1850 census showing head of household at the end of the listing, last. I knew he was dead the day of enumeration, wondered what the heck ... then I read the census instructions further, seems that they were supposed to list everyone who lived in that home on the specific date 1 June 1850 - which he did. No they hadn't kept his corpse around until mid-September.
2007-03-20 04:13:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
She would still be considered her 1st husbands wife because they were never divorced. A widow who simply remarried. And yeah the census could have taken 8+ years to catch up back in the 1920's.
2007-03-20 02:41:31 · answer #3 · answered by GoldE 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A transcription error?
How sure are you that your ggmother married the second guy - could it be someone with the same name?
It certainly wouldn't have taken 8 years to complete the census.
2007-03-20 02:40:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'd be willing to look up more information and get you the census image if you don't have access to it. I know that situation would leave me very curious if I didn't have a paid membership!
2007-03-20 03:28:47 · answer #5 · answered by calliope320 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋