Nonexistent Information in Genealogy ---- Missing Children Part 3

Mississippi Black Codes

One of the benefits that I have enjoyed in genealogy research is learning about the history of the United States. I have focused recently on identifying ancestors post-Civil War known as the Reconstruction period. I have concentrated on this time period because I am still trying to find information to break down the brick wall of 1870.  I have tried to find the whereabouts of entire families.  The culture and laws during that time affected how and where they lived.  While trying to locate missing children, I found out about The Apprentice Law which was part of the Mississippi Black Codes. 

The 13^th amendment to the U. S. Constitution passed congress January 1, 1865 and ratified December 31, 1865 eliminated slavery.  Mississippi however was not readmitted to the union until February 23, 1870.  The Mississippi Apprentice law passed in November 22, 1865 was a law passed under the umbrella of the Black Codes. The Black codes were a series of restrictive laws applied to freedmen, free Negroes and mulattoes to restrict migration and insure a free or cheap labor force.  Black codes were not exclusive to Mississippi but present in other southern states.

The Mississippi Apprentice law allowed any sheriff, justice of the peace, or civil officer authorization to identify children under the age of 18 who were orphans or parents who could not properly take care of the children. These children could be apprenticed to white masters and mistresses for labor until the age of 18 for girls and 21 for boys. If the age of the child could not be determined the judge would assign an age. There were no requirements that the child receive a wage but the master or mistress paid a fee to the county in which they resided. Under this law children could be separated from the their family or extended family.

I have searched for records for children retained under the Apprentice law and have been unsuccessful. I however, have not performed an exhaustive search. Possibly these records are in Freedmen's Bureau records, a  private collections or under another legal heading.  I think  however, little effort was made to record or maintain any records. Although these children may not be associated with the family trees in my research, I will not give up my search. If anyone has information, please share.

I would recommend as a must read book Slavery by Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon which describes using Black codes which forced freedmen into involuntary servitude.

Further description of the Apprentice law can be found in this link

http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/2282#Frohnen_1515_693

---- The Tree Gardener

Nonexistent Information in Genealogy ---- Missing Children Part 2

Information errors

Most genealogist realize that there are inaccuracies in the United States census records. Identifying the number of children a woman may have had is no exception.

Louisa (Louiser) Brumfield is enumerated with her husband Irvin Brumfield and their children in the Federal census for Pike County, Mississippi in 1900. Louisa is identified as having 9 children and 9 living children. The reality is Louisa Brumfield had 10 children and all 10 were living at the same time. The household listed below Irvin and Louisa's entry Richmond and Martha Primm are enumerated. Martha was a child of Irvin and Louisa Brumfield.

Irvin & Louiser Brumfield  and  Richmond  & Martha Primm Year: 1900; Census Place: Beat 1, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: 825; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0105; FHL microfilm: 1240825

Another source of information is necessary to

 determine all the children.  It is difficult to find other sources.  

Nonexistent Information in Genealogy ---- Missing Children

Missing Children

When I first became interested in genealogy, I asked my older family members about our heritage. Members of my maternal family line provided a good source of information. My father raised as an only child with no living siblings was dead for years prior to my interest in genealogy. My paternal ancestry source consisted of meager reminiscences of my mother and my adolescent memory.  I soon realized that only 2 generations earlier consisted of nuclear families which had many children.  I wanted to go back and beyond slavery. I wanted to know if I had native  American and European ancestry which is a prevalent perception in my family.

    

In my early attempts at genealogy research, one of the first documents I looked at was the publicly available United States federal census records.  At that time, only the 1920 census was the most recent census available.  My first goal was to identify individual families’ parents and children. I have tried to research not only my direct lineage but associated family members. I reviewed the census from the known to the unknown or reverse chronological order.  The federal 1870 and earlier census records did not identify family relationships.  The grouping of individuals however suggested probable familiar relationships.  It was in the 1880 federal census, that the head of the family was identified and relationships to the head were enumerated. The head of the household was in most cases identified as a man.

   After multiple times, I recently reviewed the federal census for clues.  I found an attempt to identify the maternal lineage.   The 1890, 1900 and 1910 federal census had 2 questions that were specific to women 1) Mother of how many children? 2) Number of these children living?  I think these are fascinating questions that lead to a genealogy conundrum. The names of the children could be listed in the present enumerated family. A different number of children could be listed with the mother of the family.  

The possible answers could be:

•  A mother may have given birth to a child who was not identified with the present family in the census
• A mother may have had a stillborn (census taker did not include stillborns) or a newborn who died before 1880 
• A mother may have had a child after 1880 and died before 1900
• An adult child not previously enumerated with the mother in 1900
• The mother may have died before 1880 and a living child may therefore was not associated with a mother
• The head of household surname may be different from the mother’s surname and child’s surname
• A child could have been born after 1900 and died before 1910 
• A child associated with a mother and father may became  an orphan 
• A child may have a guardian or adopted 

I am now looking for the all children and determining if this information can ever be found.

------The Tree Gardener

Nonexistent Information in Genealogy ----- Social Security System Part 3

What's My Number?

When the Social Security Act of 1935 was signed into law, the social security number was developed.   The social security number was designed as a unique nine digit identifier which is assigned to an individual after completion of an application. It is presently used to track Social Security benefits, authentication and identification purposes.  Once an individual dies the number is not recycled. But are these statements  true?

In March 2015, the Office of the Inspector General* for the Social Security Administration* identified 6.5 million social security number holders age 112 or older who did not have death information on the Numident (acronym for "Numerical Identification System). There are approximately 35 people worldwide who are known to be 112 years old. In the report, a man fraudulently opened two banks accounts using social security numbers of individuals born in 1886 and 1893 who did not appear on the Death Master File.

ID Analytics is a company which develops consumer software solutions for authentication and identification purposes and a subsidiary of LifeLock.*  Lifelock is an identity theft protection company.  ID Analytics has discovered that:

1.  More than 100,000 people have 5 or more social security numbers
2.    15% of social security numbers are associate with two or more people 
3.  More than 140,000 social security numbers are associated with 5 or more people
4.  More than 27,000 social security are associated with 10 or more people
5.  6.1% of Americans have 2 social security numbers associated with their name 

I have been researching my maternal family tree on Ancestry.com  in the U.S. Social Security Application Claims Index 1936-2007.  I found  three results for an ancestor Chalmers Bearden.  His name is listed three times differently.

                                       

 Many of the errors are thought to be secondary to duplication errors and fraud.  In genealogy research, the social security number may not be a definitive source of information. 

* I am not an employee or representative of these organizations
 ----- The Tree Gardener