Chemung County NY

1855 New York State Census Records for
Town of Horseheads, Chemung County NY
Home Page More Local Census Horseheads
Census records are very often difficult to read because of handwriting, microfilm quality, and spelling issues. Our early census takers were not as well educated as we'd like them to have been, and even the people bearing the names often could not spell them with the same consistency we are accustomed to in our own time. The census taker wrote what he believed he heard as well as he could. Our volunteers have transcribed them for you to the very best or our abilities given the difficulties mentioned. Please be tolerant of what you would consider "mistakes." If you can recognize the names you are looking for, then it is a success. If not, then you may want to find a place where you can view the originals so that you can judge for yourselves. Excessive attention to outmoded spelling issues is the sign of a beginner in family research and will limit your research effectiveness.

Transcribed 2008 by Sherry LAMPMAN Nichols
Published October 2008 by Joyce M. Tice

Note from Sherry - The 1855 census for Horseheads was collected by DeWitt Curtis from June 1 thru June 19, 1855.  A group of people years ago looked at the original records and copied them to paper form for the library and indexed them.  I first typed the records from these paper records. Just like the original records some of the handwriting was hard to read or the person copying them had trouble reading the census. I then ordered the microfilm of the 1855 census for Chemung Co from the LDS church. This film is now on permanent loan at the LDS Church on Broad St in Horseheads. I spent many hours looking at the film and trying to be as correct as possible with the names.  I spent hours looking at the 1850 and 1860 census records trying to figure out names that were in question. I had other genealogists look at the records to help me figure out names. If you don’t agree with what I have typed I suggest you look at the film at the LDS church. There is a copy of the records at the clerk’s office in Elmira but the records in the census books there are copies that are faded and hard to read. For any names that I wasn’t sure of I put question marks after them. In a few cases I added names from other sources and put parenthesis around them. The census taker stopped putting visitation numbers in the columns after # 378 and either left it blank or put a 1 in the space. There was a page and half of records missing from the library’s records that I found and added from the microfilm. This took me about 1 ½ yrs to type up, much longer then I thought it would. I hope it will help everyone that looks at it. I did my best with what I had.

Page 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Inmates of County Poor House are on page 37

Be sure to scroll to the right to see the entire page.
Dwelling # in order of visitation of what material built value family # in order of visitation Name of every person who lived in this abode 1st day of June age sex color relationship to head of family county born or what state married widowed years in residence profession voter native born voter naturalized alien persons of color not taxed persons over 21 who can't read or write owners of land
9 wood frame 200 9 Ingersoll Oliver N. 32 M

Seneca 1
12 tailor 1








Ingersoll Charlotte 31 F
wife Chemung 1
12










Ingersoll Ann E. 11 F
daughter Chemung

11










Ingersoll Leroy 9 M
son Chemung

9









10 Devoe Francis 40 M

Sullivan 1
7 shoemaker 1








Devoe Ursely? 36 F
wife Sullivan 1
7










Devoe Matilda 15 F
daughter Sullivan

7










Devoe Russell 11 M
son Chemung

7










Devoe George 7 M
son Chemung

7










Devoe Oliver 5 M
son Chemung

5










Devoe Franklin 3 M
son Chemung

3










Whitney Lucinda 20 F
daughter Sullivan

7










Wells Oliver 50 M
boarder blank 1 W 2
1



1
10 wood frame 5000 11 Colwell Robert 24 M

Chemung

24 landlord 1



1




Colwell Hugh 55 M
father England 1
20 none 1



1




Colwell Eliza 40 F
mother England 1
30










Colwell Eliza 15 F
sister England

15










Colwell Mary 17 F
sister England

17










Ennis Clarisa 20 F
servant England

20










Ennis Emily 23 F
servant England

23










Buckley Mrs 40 F
servant Ireland 1
5


1






Callighan Menora 35 F
servant Ireland
W 2


1
1




Sullivan Mary 17 F
servant Ireland

3


1
1




Swartwood Shoemaker 28 M
servant Chemung
W 1m none 1



1




Thompson William 30 M B servant Virginia

6



1 1




Ricky Mordicai 63 M
boarder Chemung 1
58 farmer 1



1




Ricky Sally 60 F
boarder blank 1
42
1








Wisner Rebecca 26 F
boarder Chemung 1
26










Wisner Mary 8 F
boarder Chemung

8










Wisner William 30 M
boarder Chemung

25 lumberman 1



1




Ricky Mordicai Jr. 24 M
boarder Chemung

24
1








Howard William 27 M
boarder Chemung 1
2m clerk 1








Howard Charlotte 23 F
boarder Chemung 1
2m










Crittendon William 35 M
boarder Penn

3m ship carpenter 1








Green Charles 30 M
boarder Ontario

1m ship carpenter 1








Agard John 60 M
boarder Ontario 1
1m lawyer 1



1




Carmon? Jas. 29 M
boarder Orange
W 5 none 1



1




Westlake Harrison 33 M
boarder Chemung 1
33 butcher 1



1




Westlake Sophia 30 F
boarder Chemung 1
30










Westlake John 10 M
boarder Chemung

10










Maxwell Guy 35 M
boarder Chemung 1
35 none 1








Maxwell Julia 33 F
boarder Chemung 1
33










Dowling William 19 M
boarder Rhode Island

1m printer 1








Dunning J.B. 23 M
boarder New Jersey

1m printer 1








Laver/Lavor Samuel C. 26 M
boarder Schoharie

1m editor 1








Dean John 25 M
boarder Penn

1 law student 1








Walker John 46 M
boarder Penn

1m mason 1




11 wood frame 6000 12 Barlow Cyrus 59 M

Tioga 1
14 landlord 1



1

Last Updated on 11/10/2021