MORTALITY SCHEDULES FOR GRANT COUNTY, INDIANA

The following paragraphs are quoted from an article written by Dr. Jean Stephenson in the 
September 1943 issue of the National Genealogical Quarterly Magazine.

�In 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 census enumerators were directed to secure, in addition to the 
usually required census data, information as to all persons dying within the twelve months 
preceding the taking of the census. These lists, which were duly filed in Washington, 
became known as �Mortality Schedules.�

These schedules contain valuable information for genealogists and local historians. While 
details varied somewhat from state to state the example from the Georgia schedule is typical. 
The name of the person, his state of birth, date of death, as well as cause of death, are 
usually given.

As these schedules antedate the establishment of vital records in the majority of the states, 
they are of especial value. This 31 year record is just when those born in the 1790-1810 
decades were completing the normal life span.

A number of years ago, when the Mortality Schedules had a served their purpose and the matter 
of their destruction as useless papers arose; the Daughters of the American Revolution 
requested them. After consideration by the appropriate committee of Congress, the Director of 
the Census was authorized to return each schedule to the state concerned by presentation to 
the State Library, Archives of similar department at the request of such state agency or 
historical society or in the absence of such request to give them to the Daughters of the 
American Revolution.�

MORTALITY SCHEDULES FOR GRANT COUNTY, INDIANA

The State Library of Indiana welcomed these old records and they are now deposited with the 
Genealogy Department. The ink is faded and the old style S makes it difficult to decipher 
many of the names. Only a part of the data has been copied in this report. To all appearances 
the contributing cause of death was very loosely interpreted. Many of these returns were made 
by relatives and were as much by guess as by fact. In 1880 the instructions were more specific 
and are copied in part. The important point in this schedule is the question in column 14 
headed �Disease or cause of death.� Especial pains must be taken in this column to make the 
answer full and exact and to this end attention is called to the following points:  �Enter 
the name of the primary disease in all cases and when the immediate cause of death has been 
a complication or consequence of the primary disease either that also. For instance, enter all 
cases of death resulting either immediately or remotely from measles, scarlet fever, typhoid 
fever, smallpox, etc under the names of these diseases, but add also dropsy, hemorrhage from 
the bowels, pneumonia, etc. if these occurred as complications and were the immediate cause of 
death. In cases of death from hemorrhage, specify the origin of the hemorrhage, thus hemorrhage 
as from aortic aneurism, hemorrhage from ulcer of the intestines in typhoid fever, hemorrhage 
from the lungs, hemorrhage from wound in the neck etx. So also for abscess, aneurism, cancer, 
carbuncle, dropsy, tumor, ulcer, specify organ or part affected; as iliac abscess of liver, 
femoral aneurism, carbuncle of the hip, cancer of the breast, cancer of the uterus cancer of 
the face, dropsy on the chest, dropsy of the abdomen, inflammation of the brain, inflammation 
of the liver, tumor of the neck, tumor of the abdomen, ulcer of the face, ulcer of the groin 
etc. typhus, typhoid, typhoid malarial fever. 

Especial inquiry should be made for the cause of �still-birth� including infants born dead from 
whatever cause. As few deaths as possible should be reported under the general terms as disease 
of the throat, disease of the brain, disease of the liver, disease of lungs, disease of the 
bowels, disease of the spine etc. These should be as far as possible reported under special 
heads.

Be sure that the difference between apoplexy, epilepsy, and paralysis is understood. 
Distinguish between acute and chronic bronchitis, acute and chronic dysentery, or diarrhea, 
acute and chronic rheumatism. Report cerebro-spinal meningitis as cerebrospinal fever.

Do not report as the cause of death old age or intemperance or debility or paralysis of the 
heart or sudden death. In any case where it is possible name a definite disease. In reported 
suicide name the means.

The enumerator should see in person every physician residing in the district and courtesy 
request him to inspect him to inspect the entries in regard to the cause of death, in his 
cases and to verify or correct them.�

Page 102: The original copies are now in the possession of Indiana State Library. The age, 
sex, color, place of birth, married or single, occupation, cause of death, month of death 
are items in these schedules to which are added the name of the attending physician in the 
1880 schedule. It is of interest to note that no occupation for women was given until 1870 
and then not in all cases. The attributing cause of death is also of interest. Putrid sore 
throat, chills and ague, whooping cough, consumption, inflammation of the brain, bowels, 
spine or lungs, erysipelas, typhoid, fits, flux, black tongue, and a few cases of smallpox 
are named.

In 1850 Isaac Vanderventer is named as Assistant Marshall and the one taking the census for 
the year ending June 30, 1850.

CENTER TOWNSHIP

NAME			AGE	MONTH OF DEATH	OCCUPATION	CAUSE OF DEATH

Sarah C. Middleton	13		Jan				lung fever
Rosannah Campbell	2		July				inflammation of brain
Martha J. Whisler	6m		Jan				dropsy
Hannah E. Patty		1m		Jan				diarrhea
Evaline Pearson		10		Apr				inflammation of brain
Jesse Small		73		Dec				lung fever
Calvin Pegg		6m		July				inflammation of brain
Rosetta Foster		1		May				croup
Martha Thomas		7		Aug				worms
Sally Wilcuts		18		Dec				unknown
Willaba Wilcuts		10m		Apr				inflammation of bowels
Rosinah Elliott		39		Oct				consumption
John Hite		6m		Mar				inflammation of brain

GREENE TOWNSHIP

Susan Saine		76		Feb				typhus fever
William H. Turner	1m		June				diarrhea
Laura J. Howell		2m		Feb				croup
Mary Rush		4		Sept 				flux			

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP Page 102-103

GILBERT carter		10m		Sept 				typhus fever
Elias Wright		5		Mar				flux
John R. Hollis		12		Sept 				typhus fever
Nancy Richards		1m		May				unknown
Moses McKeever		44		Feb				lung fever
Hugh McKeever		18		Feb				congestive fever
Mary McKeever		84		Feb				congestive fever
William A. Lucas	6m		Feb				scarlet fever
Cynthia Lucas		3		Mar				scarlet fever
James Monroe		21		Mar				lung fever
Barbary E. Palmer	2		Mar				unknown
Mary Snyder		88		Oct				flux
James Collins		59		Mar				piles			

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP Page 103

Aaron Peacock		19		Feb				consumption
Elam Scott		9		Aug				pleurisy
John Peacock		2m		July				flux
Horenhapuch Gauntt	32		June				bilous fever
Abner E. Brown		9m		Aug				unknown
Sophronia Brewer	2m		Mar				unknown
John Radley		1m		Sept 				unknown
Mary Wilson		24		Aug				consumption
Jabez Wilson		1		Sept 				flux			

TOWN OF MARION

Sophia Guensin		8m		Apr				inflam of brain
Mary Hausley		72		Feb				dis. Of heart
Thomas Wall		45		Jan				lung fever
Tilghman H. Shively	9		June				inflam of brain
J.B. Stebbens		46		May				lung fever
Adelia M. Rodgers	1		Feb				lung fever
Alonzo Barley		1m		June				unknown
William Scott		3m		Dec				inflam of brain
Rosetta Shunk		26		May				diarrhea
Maria E. Cubberly	4m		Mar				measles
Andrew J. Gregg		1		Aug				unknown
John Gilbert 		42		Jan				pleurisy
Sarah A. Beatty		9m		Dec				croup
Eleanor Bowman		45		Aug				childbirth
Alfred S. Wilcuts	10		Sept 				diarrhea
Sarah J. Conner		1		Sept 				inflam of brain
Elva Foster		6		Sept 				inflam of brain
Ann E. Lomax		1		Sept 				inflam of brain		

MILL TOWNSHIP Page 104

John C. Wilson		3m		Aug				not known
Daniel Ritter		88		Nov				inflam of brain
Mary A. Ritter		4		Jan				inflam of brain
David Weesner		36		July				cholera
Anna M. Bates		1m		Sept 				unknown
Enoch Druley		19		Oct				conges. of brain
Lewis Wooton		51		Mar				typhoid fever
Georgianna Horne	1		Oct				not known
Francis Reily		5m		Sept 				dysentery
John W. Spence		22		Sept 				congestive fever
Elizabeth Dormel	53		Aug				flux			

MONROE TOWNSHIP 

James Toben		50		Aug				cholera
Martha Harrison 	77		July				cholera
Andrew Patterson	48		July				cholera
Elizabeth A. Jacks	4m		July				croup
Joseph Oliver		1m		Feb				unknown
Jesse Holliway		50		Nov				dropsy
Lydia Schooley		5		July				croup
Margaret Schooley	3		July				croup			

PLEASANT TOWNSHIP

Nancy Burson		17		June				consumption
Sarah Burson		19		Oct				consumption
Mary A. Mercer		1m		May				unknown
James C. York		2m		Aug				unknown
James Green		70		Dec				fever

PLEASANT TOWNSHIP (cont. page 104)

NAME			AGE	MONTH OF DEATH	OCCUP. 	CAUSE OF DEATH

Joshua Hurley		27		Nov				drowning

RICHLAND TOWNSHIP

Abner H. Grindle	1		Aug				diarrhea
Jacob Cline		1		Feb				quinsy
Mary E. Antrim		9m		Mar				croup
Abram Pixler		6m		Mar				bold hives
William Green		7		June				dropsy
Anna E. Powell		1		June				croup
Elizabeth A. Slagle	1		Feb				worms
Malinda Jellison	55?		June				fever
Mary A. Maine		1m		Aug				croup
E. J. Wingfield		4m		Sept 				croup
Harrison Herader	1		June				croup			

SIMS TOWNSHIP

Clark Knight		2m		Sept 				fever
James W. Miller		8m		Apr				cholic
William Baker		3m		Apr				smallpox
Francis Olinger		12		Apr				accident
Sarah J. Smith		5		Apr				dropsy
Sarah Pence		1		June				drowned
Alfred Thomas		18		Sept 				chills & fever		

VANBUREN TOWNSHIP

M.W. Camblin		12		Jan				typhoid
John Long		5		Feb				cold
Mary Malcolm		27		May				consumption
Nancy A. Malcolm	3		Aug				consumption
Andrew C. Roush		2		Jan				unknown
Rob�t. L. Cloud		3		Aug				flux
Ann Kilgore		28		June				unknown		

UNION TOWNSHIP

George P. Wright	1		Aug				flux
Susannah Winslow	1		Aug				inflam of brain
David L. Stanfield	7		July				inflam of brain
Mary E. Stanfield	1		Sept 				flux
Hannah Lee		56		Mar				consumption
Lewis L. Whitson	2m		Sept 				croup
Joseph Power		74		Mar				not known		

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

Alvina Thompson		32		Dec				unknown
Eli Gumnere		2		July				diarrhea

NAME			AGE	MONTH OF DEATH	OCCUPATION	CAUSE OF DEATH

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (cont. page 105)

Maria westfall		40		Oct				unknown
Ann Barley		19		May				childbirth
Mary J. Smith		1m		Oct				unknown
Geo. Bocock		22		Dec				fits
Samuel Turner		4m		May				unknown
Sarah Marsh		6m		Dec				unknown

PAGE 106: �In 1855 when a general re-organization was ordered by the County Commissioners, 
Richland, Pleasant, Sims, Franklin, Green, Liberty and Mill Townships were formed with the 
present boundaries. At the same time the name of Madison was changed to Monroe and Fairmount 
and Union were consolidated under the name Union. In September of that year Union was again 
divided into Union and Fairmount, but in 1858 they were re-consolidated under the name of 
Fairmount. The boundaries have not been changed since.�  From a booklet issued by the Grant 
County Junior Historical Society of the Marion High School issued in 1937. In this copy of 
the Mortality Schedule for Grant County appears the names of the 13 townships as they appear 
today. To that of 1850 is added the place of birth and in some cases the occupation of the man 
is given.

MORTALITY SCHEDULE OF GRANT COUNTY

 CENTER TOWNSHIP    1860

NAME			AGE	PL. OF BIRTH* OCCUPATION* MONTH* CAUSE OF DEATH	

John Moore		35	Ohio		blacksmith	May	consumption
Elizabeth Jones		2/12	Ind.				Aug	inf. Of stomach
Martin V. Beshore	17	Ind.		Farmhand	Aug	�   �   �   �
Thomas E. Zahn		2	Ind.				Aug	spinal affect-
Josephine Bradford	5	Ind.				Aug	inf. Of brain
Sarah J. Turner		33	Ohio				Sep 	consumption
Unis Wilcots		56	N.C.				Oct 	cancer
Ruth T. Parker		5	O				Oct	sore throat
Catherine Snyder	71	Pa				Apr 	palsy
Emma M. Schooley	3m	Ind				Aug	flux
Clarissa E. Peck	1	Ind				Nov	inf of brain
Malissa J. Tiams	9	Ind				Feb	sore throat
Mary Burson		42	Va				May	consumption
Matilda Stafford	8m	Ind				May	scalding
Isaah Futrell		8	Ind				Feb	sore throat
Lilla McKinney		4	Ind				Mar	�  �   �   �
Daniel Mowerer ass�t Marshall enumerating. 							

FAIRMOUNT TOWNSHIP 1860
D.P. Pulley enumerating. 

Sarah Willson		2d	Ind					Apr	unknown
Josiah Owens		9m	Ind					Sep 	infl. Of brain
Eva Lucas		2w	Ind					Nov	fits
Jos. Winslow		81	N.C.			farmer		Oct	old age
Calvin Harvey		1d	Ind					July	unknown

FAIRMOUNT TOWNSHIP 1860 (cont. page 106)

NAME			AGE	PL OF BIRTH* OCCUPATION* MONTH* CAUSE OF DEATH	

Catherine Harvey	1w	Ind				Jul	unknown
Thomas Powell		73	England		farmer		Dec	typhoid fever
Keziah Lyons		24	Ohio  				Feb	childbed fever
Sarah Dillon		2m	Ind				Feb	whooping cough
Sam�l Heavengidge	59	Va		farmer		Mar	erysipelas
Mary Patterson		52	Ind				Apr	putrid sore throat
Levi N. Quinn		5	Ind				Sept   	Scarlet fever
Angeline Quinn		2	Ind				Aug	Scarlet fever
Nancy J. Beeson		23	Ohio				Sept 	Typhoid fever
Rachel Adams		21	Ind				May	consumption
Elizabeth Bull		65	England				Oct	inf. Of lungs
David W. Leech		1	Ind				Mar	whooping cough
Jane Brewer		2	Ind				Oct	chills & fever		

GREENE TOWNSHIP 1860 page 107
Daniel Mowerer - enumerating

Hattie A. Stafford	1	Ind				Apr	measles
Harry Stafford		3	Ind				Apr	measles
Lucinda A. Young	1	Ind				Mar	typhoid fever
Mary F. Kirkpatrick	11m	Ind				Nov	brain fever
George A. Clark		7	Ohio				Sep	scarlet fever
Margaret E. Knox	12	Ind				Dec	fever
Jacob Foster		2	Ohio				Oct	chills & fever
Claritte Femmell	5	Ind				Oct	unknown
Amanda A. Stilwell	7m	Ind				Mar	inflam of brain
Elizabeth Wilson	1m	Ind				Feb	putrid sore throat
Catharine Harper	25	Ind				Apr	fever
Isaah Ware		7	Ind				Jan	falling on ice
Catharine Heiser	43	Va				Mar	childbed fever
William I. Bard		1	Ind				Oct	croup
Aaron Mauler		53	Pa		farmer		May	dropsy
Martha J. Galbreth	1	Iowa				Aug	inflam of bowels
Becky J. Miller		16	Ind				Mar	typhoid fever
Eliza Miller		5m	Ind				Apr	lung fever
Wm. H. Bosler		9m	Ind				May	sore throat
Irene M. Lyons		30	Penn				May	scrofula
Emily J. Barton		1	Ind				Jan	typhoid fever
Amanda Myer		6m	Ind				Jan	unknown
Shedrick Elliott	50	N.C.		farmer		Jan	black tongue
Francis M. Smith	5	Ind				Aug	sore throat
Charles M. Garten	65	Tenn		farmer		Apr	consumption
Jonathan M. Maxwell	5	Ohio				Dec	lung fever
Vanwert Paswell		1	Ind				Apr	lung fever
John Thrasher		8	Ind				Nov	sore throat
James Thrasher		5	Ind				Dec	sore throat
Hailor Thrasher		2	Ind				Nov	sore throat
Owen Seabrial		65	Va		farmer		Aug	consumption
Sarah Farree		1	Ind				Sep	flux

GREENE TOWNSHIP (cont. page 107)

NAME			AGE	PL OF BIRTH* OCCUPATION* MONTH* CAUSE OF DEATH	

Alvira Olinger		21	Ind				Oct	consumption
Malinda J. Olinger	1	Ohio				Feb	inflam of brain

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP 1860
D. P. Cubberly ass�t Marshall enumerating.

Sarah Graves		40	Tenn				Apr	confinement
Lucy M. Johnson		7	Ind				Jan	putrid sore throat
Lydia Mareen		52	N.C.				Jan	dropsy