Census Sunday: Errors in 1870 United States Census, 7th Civil District, Williamson County, Tennessee

The 1870 United States census records for the 7th Civil District, Williamson County, Tennessee, contain errors. My 3rd-great-grandparents Joseph and Amanda (Russell) Tarkington (spelled Tarington in the census record) appear to be in a household headed by Mary Ann Clardy. The next household appears to be headed by my 4th-great-grandmother Sobrina Russell (Amanda's mother). She lived with Amanda and Joseph in 1860.

1870 United States census, 7th Civil District, Williamson County, Tennessee, population schedule, page 8. Available from Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. 

Close up:

1870 United States census, 7th Civil District, Williamson County, Tennessee, population schedule, page 8. Available from Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

1870 United States census, 7th Civil District, Williamson County, Tennessee, population schedule, page 9. Available from Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Close up:

1870 United States census, 7th Civil District, Williamson County, Tennessee, population schedule, page 9. Available from Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

By looking closely at the other families on the census pages, it becomes apparent that the enumerator recorded the dwelling and family numbers on the wrong line; they should have been written on the line below. In many households, some children appear to be in different households than their parents. Several households appear to be headed by babies less than a year old.

The below image shows households that appear to be headed by Nancy Fleming, age 4/12; James M. Gardner, age 9/12; William Hulme, age 3; and Ransom J. Dudley, age 1.

1870 United States census, 7th Civil District, Williamson County, Tennessee, population schedule, page 2. Available from Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

The error begins on the first page of the census for the 7th Civil District, but there is another problem as well: dwelling 1, family 1 begins on line 12 of the census page.

1870 United States census, 7th Civil District, Williamson County, Tennessee, population schedule, page 1. Available from Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.