Treasure Chest Thursday - 1820 U.S. Census Record for the Isaac Lanfier Household in Lorraine, New York

It's Treasure Chest Thursday - time to look in my digital image files to see what treasures I can find for my family history and genealogy musings.

The treasure today is the 1820 United States Census record for the Isaac Lanfier (one of my 4th great-grandfathers) household in Lorraine, Jefferson County, New York.

The Isaac Lanfier household is the 2nd person on the image:

The extracted information for the Isaac Lanfier household (with my educated guess as to the names of the family members, assuming that they are all from the Isaac Lanfear family):

*  Name of head of family:  Isaac Lanfier

*  Males under age 10:   one (probably son Latham born 1824)

*  Males aged 26-44:  one (certainly Isaac born 1777)

*  Females under age 10:  four (probably daughters Susan (born 181), Eleanor born 1818, Polly born 1817, and Nancy born 1816) 

*  Females aged 10 to 15: one (probably daughter Anna born 1807 or Elizabeth born 1809)

*  Females aged 26-44;  one ( certainly wife Rosina born 1781)

*  Number of persons engaged in agriculture:  one

*  Total number of persons:  8

There are seven living children in the Isaac and Rosian (Laun) Lanfear family in 1820. Either daughter Anna (born 1807) or Elizabwth (born 1809) is missing from this enumeration.

The source citation for this entry (census date 1 June 1820) is:

1820 United States Federal Census, Jefferson County, New York, Lorraine town, page 2 (penned, image 2 of 4), Isaac Lanfier household; imaged, "1820 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7734/images/4433244_00246 : accessed 15 June 2023); original image on NARA Microfilm publication M-33.

Some readers may wonder "why post pre-1850 U.S. census records - you can't be sure who is in the household."  That's true, but it can still provide some clues to the age of the head of household, and tracking a household through the years may indicate family additions or subtractions, plus narrowing the location of the residence by using the neighbors.  This is especially useful for same-name problems in a community. 

In this case, I'm still searching for the birth parents of Devier J. Lamphear Smith (1839-1894, my 2nd great-grandfather) whose name was changed in Wisconsin from Lamphear to Smith in 1866, and is identified as an adopted child in the name change record and Ranslow Smith's will (his adoptive father).  One of the young females in the 1820 census may be the mother of Devier.   

I share significant DNA segments, consistent with descent from common 4th great-grandparents, with descendants of Isaac and Rosina (Laun) Lanfear.  If Devier's mother or father was a child of Isaac and Rosina Lanfear, then Isaac and Rosina would be my 4th great-grandparents.

                                      =============================

Disclosure:  I have a paid All-Access subscription to Ancestry.com now.  Ancestry.com has provided a complimentary subscription and material considerations for travel expenses to meetings, and has hosted events and meals that I have attended in Salt Lake City, in past years.

The URL for this post is: 

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  All comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately after posting.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.