1850 Federal Census Aroostook County, Maine - Transcriber's and Proofreader's Notes ************************************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwcensus.org/notices/ http://www.usgwcensus.org/ http://www.usgwcensus.org/cenfiles/ ************************************************************************** Abstracted by Carol Glidden (2002) from public records. Proofread by C. Gagnon (2002). Submitted by C. Gagnon (2002). Edited and formatted by Maggie Stewart. ************************************************************************** All above information must remain when copied or downloaded. ************************************************************************** More online information on the 1850 US Census of Aroostook County, Maine, including online links to particular individuals and places, and an online index of names in the census and other background, is available at http://www.upperstjohn.com/1850/index.htm ************************************************************************** NOTE: For more information on Aroostook County, Maine, Please visit the Aroostook County, MEGenWeb page at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mearoost/ ========================================================= ALSO visit the MEGenWeb archives at http://www.usgwarchives.net/me/mefiles.htm ************************************************************************** In this file are the following: 1. French names in the 1850 US Census of Aroostook County, Maine 2. The census takers of the 1850 US Census of Aroostook County, Maine 3. Aroostook County, Maine townships, cities and villages in the 1850 US Census: what they're called today ************************************************************************ French names in the 1850 US Census of Aroostook County, Maine _________________________________________________________________ One of the biggest challenges of using the 1850 US Census to find people in the French-speaking parts of Aroostook (especially in Hancock, Madawaska, and Van Buren Plantations) is the spelling of the names. The census taker apparently knew little French, and since many of the people were not literate, he had to guess at the spelling. Another complication is that the pronunciation of French in northern Aroostook county (as well as in neighboring parts of Québec and New Brunswick) has its own specificities; thus, Eloi is pronounced roughly like Elway, rather than the Parisian French Elwah. So imagine an English-speaker hearing a French name, in the accent not of Paris but of Madawaska, and trying to figure out how to write it. That's what we're seeing in the 1850 census. Needless to say, many of the names are very difficult to recognize. Another thing to keep in mind is that in 1850 there was no single, standardized way to spell many names, so even if people could read and write they may have spelled their name differently from others with the same name. This explains much of the variation. This is only a guide to deciphering the names. For those names for which I have definite information, I have included the correct spellings of the names in the "Remarks" section on the census transcription pages. This page is meant to be a guide, that is, to suggest possible ways that some common names were spelled; and to suggest possible correct spellings for some of the more common names found in the census to help point you in a direction for further research. Before you assume that the equivalents given here are correct for a specific individual, you should find other evidence for that spelling of his/her name. If you have any other examples, or know specific names in the census, please let me know. Thanks. _________________________________________________________________ First Names First names, if they were common ones, were put down in their English equivalents. Thus Jean became John (and the common name Jean-Baptiste was usually written down as John B.), Edouard - Edward, François - Francis, Michel - Michael, Antoine - Anthony, Henry - Henri, Marie - Mary, etc. Others were written down phonetically according to how the census taker heard them. They were rarely consistent in spelling. Male names ending in French in -ent were written -a, or -ah, which to English speakers creates an apparently confusing situation of what seem to be female names for people who are marked down as males (sometimes it was written as -o). Thus Flora is Fleurent; Laura, Laurent, etc. Please note: This is only a guide. You should always check other sources to confirm the actual spelling of names. "Real names"---> 1850 census version 1850 census version ---> "real names" Amable: Ama, Amat Ama, Amat: Amable Anastasie: Stausee or Stausie Bozeel: Basile Basile: Bozeel Clemo: Clement Clement: Clemo Dana: Donat Damase: Daumause Elway: Eloi Donat: Dana Flora: Florent Eloi: Elway Gregway: Gregoire Fleurent: Flora John B.: Jean-Baptiste Gregoire: Gregway Lora: Laurent Jean-Baptiste: John B. Mitchell: Michel Laurent: Lora Octan or Octans: Hortense Hortense: Octan or Octans Onry: Henri Henri: Onry Presel: Priscille Michel: Mitchell, Mishal Pruda, Prida, Predan: Prudent Nathalie: Tellie, Tallie Raffel, Roffel: Raphael Priscille: Presel Runno: Renaud Prudent: Pruda, Prida, Predan Savia: Xavier Raphael: Raffel, Roffel Stausee or Stausie: short for Anastasie Renaud: Runno Tellie, Tallie: short for Nathalie Xavier: Savia, Xavia Xavia: Xavier _________________________________________________________________ Last or Family names As with first names, last names or family names also suffered. Some were written phonetically, a few were "translated" into their English equivalent (Roi into King; Levesque into Bishop). Here are a few that have stumped me: Crock mystery solved: This is one of the most common names listed in the French-speaking parts of Aroostook in the 1850 census, but I couldn't figure out what name it was... To find out, see below. Please note: This is only a guide. You should always check other sources to confirm the actual spelling of names. "Real names" ---> 1850 census version 1850 census version ---> "real names" Ayotte: Yott Bushu, Busheaud, Bushore: Bouchard Bouchard: Bushu, Busheaud, Bushore Crock: Cyr Chorette: Shaurette Corno: Corneau Corneau: Corno Dubay: Dubé Cyr: Crock Deschênes: Dushane Gormeo or Gorneo: Gagnon Dubé: Dubay Gudrow: Gaudreau Gagnon: Gormeo or Gorneo King: Roy Gaudreau: Gudrow Makee: Marquis Marquis: Makee Mishoe, Mishauld, Misheaud, Misheau: Michaud Michaud: Mishoe, Mishauld, Misheaud, Misheau Neddo: Nadeau Nadeau: Neddo Parrow, Parrah: Parent Parent: Parrow, Parrah Pecor: Picard Pelletier: Pelka Pelka: Pelletier Picard: Pecor Pleward, Pluard: Plourde Plourde: Pleward, Pluard Prew: Proulx Proulx: Prew Shaurette: Chorette Roy: King Sosee: Saucier Saucier: Sosee Tardy: Tardif Tardif: Tardy Tarrio, Terrio: Thériault Thériault: Tarrio, Terrio Veancoeur, Veancoe: Vaillancourt Vaillancourt: Veancoeur, Veancoe Willet: Ouellette Ouellette: Willet Yott: Ayotte _________________________________________________________________ Cyr and Crock One of the most common names among the French-speakers in the 1850 US Census of Aroostook was written "Crock". I was very confused by this, since I had never seen that name among the French names of the region, and while the census taker did invent spellings for some names, it didn't remotely sound like any of the names of the region. Separately, I noticed that there were very few families with the name Cyr in the 1850 census, which was strange given how common that name is. I didn't put the two together though. Then, I found this in an article on early settlers of the Madawaska region: "...members of the Cyr family [were living in 1783] . . . just above the Keswick stream, on the opposite side of the St. John at a place known as Crock's Point. Tradition says that the older Cyr used to manufacture large quantities of maple sugar in the disposal of which he used smilingly to ask his patrons -- 'Vout-ils en avoir de quoi à croquer?' But whether the name of Croque, or Crock, really originated in this way is hard to tell. It is at least certain that for a considerable while the sobriquet largely supplanted the name of Cyr, but in later years has gradually fallen into disuse." Raymond, p.345 Mystery solved. If you are looking for Cyr in the census, check under the name Crock. ************************************************************************ The census takers of the 1850 US Census of Aroostook County, Maine _________________________________________________________________ B. Cummings The census taker for the northern part of the county was Bradford Cummings. In the census his name is at the top of each page, after "Enumerated by me" on the given date, and is signed "B. Cummings, Ass't Marshall." His father was General John Cummings, who in Oct 1825 settled on land two and a half miles west of Houlton, and who was "for years the principal man in the settlement and was agent for the trustees of the Belfast Academy for the sale of lots and location of settlers." Bradford and his brother John also settled in the Belfast Academy Grant. Bradford "was a land surveyor and in 1826 lotted the half-township" of Belfast Academy Grant, which is now Ludlow. "He built a mill on the stream which flowed across the southwest corner of his lot. The mill contained an up-and-down saw and manufactured lumber for the settlers. Bradford Cummings moved to Houlton and then to Fort Fairfield. Judge Cummings, as he was known for many years, was a man greatly respected in Aroostook County; he served there as sheriff and also as judge of probate." Chadbourne, p.179 Bradford Cummings was one of the early settlers of Letter D, Range 1, which was to become part of Fort Fairfield. In the 1850 Census he shows up as a farmer in Letter D. John F.H. Hall The census taker for the Houlton district was John F.H. Hall. He was born in Castine, Maine around 1814. By 1841 he was working as a bookkeeper for Patrick Collins, who ran a store in Houlton west of the Snell House. Hall was appointed the fourth postmaster of Houlton in 1841 and served in that capacity until 1843. In the 1850 census he is listed with his family in Houlton, and gave his occupation as "trader." Putnam, p.238 Humphrey Chadbourn The census taker for the southern part of Aroostook County was Humphrey Chadbourn. He was a carpenter living with his family in Molunkus Plantation at the time of the census. Based on his entries in the census, he was the least literate of the county's assitant marshals, mispelling the names of states as well as common first and last names. In the 1850 census he is listed in Molunkus Plantation at the bottom of page 1b. ************************************************************************ Aroostook County, Maine townships, cities and villages in the 1850 US Census: what they're called today _________________________________________________________________ This is a list of the townships listed in the 1850 US Census of Aroostook County, with the current names of those townships. If you can help me out with information on the current names of any of the other places, or if you have any more specific information or corrections, please let me know! Thanks. Please note that there is not an exact correspondence between the borders of the townships and the areas that the census taker canvassed under the heading of a specific township. Some people who lived in one township show up in another, neighboring one in the census. _________________________________________________________________ Amity: Amity Bancroft: Bancroft Belfast Academy Grant: Ludlow Benedicta Plantation: Benedicta Bridgewater Academy Grant: Part of Bridgewater Crystal Plantation: Crystal Dayton Plantation: Hersey Deerfield Academy Grant: Westfield Eaton Grant: Part of Caribou Framingham Academy Grant: Part of Littleton Golden Ridge Plantation: Sherman Hancock Plantation: Includes what is today Fort Kent, Eagle Lake (and maybe also St.John Plantation, Wallagrass, New Canada) Haynesville Plantation: Haynesville Hodgdon: Hodgdon Houlton: part of Houlton Letter A, Range 2: Township A, Range 2 Letter B, Range 1: Blaine Letter B, Range 2: Hammond Letter D, Range 1: Part of Fort Fairfield Letter E, Range 1: Limestone Letter F Township: Part of Presque Isle Letter G, Range 2: Part of Presque Isle Letter H, Range 2: Part of Caribou Linneus: Linneus Madawaska Plantation: Includes what is today Frenchville, Madawaska, St. Agatha (probably also T.17, R.5 and T.17, R.4) Mars Hill: Mars Hill Masardis: Masardis Molunkus Plantation: Molunkus Monticello: Monticello New Limerick: New Limerick Number 3, Range 2: Forkstown Number 5, Range 3: Oakfield Number 6, Range 4: Merrill Number 6, Range 5: Moro Plantation Number 7, Range 5: Township 7, Range 5 Number 8, Range 5: Township 8, Range 5 Number 9, Range 5: Township 9, Range 5 Number 9, Range 6: Oxbow Plantation Number 11: (Not sure what this is now) Number 11, Range 5: Ashland and part of Castle Hill Number 12, Range 3: Mapleton and part of Castle Hill Number 12, Range 5: Ashland and part of Castle Hill Number 17, Range 9: Includes what is today Allagash Plantation and St. Francis Orient Plantation: Orient Plymouth Grant: Part of Fort Fairfield Portage Lake Plantation: Portage Lake Portland Academy Grant: Part of Bridgewater Reed Plantation: Reed Plantation Salmon Brook Plantation: Washburn and Wade Smyrna: Smyrna Van Buren Plantation: Includes what is today Grand Isle, Van Buren (probably also Hamlin, Cyr Plantation, Caswell, Connor) Weston: Weston Williams College Grant: Part of Littleton. and part of Houlton ************************************************************************ With Permission: From http://www.upperstjohn.com/1850/index.htm Chip Gagnon