1850 - 1880 Federal Census of Tyrrell County, North Carolina

Introduction/Remarks/Links to the Mortality Schedules

Introduction

Census mortality schedules record every death which occurred in the enumeration district during the census year, whether the deceased was, or was not, at the time of their death a member of a family residing within the district. The schedules also include every death which occurred outside the enumeration district during the census year for which the family of the deceased was residing in the enumeration district. THUS it is possible to find the same death recorded twice. The mortality schedules for four census, 1850 - 1880, have been transcribed and indexed.

Only the 1870 and 1880 mortality schedules provide a family number which allows researchers to reference the deceased individual's family in the schedule of whole persons. Researchers can link directly to the deceased individual's family from the mortality schedule by clicking on the family number. Some liberty has been taken with the family number links where it appeared that the enumerater recorded the wrong information. The family number displayed in the mortality schedule was not changed, thus if the schedule indicates the family number is 5, and you are linked to family 6, then the transcriber felt that the family 5 was entered in error. The researcher will have to decide if the deceased belonged to family 5 or 6, or none of the above. To return to the mortality schedule from the "Schedule of Whole Persons", it is necessary to click on the "BACK" icon.

Mortality Schedule Enumerator Remarks

Several enumerators wrote remarks at the end of the mortality schedules. Some of those remarks give insight into conditions in Tyrrell County during the census periods from 1850 to 1880.

1850:

The principal maladies are: Intermittent fever, Bilious Remittent fever, Pleursy, Pneumonia and Bilious Diarrhea.

The character of the water in this county depends much upon the nature of the soil. Where the land is sandy and poor, the water is generally clear and good; but where the soil is not sandy, which includes the larger portion of the county, the water is muddy and bad.

In some parts the soil is naturally fertile and is made tillable by means of canals and ditches. Other parts vary, the soil being clay or sandy, and it is not very productive.

The principal natural kinds of timber are Oak, Pine, Hichery, Poplar, Gum, Beech, Cypress and Juniper; of Cypress and Juniper, abundance of shingles are made anually for market.

1870:

The mortality in this Township (Alligator) has been small for the year ending June 1st 1870 caused I suppose by its being dry last season. Physicians say it is more deathly here during wet seasons. Then the myazena arises from the swamps and causes it to be sickly and deathly.

Since the first day of June and my visit to this Township (Scuppernong) the mortality has been greater in proportion than it was relative to the monitored portion.

1880:

The entire family who were residing on an island in the Swamp and were overtaken by a fire and burned to death.

The doctor that attended them lives in Hyde County. I could not get a statement from him.

Transcriber's Comments:

From the above comments it appears that the people in Tyrrell County had a very difficult time. People lived in remote locations and doctors were scare. If they lived where the soil would grow crops, then the water was bad. If they lived where the water was good, then the soil was bad and crops grew poorly. When it was wet, the crops would grow better but there was more disease. When it was dry, there was less disease but the crops didn't grow well. In many ways it sounds like a lose/lose situation.

Links to Mortality Schedules and Indexes

To use an index to a census mortality schedule, click on the census year in the box below.

GO TO MORTALITY INDEX
1850 1860 1870 1880

To view a census mortality schedule, click on the census year in the box below.

GO TO MORTALITY SCHEDULE
1850 1860 1870 1880