• The total population was 6393 individuals with three duplicates

• 1065 were illiterate ( nearly 1 out of every 5) with very high incidence among older females

• 1072 had attended school recently

• 78 were newlyweds

• The average family consisted of about six members

• 3096 residents were female

• 3294 residents were male

• 56 residents were non-white

• 10 residents were mentally or physically handicapped

• 57% of the population was born in Illinois,

• 15% of the population was born in TN

• 82 were born in Germany; one more was born during the voyage.

• 34 were born in England, another 30 in Ireland

• John was the most common male name, then William and James

• Mary was the most common female name, then Elizabeth and Martha

• The oldest resident at 103 years was John Johnson born in NC.

• The next oldest at 85 were Hannah Jimson a black female from VA., and Sarah Shadhorn also born in VA.

• Approximately 755 males were self-employed.
• Farming was the dominant occupation.

• There were 12 Physicians, 12 merchants, 12 Blacksmiths, one Sheriff, and one Methodist Minister.

Surname variations are common. Especially, within families with a high percentage of illiteracy. In addition, many Hamilton County families had kinfolk in neighboring counties and states, other name variations occur in those collar counties. The researcher will be forced to accept this situation, and make the best of it.

Hamilton Co. was formed from White Co. in 1821 so it is not listed in the IL census returns for 1820, which is sorted by county. When Hamilton Co. was formed from White Co. in 1821. The surname Standifer was spelled Standerford, Standiver and Standiferd on the 1820 White Co. Census.

1830 - 1840

In the 1840 census there are many of the same surnames as are on the 1850 census but spelled differently. For example: Standifer spelled Standafer. On the 1830 census the name is spelled Kandefer. The name was spelled Standafer  on the 1834 census. The Researcher will want to refer to the 1850 surnames in documenting the 1840 census.

Robert Wingate, in the 1850 census, listed the surname Harrelson as Harrison. The researcher is referred to the microfilm page number in the original census of 1860. Those researching Harrison should also be aware of this.

                1860 - 1870

                The spellings of some surnames was changed per the 1860 and 1870 census.

The 1860 census was searched for families with several members matching the 1850 Hamilton Co. census. The researcher is referred to the microfilm page number of the 1860 census. In one instance the 1870 census was used because of the information and assurance sent by one of the direct descendants.

                Names that can be documented by the later census are:

                6/6: Deets, Nancy 9f (See 1870 Ham Co. film, p. 133)

                16/16: Heard (See 1860 Ham Co. film, p. 239)

                116/116: Dewit (See 1860 Ham Co. film, p. 97)

                122/122: Lynes [Sims] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 42)

                130/130: Sams [Sims] (See 1860 census Mason County)

                138/138: Salavin [Sullivan] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 94)

                145/145: Snover (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 96)

                157/157: Harreson [Harrelson] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 109)

                180/180: Gar_in [Garvin] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 51)

                198/198: Sanprona [Sophronia] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 57)

                337/337: Adcock, Isaac (Note: Isaac is included with 338/338 Adcock family in the 1860                   Ham Co film, p. 201)

                349/349: Donothy [Doughty] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 192)

                367/367: Still (See 1860 Ham Co film p. 102)

                397/397: Marzoe [Mezo] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 59)

                399/399: Marzoe [Mezo] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 59)

                516/516: Hardresty, Christopher (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 12)

                632/632: Gipson, Benjamin M. (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 5; Dwg. 32)

                659/659: Hugher [Hughs] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 84)

                679/679: Granta [Greenlee] (See 1870 Ham Co film)

                691/691: Revonocher [Reubenacker] (See 1860 film, p. 151)

                697/697: Zackmin, Marzell (See 1860 film, p. 218)

                713/713: Kascher, Solomon (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 196)

                720/720: Estes, Deca (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 232)

                917/917: Gallic [Gullick] (See 1860 film, p. 239)

                942/942: Daly, Erington [Evington] (See 1860 film Ham Co, p. 132)

                998/998: Wilson,Joseph Co.,Farmer,$300,b.TN (See 1860 film Ham Co., p. 102)

                1005/1005: Monsall [Munsell] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 124)

                1036/1036: Witton [Witter] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 231)

                1045/1045: Faster [Foster] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 111)

                1056/1056: Langly, Jaicey [Joicey] (See 1860 Ham Co film, p. 96)

Those are the only documented change of surnames. The rest of the changes are the transcriber’s interpretation of the S-K census film photocopy.

Page numbers are shown as follows [Original, SK]. The original being Wingate’s (383 thru 536) and SK is SK Publications page numbering system. (I.e. 192,192B, 193, 193B…etc)

Occupational data is limited. Laborers were members of a transient agricultural labor force, and tended to share room and board with their working family. Wingate succeeded in limiting the number of duplicate entries to about three.

There is little doubt; Mr. Wingate tended toward generalization when listing occupations. One half of the males over sixteen, are listed as "Laborer," and one half are "Farmer." The distinction between farmer, and laborer seems to have discretional. Prominent families tend to have more and younger "Farmers." All other occupations account for less than one percent of the males. Female situations are not even attempted

Birthplaces within a family provide a good indication of their geographical wanderings, and some indication of how long they stayed in residence.

Birthplace information for persons born in Indiana and Iowa can be confusing. "IA" & "IN" Both could have referred to Indiana in 1850. Iowa was made a territory in 1838 and a state in 1846. The decision as to what "IA" stood for in the 1850 census is left to the researcher. This transcription used the original notation of Robert Wingate.

Comments concerning specific individuals are located in the "remark" field of that individual's record.

 Note: Some names listed in this surname index do not agree with the transcriber’s interpretation, and do not appear in the transcribed census.