Census Records · 1810 – 1940
D'Olive Family Census Records
The federal and state census records of the D'Olive family provide a systematic decennial snapshot of the family across more than a century — documenting names, ages, occupations, birthplaces, property values, and household composition from the early American period through the eve of World War II.
The Census as Family Portrait
The federal census, taken every ten years since 1790, is one of the most systematic and comprehensive sources in American genealogical research. For the D'Olive family, the census record begins with the 1810 enumeration — the earliest census in which the family can be reliably identified — and continues through the 1940 census, the most recent year for which records are publicly available under the 72-year privacy rule.
Each census year captures a different moment in the family's history and asks different questions of its subjects. The antebellum censuses document the family's land and personal property values, providing a measure of their material circumstances. The post-Civil War censuses record birthplaces and parents' birthplaces, connecting the American generations to their French and Spanish colonial origins.
This page presents the known census entries for the D'Olive family, organized by census year. Each entry includes a transcription of the key fields, the household composition, and research notes. Researchers are encouraged to verify all transcriptions against the original census images, which are available through Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, and the National Archives.
National Archives · Ancestry.com · FamilySearch · ADAH Montgomery
Third Federal Census
Mississippi Territory (Mobile District)
The 1810 census is the earliest federal enumeration in which the D'Olive family can be identified. Mobile was part of the Mississippi Territory at this date. The census recorded only the head of household by name, with all other household members counted by age and sex category.
Head of Household
Dominique D'Olive (or Jean-Baptiste D'Olive)
County
Mobile District, Mississippi Territory
Household
Head of household; additional household members counted by age/sex category only
Key Fields Recorded
Name of head of household; free white males and females by age group; slaves by age group
Research note: The 1810 census for the Mobile District is fragmentary. The D'Olive entry may appear under Dominique or Jean-Baptiste depending on which was considered head of household at the time.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1810 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch
Fourth Federal Census
Alabama (Baldwin County)
By 1820, Alabama had achieved statehood (1819) and Mobile's Eastern Shore was part of Baldwin County. The 1820 census recorded the head of household by name and counted other household members by age, sex, and race category.
Head of Household
Jean-Baptiste D'Olive
County
Baldwin County, Alabama
Household
Head of household; wife; children; possibly enslaved persons
Key Fields Recorded
Name; free white males/females by age group; slaves; persons engaged in agriculture
Research note: The 1820 census for Baldwin County documents the second generation's household on the Eastern Shore. Cross-reference with the estate administration of Jean-Baptiste D'Olive (c. 1825–1830) for household composition.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1820 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch
Fifth Federal Census
Alabama (Baldwin County / Mobile County)
The 1830 census recorded household members by age and sex category, with no individual names beyond the head of household. By this date, the third generation — including Ruben H. L. D'Olive — was coming of age, and the family may appear in multiple households.
Head of Household
Ruben H. L. D'Olive (or heirs of Jean-Baptiste D'Olive)
County
Baldwin County or Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Head of household; wife; children; possibly enslaved persons
Key Fields Recorded
Name; free white males/females by age group; slaves
Research note: The 1830 census may show multiple D'Olive households as the second generation's estate was divided. Search both Baldwin and Mobile Counties.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1830 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch
Sixth Federal Census
Alabama (Mobile County)
The 1840 census was the last to record only the head of household by name. It added a question about pensioners for Revolutionary or military service. By 1840, Ruben H. L. D'Olive was the primary head of household for the third generation.
Head of Household
Ruben H. L. D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Head of household; wife; children; possibly enslaved persons
Key Fields Recorded
Name; free white males/females by age group; slaves; pensioners
Research note: The 1840 census should show Ruben H. L. D'Olive as head of household with his wife and young children. Cross-reference with the antebellum land records for the family's property holdings at this date.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1840 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch
Seventh Federal Census
Alabama (Mobile County)
The 1850 census was a landmark — for the first time, every free person in the household was listed by name, age, sex, occupation, birthplace, and real estate value. It is the first census in which the full D'Olive household can be reconstructed.
Head of Household
Ruben H. L. D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Ruben H. L. D'Olive (head); wife; children including Joseph Morgan D'Olive (c. age 5)
Key Fields Recorded
Name; age; sex; occupation; birthplace; real estate value; school attendance
Research note: The 1850 free schedule should list all household members by name. The slave schedule lists enslaved persons under Ruben's name by age and sex only. A family letter of c. 1850 provides context for this census entry.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1850 United States Federal Census (free and slave schedules); FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm M432
Eighth Federal Census
Alabama (Mobile County)
The 1860 census added a personal property value field alongside the real estate value. It was the last census taken before the Civil War and the last to include a slave schedule, documenting the D'Olive family at the height of their antebellum prosperity.
Head of Household
Ruben H. L. D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Ruben H. L. D'Olive (head); wife; children including Joseph Morgan D'Olive (c. age 15)
Key Fields Recorded
Name; age; sex; occupation; birthplace; real estate value; personal property value
Research note: The 1860 census should show Joseph Morgan D'Olive as a teenager in his father's household. Cross-reference with the slave schedule for the full household.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1860 United States Federal Census (free and slave schedules); FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm M653
Ninth Federal Census
Alabama (Mobile County)
The 1870 census was the first taken after the Civil War and the first to enumerate formerly enslaved persons as free individuals. It documents the D'Olive family navigating the difficult Reconstruction period.
Head of Household
Ruben H. L. D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Ruben H. L. D'Olive (head); wife; adult children
Key Fields Recorded
Name; age; sex; race; occupation; birthplace; real estate value; personal property value
Research note: Property values will likely reflect the economic disruption of the war and Reconstruction. Joseph Morgan D'Olive (c. age 25) may appear in a separate household by this date.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1870 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm M593
Head of Household
Joseph Morgan D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Joseph Morgan D'Olive (head); wife; early children
Key Fields Recorded
Name; age; sex; race; occupation; birthplace; real estate value; personal property value
Research note: Joseph Morgan D'Olive (b. c. 1845) would have been approximately 25 years old in 1870 and may have established his own household by this date.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1870 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm M593
Tenth Federal Census
Alabama (Mobile County)
The 1880 census was the first to record the relationship of each household member to the head of household, and the first to record the birthplaces of each person's father and mother — making it especially valuable for connecting the D'Olive generations to their French and Spanish colonial origins.
Head of Household
Joseph Morgan D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Joseph Morgan D'Olive (head); wife; children including Edward D. D'Olive (b. c. 1878) and Chester M. D'Olive Sr.
Key Fields Recorded
Name; relationship to head; age; sex; race; occupation; birthplace; father's birthplace; mother's birthplace; marital status
Research note: The father's and mother's birthplace fields should connect Joseph Morgan D'Olive to his parents' origins. His father Ruben's birthplace should be recorded as Alabama or Louisiana; his mother's birthplace may indicate French or Spanish colonial origins.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1880 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm T9
Twelfth Federal Census
Alabama (Mobile County)
The 1900 census recorded month and year of birth, years married, number of children born and surviving, and home ownership. The 1890 census was almost entirely destroyed, making 1900 the bridge between the 1880 and 1910 records.
Head of Household
Joseph Morgan D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Joseph Morgan D'Olive (head); wife; adult and teenage children
Key Fields Recorded
Name; relationship; month/year of birth; age; sex; race; birthplace; father's birthplace; mother's birthplace; occupation; home ownership
Research note: The month and year of birth fields will help establish more precise birth dates for the fourth generation. The number of children born/surviving fields document the family's fertility and child mortality.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm T623
Head of Household
Edward D. D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Edward D. D'Olive (head); wife Mattie Kane; early children
Key Fields Recorded
Name; relationship; month/year of birth; age; sex; race; birthplace; occupation; home ownership
Research note: Edward D. D'Olive (b. c. 1878) may have established his own household by 1900. His entry will document his early married life with Mattie Kane and their first children.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm T623
Thirteenth Federal Census
Alabama (Mobile County)
The 1910 census recorded occupation, industry, and class of worker, as well as whether the person was a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy — significant for the D'Olive family given their Civil War service.
Head of Household
Edward D. D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Edward D. D'Olive (head); Mattie Kane D'Olive (wife); children including Chester M. D'Olive Jr.
Key Fields Recorded
Name; relationship; age; sex; race; birthplace; occupation; industry; home ownership; Confederate veteran status
Research note: The 1910 census should show Edward D. D'Olive in his early thirties with his wife Mattie Kane and their children. Cross-reference with the Mobile city directory for additional occupational detail.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm T624
Head of Household
Chester M. D'Olive Sr.
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Chester M. D'Olive Sr. (head); wife; children
Key Fields Recorded
Name; relationship; age; sex; race; birthplace; occupation; industry; home ownership
Research note: Chester M. D'Olive Sr. (son of Joseph Morgan D'Olive) should appear as head of his own household by 1910, documenting the fifth generation's establishment in Mobile.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm T624
Fourteenth Federal Census
Alabama (Mobile County)
The 1920 census recorded citizenship status, year of naturalization, and mother tongue. The mother tongue field may record French as the family's ancestral language. The 1920 census documents the fifth generation in their prime working years.
Head of Household
Edward D. D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Edward D. D'Olive (head); Mattie Kane D'Olive (wife); children including Chester M. D'Olive Jr. (c. age 10–15)
Key Fields Recorded
Name; relationship; age; sex; race; birthplace; citizenship; mother tongue; occupation; home ownership
Research note: Chester M. D'Olive Jr. (the sixth generation) should appear as a child in this household. The mother tongue field may record English or French.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm T625
Fifteenth Federal Census
Alabama (Mobile County)
The 1930 census recorded home value or monthly rent, radio ownership, and veteran status. Taken at the onset of the Great Depression, it documents the family's circumstances during a period of national economic crisis.
Head of Household
Edward D. D'Olive
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Edward D. D'Olive (head); Mattie Kane D'Olive (wife); adult and teenage children
Key Fields Recorded
Name; relationship; age; sex; race; birthplace; occupation; home value/rent; veteran status; radio ownership
Research note: Chester M. D'Olive Jr. may appear as a young adult in this household or in a separate household if married by 1930.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm T626
Head of Household
Chester M. D'Olive Jr.
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Chester M. D'Olive Jr. (head); wife; early children
Key Fields Recorded
Name; relationship; age; sex; race; birthplace; occupation; home value/rent; veteran status
Research note: Chester M. D'Olive Jr. (sixth generation) may appear as head of his own household by 1930 if he married in the late 1920s.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm T626
Sixteenth Federal Census
Alabama (Mobile County)
The 1940 census is the most recent year publicly available under the 72-year privacy rule (released 2012). It recorded highest grade of school completed, income, and residence five years earlier — documenting the D'Olive family on the eve of World War II.
Head of Household
Chester M. D'Olive Jr.
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Chester M. D'Olive Jr. (head); wife; children including Chester Maurice D'Olive III
Key Fields Recorded
Name; relationship; age; sex; race; birthplace; education; occupation; income; residence in 1935
Research note: The 1940 census should show Chester M. D'Olive Jr. as head of household with Chester Maurice D'Olive III (the seventh generation). The education and income fields document the sixth generation on the eve of World War II.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm T627
Head of Household
Edward D. D'Olive (if living)
County
Mobile County, Alabama
Household
Edward D. D'Olive (head or widow Mattie Kane); remaining household members
Key Fields Recorded
Name; relationship; age; sex; race; birthplace; education; occupation; income
Research note: Edward D. D'Olive may or may not be living in 1940 depending on his birth year (c. 1878). If deceased, Mattie Kane D'Olive may appear as head of household.
Archive: National Archives, RG 29; Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census; FamilySearch; NARA Microfilm T627
Researching the Census Record
The D'Olive census record is a work in progress. Many entries are reconstructed from cross-referencing family records with census indices. Researchers who locate specific census entries are encouraged to share transcriptions or images with the family archive.
Ancestry.com — U.S. Federal Census Collection
Ancestry.com holds digitized and indexed images of every available federal census from 1790 through 1940. Full-text search is available for most years. Subscription required, but accessible through many public library systems. Search for D'Olive with Alabama as the state filter.
FamilySearch — Free Census Access
FamilySearch (familysearch.org) provides free access to digitized census images and indexes for most census years. The 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 censuses are fully indexed. Search the catalog for Alabama census and filter by county and year.
National Archives — NARA Census Records
The National Archives (archives.gov) holds the original census microfilm and digital images. The NARA catalog is searchable online, and census records can be accessed at NARA regional facilities. The Atlanta regional facility serves Alabama researchers.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
The ADAH holds Alabama state census records and supplementary census materials. Their online catalog is searchable, and staff genealogists can assist with census research. Some Alabama state census records are not available through commercial databases.