Thrown from his Horse

1880 census, North Stonington, CT

Washington STEWART, my 1st cousin, 4 times removed, was listed in this clip from the 1880 census as being thrown from his horse and wagon. If it was not for this fact, scribbled in next to column 20 (maimed, crippled, bedridden or otherwise disabled), I might not have even known this was one of the questions asked in the 1880 census.

Year: 1880; Census Place: North Stonington, New London, Connecticut; Roll: 109; Family History Film: 1254109; Page: 766B; Enumeration District: 123; Image: 0213.

You have to wonder why this question was asked in this census year and to what purpose did it have. Certainly this is an awful thing. 

I envision many future long hours reviewing ancestor entries in the 1880 census because all that the census taker had to do was just put the mark (looks like a 1) in that column. An explanation was not required!  

This was the only year this question was asked. I did not find out anything in the special population schedule of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent taken that same year. Perhaps it only meant that Washington could no longer work the farm.

Washington was just my age in 1880. Maybe he was already considered old. But he lived until 26 July 1896 and died at 80 years.