(Click graphic to enlarge.)
Here is a transcription of the 1850 information relevant to David's family:
SCHEDULE I. -- Free Inhabitants in [unreadable] 70th District in the County of Putnam, State of Georgia, enumerated by me, on the 14th day of Sept 1850. L.H. Jackson, Ass't Marshal.
Column Headings:
- Dwelling house numbered in the order of visitation.
- Families numbered in the order of visitation.
- The Name of every Person whose usual place of abode on the first day of June, 1850, was in this family.
- Description: Age
- Description: Sex
- Description: Color: White, black, or mulatto.
- Profession, Occupation, or trade of each Male Person over 15 years of age.
- Value of Real Estate Owned.
- Place of Birth, naming the State, Territory, or Country.
- Married within the year.
- Attended School within the year.
- Persons over 20 y'rs of age who cannot read & write
- Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict.
- Line 22: Dwelling house = 180; Family = 180; Name = John Averett; Age = 41; Sex = Male; Color = Unmarked [which presumably means = white]; Occupation = Farmer; Value of Real Estate Owned = $900 [indistinct: could say $700 or $900]; Place of Birth = Ga. [Georgia]; Married within the year = no [unmarked]; Attended School within the year = no [unmarked]; Persons over 20 years of age who cannot read & write = no [unmarked]; Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict = no [unmarked]
- Line 23: Mary Averett; Age = 35; Sex = Female; Color = White [unmarked]; Place of Birth = Ga. [Georgia]; Attended School within the year = [unmarked]
- Line 24: Harris Averett; Age = 19; Sex = Male; Color = White [unmarked]; Occupation = Farmer; Place of Birth = Ga. [Georgia]; Attended School within the year = [unmarked]
- Line 25: Mary Averett; Age = 15[?]; Sex = Female; Color = White [unmarked]; Place of Birth = Ga. [Georgia]; Attended School within the year = yes [marked]
- Line 26: Catherine Averett; Age = 14; Sex = Female; Color = White [unmarked]; Place of Birth = Ga. [Georgia]; Attended School within the year = yes [marked]
- Line 27: David F. Averett; Age = 12; Sex = Male; Color = White [unmarked]; Place of Birth = Ga. [Georgia]; Attended School within the year = yes [unmarked]
- Line 28: Sarah M. Averett; Age = 9; Sex = Female; Color = White [unmarked]; Place of Birth = Ga. [Georgia]; Attended School within the year = no [unmarked]
- Line 29: I.J.L. Averett; Age = 7; Sex = Male; Color = White [unmarked]; Place of Birth = Ga. [Georgia]; Attended School within the year = no [unmarked]
- Line 30: Alvus Averett; Age = 5; Sex = Male; Color = White [unmarked]; Place of Birth = Ga. [Georgia]; Attended School within the year = no [unmarked]
- Line 31: Nancy Averett; Age = 3; Sex = Female; Color = White [unmarked]; Place of Birth = Ga. [Georgia]; Attended School within the year = no [unmarked]
By way of comparison, the following siblings of David F. Averett appear in the 1860 US Census:
- David F. Averett (age 12 years in 1850 and age 22 years in 1860)
- John L. Averett (named "I.J.L." and age 7 years in 1850 and age 17 years in 1860)
- Alvis E. Averett (named "Alvus" and age 9 years in 1850 and age 14 years in 1860) -- inconsistent ages
- Nancy L. Averett (age 5 years in 1850 and age 12 years in 1860) -- inconsistent ages
- Willson W. Averett (age 10 years in 1860)
- Romulus Averett (age 8 years in 1860)
- Rebecca Averett (age 6 years in 1860)
- Charles Averett (age 2 years in 1860)
So we see three very similar given names (David, Alvus/Alvis, and Nancy) and one somewhat similar name (I.J.L./John L.) for four of the children of John and Mary Averett. We see perfect age consistency for David and and John L. but we see not terribly good consistency in ages for Alvis and Nancy. But, from what I have seen over the past few years, the accuracy of data in census data is highly variable in both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The census takers were probably being paid for how many names they collected, not how accurately they recorded the data. Human nature being what it is, laziness or impatience have not changed since then. They probably wrote down what they thought they heard and moved on. There may have been some kind of error checking in place, probably based on whether the managers of the census takers knew the families being interviewed, but it wouldn't have been much more than that. So I don't think the inconsistency in ages for Alvis and Nancy, by itself, necessarily proves the two families are not the same.
Next, the following siblings of David Averett appeared in the 1860 US Census but not in this 1850 US Census
- Harris Averett (would have been approximately 29 years old in 1860)
- Mary Averett (would have been approximately 25 years old in 1860)
- Catherine Averett (would have been approximately 24 years old in 1860)
And, as a matter of fact, on line 26 of the 1860 U.S. Census, immediately following lines 16 through 25, which enumerated the members of the John and Mary Averett family, is one "Harris H. Averett", age 26 years (but not 29 years as would be expected based on the 1850 US Census), whose occupation was "mechanic" and who was born in Georgia. His wife, shown in line 27, was Malinda A. Averett, age 24 years and also born in Georgia. Their son, "Amona A. Averett, age 1 year, was born in Alabama. It seems reasonable that Harris might be the son of John Averett, although that would have to be further substantiated.
Parenthetically, since David Averett's occupation was shown as "mechanic" in the 1860 US Census, it is possible that he worked for or with his brother Harris.
Note to self: Look for Mary and Catherine in the 1860 US Census. It'll be tougher to find them if they married because they would have changed their surnames to reflect that of their husbands.''
Finally, because this 1850 Census was from Putnam County, Georgia, it may be relevant to point out that I found a marriage record for "John Averette" and "Mary Ledbetter" that occurred on 24 February 1830 in Putnam County, Georgia on the LDS FamilySearch.org web site:
If this is the right marriage record, I will have determined the maiden name of John Averett's wife, Mary (thus confirming what has been reported on other family trees found on Ancestry.com). But family trees on Ancestry.com and elsewhere on the Internet say a LOT of different things, much of which is incorrect. So I continue to be careful about concluding anything until I can confirm it with other sources, hopefully primary sources when available. So I am not ready to assess that Mary's surname was "Ledbetter" but if it was, the date of their marriage, 24 February 1830, would be consistent with the birth year of their first son, Harris. Harris was born about 1831 according to this 1850 US Census ("age 19 years").
I found the following graphic showing the location of Putnam County in Georgia from Wikipedia on 19 November 2011:
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