Comments on: Please help with an abbreviation in the 1850 Illinois census? http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census News From Scott Illinois Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:25:59 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: wendy c http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census/comment-page-1#comment-507 wendy c Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:48:59 +0000 http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census#comment-507 abbreviation for ditto, meaning, same as above. Abbreviations can be fun. I have seen persons looking for the UNK family, because it was the maiden name of a woman.. only to explain that UNK is short for "unknown".<br><b>References : </b><br> abbreviation for ditto, meaning, same as above.
Abbreviations can be fun. I have seen persons looking for the UNK family, because it was the maiden name of a woman.. only to explain that UNK is short for "unknown".
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]]> By: LongTooth http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census/comment-page-1#comment-506 LongTooth Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:18:59 +0000 http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census#comment-506 "DO" means ditto. abbreviation. Kinda funny since ditto is itself an abbreviation for same as above. " " " ||<br><b>References : </b><br>http://www.diclib.com/cgi-bin/d1.cgi?l=en&base=webster&page=showid&id=30743 "DO" means ditto. abbreviation. Kinda funny since ditto is itself an abbreviation for same as above. " " " ||
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http://www.diclib.com/cgi-bin/d1.cgi?l=en&base=webster&page=showid&id=30743

]]> By: Michael http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census/comment-page-1#comment-505 Michael Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:54:59 +0000 http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census#comment-505 A very interesting question. After conducting exhaustive research on the matter, I can conclusively say I have no idea. It is not an abbreviation used in other census documents of the time. The most common occupation at the time would have been day laborer, but I can't find or figure out how that would reasonably be abbreviated to "Do" unless it means the awkward "Daily Occupation." I do think that is the most likely possibility though, at a glance all of the people identified as having a "Do" occupation are male and their ages vary from the late teens to the late sixties. Scott County, Illinois, wouldn't have had a great variety of occupations in the 1850's. I also considered driver or drover (animal herder), but I don't believe that many people in a small Illinois county could have the same limited occupation unless there were some very large ranches, factories, or mines in the area. From what I know of that area of Illinois (I was born in Macomb), it should have something to do with farming. It might also be the 1850's equivalent to Head of Household, but that still leaves me wondering what it stands for. Note: Tedpack may have it, "Do" might mean "ditto." It's not listed as the first occupation on any of the pages.<br><b>References : </b><br> A very interesting question. After conducting exhaustive research on the matter, I can conclusively say I have no idea. It is not an abbreviation used in other census documents of the time. The most common occupation at the time would have been day laborer, but I can’t find or figure out how that would reasonably be abbreviated to "Do" unless it means the awkward "Daily Occupation." I do think that is the most likely possibility though, at a glance all of the people identified as having a "Do" occupation are male and their ages vary from the late teens to the late sixties. Scott County, Illinois, wouldn’t have had a great variety of occupations in the 1850’s. I also considered driver or drover (animal herder), but I don’t believe that many people in a small Illinois county could have the same limited occupation unless there were some very large ranches, factories, or mines in the area. From what I know of that area of Illinois (I was born in Macomb), it should have something to do with farming. It might also be the 1850’s equivalent to Head of Household, but that still leaves me wondering what it stands for.

Note: Tedpack may have it, "Do" might mean "ditto." It’s not listed as the first occupation on any of the pages.
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]]> By: Researcher http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census/comment-page-1#comment-504 Researcher Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:14:59 +0000 http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census#comment-504 If you check out About Genealogy.com there is a list of all abbreviations used in the census. DO is naturally not on the list, but I have ran into it before and DO and DOM appear to mean the same, which is Domestic or servant.<br><b>References : </b><br>Genealogical Researcher for 35+ years If you check out About Genealogy.com there is a list of all abbreviations used in the census. DO is naturally not on the list, but I
have ran into it before and DO and DOM appear to mean the same, which is Domestic or servant.
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Genealogical Researcher for 35+ years

]]> By: Ted Pack http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census/comment-page-1#comment-503 Ted Pack Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:46:59 +0000 http://www.scottil.us/scott-illinois/please-help-with-an-abbreviation-in-the-1850-illinois-census#comment-503 "Do" was an old way to write "Same as above". I'd bet large sums at long odds they were all farmers. You also see it in birthplaces, when everyone on the page is born in the same state.<br><b>References : </b><br> "Do" was an old way to write "Same as above". I’d bet large sums at long odds they were all farmers. You also see it in birthplaces, when everyone on the page is born in the same state.
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