Can anyone read this census?

Question

I found this census of a relative, Thomas Fay (line #17), but I can't read his birthplace. Can anyone help me?

http://flickr.com/photos/29393752@N07/2747251981/sizes/l/

Answer 1

The census says Gennia.  ???

The 1870 census indicates that Sally is divorced and Thomas was born in Ireland.

Answer 2

It looks like Gennia which doesn't make any sense.

Answer 3

Who ever hired the people who took census records should have been fired.

I think it says:

Senning

Denning

Answer 4

Ahh! Copperplate the bane of many a genealogist

It could be Benning (Georgia)

very hard to read, sorry.

Answer 5

This might help you. I followed the wife and son into the 1880 census and it lists Thomas' place of birth as Ireland

http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=V...

Also, considering he "disappeared" from the census before 1870, you might change Civil War enlistment and widow pensions from Missouri to see if he died in the War Between the States.

Answer 6

It looks like Gennings.

Perhaps it was misspelled and it should be Jennings, Mo., which is just outside of St. Louis.  

Answer 7

Surname  Given Name  Age  s*x  Race  Birthplace  State  County  Location  Year



    FAY  THOMAS 27 M W GERM MO GREENE  CAMPBELL TWP  1860

Germania :the Latin exonym for a geographical area of land on the east bank of the River Rhine

"Saddler" - This section was for the job field that they were in/ ie: he made saddles for people to use on animals.

Answer 8

Looks like Benning to me but it could be Senning. Look at maps of the time and see if there is a Benning in the county or another town similarly spelled.

Answer 9

It's written Gennina.  I searched every Ireland site that had town and cities and couldn't find anything close so I can't imagine what he said the the census taker or what the census taker thought he said.

I found a site where you could put in the first few letters or last few letters and it would search all the Ireland places but again nothing was close.

In 1870 his son stated his father was born in Ireland.  I'm always amazed when I see divorced for a woman during this time frame.

There are a lot of ship manifests so one day you might get lucky and find him on one which might tell where he's from.  If you have found him on a later census you might check in that county courthouse for his request of citizenship.