This is a screen shot from the Ancestry.com app on my phone. While this is not my Wm. T. Hale who died in 1861 in TN it still bugs me to see this. The top hint is from the Mortality Schedules and the one under it is from the Mortality Schedules index. I have pasted the notes about both sources below the image. Both Hints refer to the same person. While I have atDNA tested with Ancestry and am awaiting the results I do not have a subscription and cannot tell if the records set allows the user to note the year error on the published Index. Wish there had been some way that Ancestry could have fixed this but I guess showing both and hoping that the researcher will investigate is the best that we can hope for...not only in the online tress but also in the records. Still I am grateful for any clues about my ancestors.
Tennessee residents are lucky to be able to access a few of Ancestry's Tennessee record collections via the
Tennessee Electronic Library. I was able to find my Paternal Grandparents's Delayed Birth Records. They were born between 1888-1891 and TN did not require Birth Records at that time
About U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885
Part of the U.S. Federal Censuses from 1850-1880 included a mortality schedule enumerating the individuals who had died in the previous year. Because each of the censuses from 1850-1880 began on June 1, “previous year” refers to the 12 months preceding June 1, or June 1 (of the previous year) to May 31 (of the census year).
Original data: Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. AIS Mortality Schedules Index. Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
About U.S., Federal Census Mortality Schedules Index, 1850-1880
This database contains the following mortality schedules: (snipped)....Tennessee 1850, Tennessee 1860, ..... (snipped)
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.
