Census Sunday: The Russell Family in 1840 and 1850

In 1840, my 5th-great-grandmother Hannah (Hardgrave) Russell was enumerated as head of household in Civil District No. 14, Davidson County, Tennessee. Her son James Russell was listed as head of household on the same page of the census return.

1840 United States census, Davidson County, Tennessee, roll 520, page 349, image 718. 

 Hannah's household included one free white female age 40-49 (likely Hannah, although the age is incorrect; perhaps the census taker marked the wrong column, or Hannah's age was reported incorrectly), two free white females age 30-39, one free white female age 10-14, one free white female age 5-9, two free white females under age 5, and two free white males age 5-9.

In 1850, many of the same people were listed on the same census return page for Davidson County, Tennessee.

1850 United States census, Davidson County, Tennessee, population schedule, roll M432_875, page 279B, image 564.

Hannah and her daughter Sobrina (my 4th-great-grandmother) are enumerated in the same household, and her son James and his family are listed nearby. Two of the other households enumerated on this page also belong to the same family group. "Elvira Carrington" is Hannah's widowed daughter Malvira (Russell) Carrington, but her name is incorrect (perhaps the census taker misheard the informant), and her age is way off. Malvira and her children were probably living with Hannah in 1840. Hannah's granddaughter Amanda (Russell) Tarkington (Sobrina's daughter, and my 3rd-great-grandmother) was probably also in Hannah's household in 1840. Amanda married Joseph Tarkington in 1849, and she and her husband (my 3rd-great-grandfather) and their baby son James (my great-great-grandfather) lived near Amanda's mother, grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousins. Four generations of my family are listed on this census page.