 |
According to the 1529 census, there were 71 white "Vecinos"
in the Island. Vecino was the name given to the head of the family.
They used to count five people per "vecino". So, in this
census, there were 375 people; 298 single whites single; 497 free indians;
1,040 slave indias and 2,077 black slaves, 421 of those were women. |
|
|
A census of San Juan was done by Obispo Bartolome Garcia
de Escañuela in 1673 as follows:
Padrón de 1673 (San
Juan)
|
|
Blancos Esclavos
Pardos Libres |
|
Casas
|
Muje-
res
|
Hom-
bres
|
Muje-
res
|
Hom-
bres
|
Muje-
res
|
Hom-
bres
|
| De la Fortaleza |
78 |
157 |
90 |
129 |
56 |
33 |
14 |
De la Concepcion y Santa
Catalina |
48 |
114 |
54 |
59 |
21 |
51 |
18 |
De Santo Domingo o de los
Bobos |
17 |
43 |
14 |
45 |
21 |
13 |
10 |
De San Cristobal y la
Carniceria |
17 |
40 |
23 |
54 |
30 |
43 |
14 |
| De la Iglesia |
38 |
79 |
40 |
59 |
40 |
15 |
10 |
| De la Plaza a Santiago |
61
|
110
|
56
|
99
|
54
|
61
|
22
|
TOTAL |
259 |
543 |
277 |
445 |
222 |
216 |
88 |
|
| Resume |
Mujeres |
Hombres |
Total |
Blancos
Esclavos
Pardos Libres |
543
445
216
|
277
222
88
|
820
667
304
|
TOTALS |
1,204 |
587 |
1,791 |
|
| Source: Breve Historia de PR,
Vol 1, Loida Figueroa, page 103 |
|
|
|
| First official census of the Island was conducted in 1765. Carlos III
sent Field Marshal Alejandro O'Reilly to Puerto Rico, to assess the state
of the defenses of that colony. O'Reilly, known today as the "father of the
Puerto Rican militia," took a very complete census of the Island.
At this time, population turned out to be of 44,883. |
|
|
|
|
1775 Population in Puerto Rico
Source: Archivo General de Indias, Audiencia
de Santo Domingo, legajo 2396 |
|
|
|
1776 Censo
|
Blancos |
Pardos
Libres |
Negros
Libres |
Agregados |
Vecinos
Sus mujeres
Hijos
Hijas |
5,376
4,663
9,929
9,295 |
5,196
6,149
11,349
11,114 |
693
530
858
722 |
Hombres 3,384
Mujeres 3,153 |
| Esclavos |
Hombres
Mujeres |
3,384
3,153 |
|
|
|
Total General - De Almas 70,260
Esclavos 6,487 |
|
| Source: Breve Historia de
PR, Vol 1, Loida Figueroa, page 133 |
|
|
|
Total population in Puerto Rico according to the 1800 census was
155,426 individuals. In 1812, the slave population in the Island was 17,536
more or less the same as in 1794.
Altogether, a little bit more than twenty censuses between 1801 and 1898
are known off. |
|
|
According to the 1823 census, the population in Puerto Rico was
225,000 individuals. Out of this total, 25,000 were slaves. |
|
|
1841 Censo de Población de Puerto Rico - This is a statistics
figures only census. You can find a copy of this census at the Archivo
Histórico Nacional in Spain.
Reference: ES.28079.AHN/72.6// ULTRAMAR,1071,EXP.36 |
Sample |
|
|
|
The San Juan 1846 census can be found in the "Fondo Municipal of San
Juan" in the Archivo General de PR (AGPR). Although it is an incomplete
census, it contains valuable information as the sex, age, occupation and
more of the head of the family, his/her family and other individuals living
in the household as servants or slaves. |
|
|
1869 Census by wards of San Germán known as "Cedulas de Vecindad
y Origen" can be found in the Archivo Histórico in San Germán,
box No. 47. Information captured on this census include: individuals two
surnames, if whites or colored, if slave or free, age, marital status, and
more. |
|
|
It is our understanding that the only censuses available for the year
1897 are:
-
The returns for Ponce that are housed at the Ponce Historic Archives and
were also microfilmed by the LDS Church.
-
Complete census for Hatillo and Arecibo and a partial census for Río
Piedras are at the Archivo General de PR.
-
The returns for San Germán are in that town's municipal archives.
-
We have been told that the returns for San Juan were destroyed by a fire
at the San Juan archives in the early 20th century.
|
|
|
The US government took a population census of PR in 1899. However, only
the statistical report and list of supervisors and enumerators survived and
the actual returns were destroyed in a fire. |
|
|
The first United States surviving population census is the 1910 census
this being the thirteenth census of the United States. It is generally
in good condition but is not indexed. You must read page by page
and if not careful, can go blind in the process.
For a fee, you can peruse this census at Ancestry.com. They created
an index (although plague with errors) that can be of some help. You can
also buy a CD with the census data from some commercial companies or you
can become a member of this site and peruse our on going project to partially
transcribe this census. |
|
|
1920 United States Federal Population Census - It is well indexed and
readable. Available on soundex as well as copies of the original records.
Notes:
-
The Panama Canal Zone was included.
-
Individuals were not required to show proof of age, date of arrival, citizenship,
or other such information.
-
Census takers were not required to have the individual spell out the surname.
-
Children born between January 1 and the day the enumerator arrived were not
to be listed. However, those who died before the census taker
could get there were to be listed.
-
Race was a designation based on the personal impression of the enumerator.
|
|
|
1930 United States Federal Population Census - Was made available to
the public on 1 April 2002. It is well indexed and readable. |
|
|
In 1935, a special census was conducted by the Puerto Rico Reconstruction
Administration. Because it was a special census, it did not fall under the
72-year restriction on access for privacy reasons. It can be view at the
NARA offices, some public libraries, etc.
Copy of this census is available at the University of Puerto Rico, Río
Piedras Campus, in the Centro de Investigaciones Historicas (Historic Research
Center) at the Pedreira building.
You need to make an appointment to use the facilities. Open from 8:30 AM
to 4:00 PM, Monday to Friday
Contact Information:
Facultad de Humanidades
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
P.O. Box 23342
San Juan Puerto Rico 00931-3342
Fax (787) 763-5899 Tel (787) 760-0000
E-mail humanity@rrpac.upr.clu.edu
|
|
|
According to the National Archives and Records Administration the 1940
and later censuses are not available to the public use due to a statutory
72-year restriction on access for privacy reasons. (92 Stat. 915; Public
Law 95-416; October 5, 1978).
It will be available to the general public in the year 2013. I will be 68
years old then and God willing, I will still be looking for my ancestors. |
|
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