3. Dennis Buggy in Censuses

A published family history and online databases give conflicting information about Dennis Buggy’s birthdate (1830 or 1833) and one idea about a specific birthplace (Freshford, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland).  Federal and state censuses should give a good overview of Dennis Buggy’s life in the U. S. and offer ideas about his birthdate and birthplace.

The problem is, the more census schedules we find and examine, the more muddled the birthdate becomes.  Only the 1900 census gives a year and month of birth.  All the others give ages, so we calculate the birthdate from the age and the date of the census enumeration.[1]  All censuses agree on Ireland as Dennis’ birthplace, but none offers more specific information.

Summary of Dennis Buggy birthdates as given in censuses

Year	Census date	Age	Calculated birthdate	Birthplace
1860	1 June	28	1 June 1831-31 May 1832	Ireland
1870	-----	---	Not found	-----
1875	1 May	42	1 May 1832-30  April 1833	Ireland
1880	1 June	51	1 June 1828-31 May 1829	Ireland
1885	1 May	54	1 May 1830-30 April 1831	Ireland
1890	-----	---	no age or birth information	-----
1900	1 June	69	Stated: June 1830	Ireland
1905	1 June	72	1 June 1832-31 May 1833	Ireland
1910	15 April	79	15 April 1829-14 April 1830	Ireland

The 1900 census tells the month and year of birth of each individual enumerated.  Accuracy depends on the knowledge of the informant.  We don’t know the informant for Dennis Buggy’s household, so to accept June 1830 as his birthdate will require confirmation from other reliable sources.

The other censuses give a range of dates calculated to 1 June 1828-31 May 1833, a five-year span.  The informants could have been Dennis, his wife, any adult living in the household, or a neighbor.

The censuses offer other information, too.  Here are transcriptions in tabular format, sometimes abbreviated to save space, of Dennis Buggy’s federal and state census entries.  Notes about the entries give an idea of the wealth of information still to be incorporated into the Dennis Buggy story.

1860 U. S. Census, New Haven County, Connecticut[2]

Denis Buggy	28	M	W	d[itt]o [Laborer]	500	100	Ireland
Kathrine  d[itt]o	25	F	W	Housekeeper			do
Richard  do	3	M	W				Conn
John        do	1	M	W				do
Michael  do	20	M	W	Carriage ironer			Ireland
Richard  do	19	M	W	do             do			do

Dennis Buggy was twenty-eight, owned $500 of real property and $100 of personal property, and was born in Ireland.  Relationships to household members are not stated.  Living with Dennis were a possible wife, children, and two Buggy young men, possibly relatives.  The household enumerated immediately before his was that of Michael Butler.  The Phelan family book says Butler was Dennis’ mother’s maiden name.[3]  The families could have been related.

1870  I have not discovered Dennis Buggy in the 1870 U. S. census.  I have not made a line-by-line search in places where he might have lived.

1875 Minnesota State Census[4]

Buggy Dennis	42	M		Ireland	Ireland	Ireland
“   Catharine M	41	F		“	“	“
“   Richard M	17	M		Conn	“	“
“   John H	15	“		“	“	“
“   Nellie C	13	F		“	“	“
“   Kate M	10	F		“	“	“

Dennis Buggy was forty-two, born in Ireland, and resided with Catherine (also born in Ireland), Richard M., John H., Nellie C., and Kate M. (all born in Connecticut).

1880 U. S. Census, Faribault Co., Minn.[5]

Buggy Dennis	W	M	51		M	Farmer		Ireland	Ireland	Ireland
----- Catherine	W	F	46	wife	M			Ireland	Ireland	Ireland
----- Richard M.	W	M	23	Son	S	at home		Conn	Ireland	Ireland
----- John H.	W	M	20	Son	S	at home		Conn	Ireland	Ireland
----- Catherine	W	F	16	Daughter	S		att. school	Conn	Ireland	Ireland

Dennis was fifty-one, a farmer born in Ireland.  Catherine is now identified as his wife and Richard M., John H., and Catherine as his children, all born in Connecticut.  Nellie is not enumerated with the family.  The Dullard family enumerated immediately before the Buggys may be Dennis’ wife’s sister Bridget (Phelan) Dollard and family.[6]

1885 Minnesota State Census[7]

Dennis Buggy	54	M	W	Ireland	√	√
Cathrine Buggy	50	F	“	Ireland	√	√
Richard Buggy	25	M	“	Wisc	√	√
John Buggy	24	“	“	Wisc	√	√
Katie Buggy	19	F	“	Wisc	√	√

Dennis was fifty-four, born in Ireland.  Both his father and his mother were foreign-born.  His children were born in Wisconsin, not Connecticut, suggesting that the informant was not a family member.

1890 U. S. Census, Faribault Co., Minn.[8]

Dennis Buggy had been a private in Company K, 20^th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry.  He enlisted in September 1862 and was discharged in June 1865.

1900 U. S. Census, Faribault Co., Minn.[9]

Buggy Dennis	Head	W	M	June	1830	69	M	45			Ireland
“  Catherine	Wife	W	F	Aug	1828	71	M	45	4	4	Ireland
“   Richard	Son	W	M	Sept	1857	43	M	5			Connecticut
“   Rose E	Daughter in law	W	F	Feb	1870	30	M	5	3	3	Minnesota
“   George F	Gr son	W	M	Oct	1895	4	S				Minnesota
“   Annie C	Gr Daughter	W	F	Feb	1897	3	S				Minnesota
“   Lucile	Gr Daughter	W	F	Jun	1900	1	S				Minnesota

Dennis Buggy was born in June 1830 in Ireland.  He had been married forty-five years.  He immigrated in 1850, had lived in the U.S. fifty years, and was naturalized.  He was a farmer and owned his farm free and clear.  His wife, son Richard, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren all lived together on the farm.

1905 Minnesota State Census[10]

Buggy Richard M.	RFD No 4	M	47	W	Minn	Ireland	Ireland	35	10	Farmer
Buggy Rose	“ 4	F	35	W	Minn	Connecticut	Minn	9	9
Buggy George F	“ 4	M	9	W	Minn	“          “	“      “	8	8
Buggy Anna	“ 4	F	8	W	“      “	“          “	“      “	6	6
Buggy Lucele	“ 4	F	6	W	“      “	“          “	“      “	3	3
Buggy Edward	“ 4	M	3	W	Ireland	Ireland	Ireland	40	40	Farmer
Buggy Dennis	“ 4	M	72	W	Ireland	Ireland	Ireland	40	40
Buggy Cathren	“ 4	F	75	W	-----	-----	-----

Dennis was seventy-two, still farming, and son Richard now head of the household.  The enumerator confused Richard’s place of birth and jumped up a row, combining Dennis with his grandson Edward.  The census shows that Dennis and Catherine had resided forty years in this state and enumeration district, an indication of when they moved from Connecticut.

1910 U. S. Census, Faribault Co., Minn.[11]

Boggy Richard M	Head	M	W	52	M1	15	Connecticut	Ire English	Ire Engl
----- Rose E	wife	F	W	40	M1	15	Minnesota	Ire English	Ire Engl
----- George F	son	M	W	14	S		Minnesota	Connecticut	Minnesota
----- Anna C	daughter	F	W	13	S		Minnesota	Connecticut	Minnesota
----- Lucille M	daughter	F	W	11	S		Minnesota	Connecticut	Minnesota
----- Edward W	son	M	W	9	S		Minnesota	Connecticut	Minnesota
----- Irene C	daughter	F	W	5	S		Minnesota	Connecticut	Minnesota
----- Dennis	father	M	W	79	Wd		Ire English	Ire English	Ire English	1850 Na

This is an abbreviated transcription.  Dennis, seventy-nine, a widower, resided with his son Richard and family.  He was born in Ireland, had immigrated in 1850, and was a naturalized citizen.

In summary, census records do not offer definitive information about Dennis Buggy's birthdate and birthplace other than Ireland. One suggests, but does not confirm, his June 1830 birth.


Next steps include seeking vital records for Dennis’ marriage and death.  They may offer useful birth information.

---

[1] For federal census dates, see “United States Census,” Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Census : accessed 22 March 2013), “History.”  For Minnesota state census dates, see “Minnesota Censuses Existing and Lost,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Minnesota_Censuses_Existing_and_Lost : accessed 22 March 2013).

[2] 1860 U. S. Census, New Haven County, Connecticut, population schedule, Naugatuck, p. 18 (penned), dwelling 119, family 160, Denis Buggy household; digital image, Ancestry.com; from National Archives (NA) microfilm publication M653, roll 84; Family History Library (FHL) microfilm 803,084.  All censuses were accessed from http://www.ancestry.com on 21 March 2013.

[3] “The Phelan Descendants: The Buggy Family, The Delaney Family, The Dollard Family,” privately held, 2013, 8. 

[4] 1875 Minnesota State Census, pop. sch., Faribault Co., Pilot Grove, p. 325 (penned), family 6, Dennis Buggy household; digital image, Ancestry.com; Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota State Population Census Schedules, 1865-1905, microfilm MNSC 6.

[5] 1880 U. S. Census, Faribault Co., Minnesota, pop. sch., Pilot Grove, Enumeration District (ED) 62, p. 15 (penned), no dwelling number, family 129, Dennis Buggy household; digital image, Ancestry.com; FHL microfilm 1,254,619; from NA microfilm publication T9, roll 619.

[6] “The Phelan Descendants,” 1. 

[7] 1885 Minnesota State Census, pop. sch., Faribault Co., Pilot Grove, p. 3 (penned), family 17, Dennis Buggy hshld; digital image, Ancestry.com; Minnesota Hist. Soc., Minnesota State Population Census Schedules, 1865-1905, microfilm MNSC 25.

[8] 1890 U. S. Census, Faribault Co., Minn., veterans sch., Pilot Grove, ED 87, p. 2 (penned), Dennis Buggy; digital image, Ancestry.com; NA microfilm M123, roll 22.

[9] 1900 U. S. Census, Faribault Co., Minn., pop. sch., Pilot Grove, ED 90, sheet 8 (penned), dwell. 140, fam. 141, Dennis Buggy hshld.; digital image, Ancestry.com; NA microfilm T623, roll 763; FHL microfilm 1,240,763.

[10] 1905 Minnesota State Census, pop. sch., Faribault Co., Pilot Grove Twp., ED 14, sheet 4 (penned), Richard M. Buggy hshld.; digital image, Ancestry.com; Minn. Hist. Soc., Minnesota State Population Census Schedules, 1865-1905, microfilm MNSC 116. 

[11] 1910 U. S. Census, Faribault Co., Minn., pop. sch., Pilot Grove, ED 80, sheet 11 (penned), dwell. 173, fam. 176, Richard M. Boggy hshld.; digital image, Ancestry.com; NA microfilm T624, roll 696; FHL microfilm 1,374,709.

© 2013 Judy Kellar Fox, CG, foxkellarj@comcast.net