All in a Day's Work

What a difference a day makes. This is an expression that holds particular meaning as we approach another Patriot’s Day on 11 Sep.

From a genealogy perspective there are a few key dates to keep in mind. The 1890 US census was begun on 2 Jun 1890. Its results were challenged by the City of New York and the NYPD was sent out from 19 Sep 1890 to 14 Oct 1890 to conduct a second count. This second local census became particularly important and crucial after a fire led to the destruction of most of the federal census on New Year’s Day 1921. 

An Old Age Pension Act was passed by Parliament in 1908 to help those who met a set of criteria one of which was proving that you were 70 years-old. This law took effect on 1 Jan 1909. It was possible to establish one’s age through a search of the 1841 or 1851 Irish censuses. After the destruction of those records on 30 Jun 1922, these census abstracts became valuable census substitutes. 

The registration of births, marriages and deaths was not universal in Ireland until 1 Jan 1864. From April 1845 to 31 Dec 1863 only non-Catholic marriages were registered with the state. The next day all marriages were required to be registered. Births and deaths required registration that same day also. England and Wales started such recordings in 1837 and Scotland in 1855. 

Naturalization records in the United States are very different depending on the day in 1906. Records before 27 Sep 1906 might detail a lot of information but often it is limited. Starting on that day the federal paperwork that was required created a much more detailed and informative set of documents. It should be remembered that wives and minor children followed the citizenship of their husbands and fathers. After 2 Mar 1907 married women would attain their husband’s status. Therefore, a Mayflower descendant would lose her citizenship if she married an alien husband between 2 Mar 1907 and 22 Sep 1922 with the Cable Act or Married Women’s Act. After this act passed a wife of a citizen could directly petition for citizenship and no longer needed to declare an intent. Her citizenship would be completely her own and no longer tied to her husband.