Did you know there was a mortality schedule?
They were only used for a short time, from 1850-1880, but they can provide invaluable information.
Sadly, they were only taken when the census records were taken and not during the non-census records.
This is helpful, because the states did not have death certificates, yet. These records provide more information on the cause of death than a family bible or dates on a tombstone would.
Questions asked in the mortality schedules:
- Deceased’s name
- Sex
- Age
- Color (White, black, mulatto)
- Whether widowed
- Place of birth (state, territory, or country)
- Month in which the death occurred
- Profession, occupation, or trade
- Disease or cause of death
- Number of days ill
- Parents’ birthplaces (added in 1870)
- Place where disease was contracted and how long the deceased was a resident of the area (added in 1880)
Have you found an ancestor on mortality schedules?