AIS Mortality Schedules Index

Mortality schedules list people who died during the previous 12 months. Mortality schedules were taken along with population schedules during the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 censuses, and in six states (Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, and South Dakota) in 1885. These schedules include persons who died between June 1st through May 31st in the year prior to the federal census. A typical mortality schedule will list the dead person’s name, age, sex, color (white, black, or mulatto), married or widowed, birthplace, month of death, occupation, and cause of death. Though part of the federal censuses, mortality schedules are separate from the population schedules.

“Included in the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 censuses were questions regarding those who died in the twelve months prior to the enumeration. They list persons who died between 1 June and 31 May of the year prior to the census. Even though these lists of deaths are widely believed to underreport actual numbers of deceased, this is still a valuable source of information. In many states where vital records were not kept it provides a nation-wide death register for five years between 1849 and 1880. The schedule lists the deceased name, sex, age, color, widowed or not, place of birth, month of death, occupation, and cause of death. In 1870 the parents’ birthplace was added.” — www.Ancestry.com

Please note that this table is not complete … I still have more research to do at the library.