US Federal Census Ancestry or FamilySearch Source Template
Download link for rmst file = US Federal Census.rmst
Overview
Records are lumped by Census year and State. So this template will be used multiple times to create a source record for each State-Year combination required. I'm still not sure if lumping by state is beneficial.
US Census records are available from many sources. I have made these template to work specifically with Ancestry and/or FamilySearch, but those specifics are minor.
Template details
These contain the template name, an optional description , the filed names, hints, and the sentences to be used to form the footnotes. etc.
Source Template= _Census: 1850-1950 US Federal (by site-year-state)
Version= 2025-02-18
Field Type Display name
-----------------------------------------------------
Source Fields
RecordType Text Record Type
NARA_PROD Text NARA Product ID
PlaceState Text US State
DateSource Date Date Source
Citation Fields
Household Name Household
DateHeadBirth Date Head's birth date
DateSheet Date Date on Sheet
PlaceFull Place Place -full
PlaceLocality Text Locality
PlaceCounty Text County
PlaceStreet Text Street name
PlaceHouseNumber Text House Number
EnumerationDistrict Text Enumeration Dist
SheetLineNumber Text Sheet Line
DwellingSN Text Household SN
FilmRollNumber Text NARA Roll #
ANC_SRC_ID Text Ancestry source ID
FS_SRC_ID Text FamilySearch Src ID
DateCitation Date Date Citation
CD Text Citation Detail
Source Data
For the source data examples below, the 1930 United States Federal Census is used.
Record Type
FieldName=RecordType, Type=Text
Example RecordType = 1930 US Federal Census, population schedules
NARA Product ID
FieldName = NARA_PROD, Type=Text
Example NARA_PROD = T-0626
See my notes on data entry for the census for the complete list.
US State
FieldName=PlaceState, Type=Text
Example PlaceState = Minnesota
Date Source updated
FieldName=DateSource, Type=Date
Example DateSource = 30 March 2023
Citation Data
For the citation data examples below, the 1930 United States Federal Census is used.
Household
FieldName=Household, Type=Name
Example Household = Francis W Myers
I use the spelling of the name as I have for the primary or married name in the person database. Use the same nick name as in the census. This is not done consistently right now.
Head's birth date
FieldName=DateHeadBirth, Type=Date
Example DateHeadBirth = 28 April 1885
Not necessarily from record. Only for identification.
DateSheet
FieldName=DateSheet, Type=Date
Example DateSheet = 3 April 1930
Place -full
FieldName=PlaceFull, Type=Place
Example PlaceFull = Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota, United States
As the place appears in the Place tab in the database.
Locality
FieldName=PlaceLocality, Type=Text
Example PlaceLocality = Saint Paul
Found at the top right corner of census sheet.
County
FieldName=PlaceCounty, Type=Text
Example PlaceCounty = Ramsey
Found at the top right corner of census sheet.
Street name
FieldName=PlaceStreet, Type=Text
Example PlaceStreet = Asbury
House Number
FieldName=PlaceHouseNumber, Type=Text
Example PlaceHouseNumber = 676
Enumeration Dist
FieldName=EnumerationDistrict, Type=Text
Example EnumerationDistrict = 62-133
Sheet Line
FieldName=SheetLineNumber, Type=Text
Example SheetLineNumber = 4B, line 80-94
See data entry document for format.
Household SN
FieldName=DwellingSN, Type=Text
Example DwellingSN = 66
See data entry document for contents. Varies over the years..
NARA Roll #
FieldName=FilmRollNumber, Type=Text
Example FilmRollNumber = 01121; FHL 2340856
For 1930 census, I include the FamilyHistory Library film number. See data entry document.
Ancestry source ID
FieldName=ANC_SRC_ID, Type=Text
Example ANC_SRC_ID = 6224::78708024
FamilySearch Src ID
FieldName=FS_SRC_ID, Type=Text
Example FS_SRC_ID = ark:/61903/1:1:X3DQ-FMW
Date Citation
FieldName=DateCitation, Type=Date
Example DateCitation = 12 February 2024
Last date citation wsa updated, accessed online.
Citation Detail
FieldName=CD, Type=Text
Example CD = [blank]
Whatever info needed to explain what info this citation provides. Usually blank.
Citations produced
Footnote
1930 US Federal Census, population schedules, Ramsey County, Minnesota, ED 62-133, sheet 4B, line 80-94, (Francis W Myers household), US National Archives, T-0626_01121; FHL 2340856, accessed on 12 February 2024 at Ancestry.com, ID=6224::78708024
Short footnote
1930 US Federal Census, population schedules, Ramsey County, Minnesota, ED 62-133, sheet 4B, line 80-94, Francis W Myers
Bibliography
1930 US Federal Census, population schedules, Ramsey County, Minnesota
rmst File Analysis
This is the relevant part of the rmst file. The end tags have been removed.
<SourceTemplates>
<Copyright>RootsMagic source templates, template language, and template file format are copyright 2009-2020 RootsMagic, Inc. All rights reserved.
<Template Id="10054">
<Name>_Census: 1850-1950 US Federal (by site-year-state)
<Description>version 2025-02-18
Used to cite US census records
<Category>
<Footnote>[RecordType], [PlaceCounty] County, [PlaceState], <ED [EnumerationDistrict], >sheet [SheetLineNumber], ([Household] household), US National Archives, [NARA_PROD]_[FilmRollNumber], accessed on [DateCitation] at Ancestry.com, ID=[ANC_SRC_ID]
<ShortFootnote>[RecordType], [PlaceCounty] County, [PlaceState], <ED [EnumerationDistrict], >sheet [SheetLineNumber], [Household]</
<Bibliography>[RecordType], [PlaceCounty] County, [PlaceState]
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>RecordType
<Display>Record Type
<Hint>
<Detail>false
<LongHint>
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>NARA_PROD
<Display>NARA Product ID
<Hint>National Archives Product ID
<Detail>false
<LongHint>e.g. ..T-1234 use leading zeros to fill 4 digit field
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>PlaceState
<Display>US State
<Hint>State or Territory
<Detail>false
<LongHint>
<Field>
<Type>Date
<Name>DateSource
<Display>Date Source
<Hint>Date source created or last updated
<Detail>false
<LongHint>
<Field>
<Type>Name
<Name>Household
<Display>Household Head
<Hint>
<Detail>true
<LongHint>GivenName FamilyName
<Field>
<Type>Date
<Name>DateHeadBirth
<Display>Head's birth date
<Hint>for identification
<Detail>true
<LongHint>This is not what is reported in census, but from best available information.
<Field>
<Type>Date
<Name>DateSheet
<Display>Date on Sheet
<Hint>Date census was taken for this household
<Detail>true
<LongHint>
<Field>
<Type>Place
<Name>PlaceFull
<Display>Place -full
<Hint>as in database places list
<Detail>true
<LongHint>Use same name as used in this RootsMagic database...e.g...Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States..
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>PlaceLocality
<Display>Locality
<Hint>
<Detail>true
<LongHint>
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>PlaceCounty
<Display>County
<Hint>
<Detail>true
<LongHint>
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>PlaceStreet
<Display>Street name
<Hint>
<Detail>true
<LongHint>
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>PlaceHouseNumber
<Display>House Number
<Hint>
<Detail>true
<LongHint>
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>EnumerationDistrict
<Display>Enumeration Dist
<Hint>
<Detail>true
<LongHint>
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>SheetLineNumber
<Display>Sheet Line
<Hint>Sheet, line range
<Detail>true
<LongHint>e.g...79, line 5..45, line 3-4..23, line 29-30 & 24, line 1-2
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>DwellingSN
<Display>Household SN
<Hint>Dwelling Serial Number
<Detail>true
<LongHint>Do not confuse with house number...Census year..1950 Dwelling ..1940 Household
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>FilmRollNumber
<Display>NARA Roll #
<Hint>National Archives Roll Number
<Detail>true
<LongHint>e.g...12345..Include leading zeros to fill 5 digit field
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>ANC_SRC_ID
<Display>Ancestry source ID
<Hint>
<Detail>true
<LongHint>e.g. 62308::207402110
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>FS_SRC_ID
<Display>FamilySearch Src ID
<Hint>
<Detail>true
<LongHint>e.g. ark:/61903/1:1:6XTB-ZCT6
<Field>
<Type>Text
<Name>CD
<Display>Citation Detail
<Hint>
<Detail>true
<LongHint>
<Field>
<Type>Date
<Name>DateCitation
<Display>Date Citation
<Hint>Date citation created or last updated
<Detail>true
<LongHint>