Each of the United States federal censuses from 1850 to 1880 included a mortality schedule enumerating individuals who had died in the previous year previous. Each entry noted family number in the population schedule, name, age, sex, color, marital status, place of birth, month of death, occupation, and cause of death.
Here is the 1870 mortality schedule for part of Wilson township, Wilson County (which does not include the town of Wilson and does not specify family numbers):
- Hines, Charles. Age 1, black, died in June, cholera infant.
- Locust, Infant. Age 1 day, black, died in February, asphyxia.
- Mercer, Robert. Age 1 month, black, died in December. Hooping cough.
- Thomas, Lucy. Age 25, black, domestic servant, died in April, consumption.
- Blunt, Vilet. Age 70, mulatto; married; domestic servant; died in July; cancer.
- Jordan, Mary. Age 26, mulatto, domestic servant; died in May; died from child birth.
- Edwards, Marzillie. Age 3 months, black, died in December, intermittent fever.
- Lassiter, Jesse. Age 6, mulatto, died in November, typhoid fever.
“Remarks: 366. Lassiter Jesse. Cause of death unknown; supposed to be typhoid fever from best information obtained.” Household #366: farm laborer Silas Lassiter, 47, and children Ophelia, 25, Mary, 20, Elizabeth, 16, Handy, 14, Penninah, 15, Silas W., 12, Milly, 8, and Jerusha, 4.
- Powell, Nannie. Age 25, mulatto, farm laborer, died in September, bowel disease.
- Edmundson, Shepard. Age 51, black, married, farm laborer, died in September, paralysis.
- Due, Amanda. Age 4, black, died in October, “brain inflam. of.”
- Horn, Mary. Age 30, black, married, died in April, child birth.
- Due, Stella A. Age 6 months, black, died in July, cutting teeth.
- Cook, Alex’dr. Age 3, black, died in August, ascites.
- Cook, Infant. Age 1 month, black, died in April, epilepsy.
- Cook, Infant. Age 1 month, black, died in April, epilepsy.