Census Recounts

Searching an urban area is a unique endeavor in the family history setting. Some records such as census and vital records are similar to their rural counterparts. Others offer unique opportunities to unlock family mysteries and delve deeper into the story. 

One unique situation is census recounts. Understandably urban centers want as high a census count as possible and certainly do not want to be undercounted. This would cause a lack of congressional representation and missed funding and infrastructure benefits. In 1870 the federal census was criticized as undercounting a few urban areas. A recount was ordered for both New York and Philadelphia. This gives an opportunity for researchers to potentially find dual enumerations for a family in Jun 1870 and Jan 1871.

Enumerated in the 20th Ward in New York county in New York state for both enumerations the following is found:

Date 29 Jun 1870 Jan 1871

Dwelling 140 Family 444 528 (West) 38th Street

Robert English 40 blacksmith Robert English 40 chair maker

Fanny English 30 Fannie English 42

James English 14 James English 15 driver

Edward Mulligan 12 at school Eddie (English) 13

Martin English 12 Martin English 12

William Mulligan 9 Wm(English) 11

Elizabeth Mulligan 7 Lizzie(English) 6

George Mulligan 5 Geo(English) 4

Sarah English 4/12 b. Jan Sarah English 3

Fannie English 1

The information between two decennial censuses often has disparities. These censuses above are a mere 6 months apart and show dramatic differences. Mrs. English ages 12 years in half a year's time. The original census properly identified the stepchildren of Robert English with their father’s surname, Mulligan. The recount listed them by age interspersing the step-siblings and listed all as English. The later count identified the Mulligans by their pet names and even added an English daughter Fannie completely missed in Jun 1870. Sarah’s age is way off and one must wonder if she was missed in 1870 and correctly added in 1871 partly boosting the second count by 2% over the original. 

Chicago was denied a recount but conducted one anyway that was published in a headcount city directory. It listed the head of household and the number or males and females in each dwelling.

In 1890, New York again questioned the federal count. It was not granted a recount but it sent its police force across Manhattan and parts of the Bronx in the fall of 1890. They listed only the address, name, sex and age of each resident. 

In 1890 the Robert English household lived at 524 West 37th Street.

Robert English, 65, M

Annie, 45, F

Fanny, 16, F

Margaret, 13, F