1855 Census Returns: Marion County

These instructions were printed on the inside cover of the books sent to each census taker by the Secretary of State. They dealt with the procedure to be followed by the census taker in completing the work, as well as common pitfalls to avoid.

Instructions to Census Taker

1. Inquiry must be made at every house in the County, of the head of the family, or some white person above the age of fifteen years.
2. In carrying out the total number of Inhabitants, be careful not to add, as a separate item, the figures in the columns under the heads— "Children"—"Between 5 and 18"—"In Schools"—the children in those columns being previously included in the inhabitants under the age of twenty-one years.
3. One copy of the Books of enumeration must be returned to the office of the Secretary of State by the first day of September, A. D. 1855. The Census Taker will take an oath before the Judge of Probate or some Justice of the Peace, and subscribe the same at the bottom of the enumeration, that to the best of his belief the enumeration is correct.

An Act to provide for taking the Census in the year 1855 in this State.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Florida in General Assembly convened, That the Governor shall appoint one person in each County of this State to make an enumeration of all the inhabitants of said County, distinguishing the free white inhabitants, slaves and free person of color therein residing, and the same shall be made by actual enquiry at every dwelling house, of the head of the family, or of some white member thereof over the age of fifteen years

Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That each person so appointed shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe an oath or affirmation to faithfully discharge the duty imposed upon him by this act, and alter said enumeration, he shall make two copies thereof, one of which he shall file with the Judge of Probates for his County, and transmit the other to the Secretary of State, and for the faithful performance of such enumeration as is required by this Act, he shall receive as compensation therefor, five cents per head for the first thousand inhabitants, and three cents for all over one thousand and under three thousand, and two cents for all over three thousand ; and for all Counties having less than five hundred inhabitants, ten cents for each inhabitant.

Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That the persons appointed under this act shall be paid upon the certificate of the Secretary of State, that the duties have been faithfully performed, and stating the number of inhabitants, for which payment should be made.

Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That in case of the failure or refusal of the persons so appointed by the Governor, to perform the duties required by this act, it shall become the duty of the Tax Assessor and Collector to perform all said duties, and for such performance he shall be entitled to the compensation herein provided.

Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, That the Governor be, and he is hereby authorized to require the person appointed to take the Census in each and every County, to furnish any other information he may think proper : Provided, It does not increase the expenses of the State provided for in the preceding sections of this act.

Sec. 6. Be it further enacted, That the Census returns from the different Counties shall be made to the Secretary of State, by the first day of September, 1855.

Sec. 7. Be it further enacted, That if any one appointed to take the Census under this act shall be guilty of a neglect of his duty, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be subject to all the pains and penalties now provided for cases of perjury.

Sec. 8. Be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to furnish suitable printed forms to each and every officer to be appointed under the provisions of this act, and the Governor is hereby authorized to pay all expenses incident thereto, out of the Contingent Fund.

[Passed the House of Representatives January 5, 1855. Passed the Senate January 9, 1855. Approved by the Governor January 13, 1855.]

The following are letters between Secretary of State Fred Villepigue and officials charged with conducting the census.

In the first letter, Washington County sheriff J.A. Tabor expresses ambivalence about taking responsibility for the census in Washington County. It is not clear whether Tabor realized the law held the tax assessor responsible for completing the census in the absence of an appointee from the Governor, rather than the county sheriff. It is possible that Washington County did not have a tax assessor and collector in office at this time, hence the task falling to his attention. It is also possible, as another letter will later show, that Tabor was serving as both sheriff and tax assessor/collector.

Letter from J.A. Tabor of Vernon, Florida to Secretary of State Fred L. Villepigue, June 12, 1855

Source: Incoming Correspondence of the Secretary of State (Series 1325, Box 3, folder 2).

Transcript:

Vernon, June 12th, 1855

F.L. Villepigue, Esq.

Dr. Sir,

I sent a reply to your letter some time since, but as you have not received it I will write again.

I hold the office of Sheriff of this County, and I have a Deputy to do all my Official business. If he can do this business I will accept, otherwise I cannot.

I have not seen the Law in regard to taking census, but I have been informed the sheriffs are compelled take it provided there is no application from any one else. If you will inform me whether or not my Deputy can do the business for me, I will then accept.

Yours Respectfully,
J.A. Tabor.

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Across the state in Volusia County, Sheriff E. Watson was much more amenable to taking the census, for personal reasons.

Letter from E. Watson of Enterprise, Florida to Secretary of State F.L. Villepigue, June 4, 1855

Source: Incoming Correspondence of the Secretary of State (Series 1325, Box 3, folder 2).

Transcript:

Enterprise, 4th June 1855.

F.L. Villepigue, Esq.

Dear Sir,

Yours of the 25th May is before me and in Reply I would say that I would willingly except [sic] of the Books for Taking the Census of Volusia County, as sheriffing & tax collecting does not pay vary well in this county.

I suppose my Bonds will git to Tallahassee soon. I did not know whare Judge Forward was but I sent my Bonds to a friend in Palatka who would send them to the Judge for his approval.

Yours Vary Respectfully,
E. Watson

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This letter from George Washington Ferguson of Miami reveals the challenging nature of census-taking in remote parts of the state, especially in South Florida. As Ferguson explains, even finding a county official clothed with the power to certify a document could take days or weeks.

Letter from G.W. Ferguson of Miami, Florida to Secretary of State F.L. Villepigue, May 15, 1855

Source: Incoming Correspondence of the Secretary of State (Series 1325, Box 3, folder 2).

Miami Fla 15th May 1855

Hon. Secy of State

Sir

By the present mail I have received notice of my appointment as Census Taker for Dade Co with necessary blanks accompanying the same. I accept the appointment and will execute the necessary certificates certificates the first time that I can have their acknowledgement, we having no Judge or Justice of peace nearer than Key West 130 miles and at once forward them to your office.

I would like to be advised whether the law contemplates to enumeration of U.S. Officers & Soldiers stationed in the various counties and will thank you for information on that front at your earliest convenience.

Your Obt. Servt.
G.W. Ferguson

Finally, there was the matter of payment. The law stipulated that census takers would be paid by the individual counted, according to a formula given in the text of the legislation (link this). The following is an example of a letter sent by the Secretary of State to a census taker containing a voucher drawn on the State Treasury to pay for his services. By our calculations, the payment is off by a few cents, but on the whole the system appears to have worked as planned.

Letter from Secretary of State Fred L. Villepigue to Isaac Jackson, September 4, 1855

Source: Secretary of State Letterbooks (Series 24, Volume 2).

Transcript:

No 602

Office of the Secretary of State
Tallahassee Sept 4th 1855

Isaac Jackson, Esq.

Sir,

Enclosed you will find a warrant on the Treasury for $61 94/100 allowed you for taking census of Calhoun County. You will please acknowledge the receipt of the same at your earliest convenience.

Yours Respectfully,
F.L. Villepigue
Secy of State