BJ
Bessie James — 1940 US Census Record
Linked across censuses1940 United States Federal Census · Jefferson-County, Alabama
Our Model Tree links this Bessie James across the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Jefferson-County, Alabama (XGBoost, ~Confirmed) — first a head (b.~1897), then head of a 3-person household.
Age 43
b. ~1897
Female
Head
Born: Alabama
Widowed
1940 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1940 |
| Location | Jefferson-County, Alabama |
| Surname | James |
| Given Name | Bessie |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | F |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 43 |
| Marital Status | Widowed |
| Birthplace | Alabama |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Sayreton |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Jefferson |
| Additional Details | |
| Income (1939) | 0 |
| Highest Grade | No 7 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | Alabama |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | alabama |
| Township / Ward | Sayreton |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1897 |
Household Members
Census records only state relationship to the household head.
Pairwise kinship is derived (~90–95% accurate), not recorded.
Step/blended families and boarders can break it.
3 people recorded at the same address in the 1940 census.
| Name | Relation to head | Relative to Bessie | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estelle James | Daughter | — | 11 | ~1929 |
| Bessie James | Head | — | 43 | ~1897 |
| Dorothy James | Daughter | — | 13 | ~1927 |
Census Appearances
1920
Jefferson, Alabama
Spouse, age 25
Jefferson, Alabama · implied b. ~1895 — 2 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | James |
| Given Name | Bessie |
| Relationship to Head | Wife |
| Sex | F |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 25 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Alabama |
| Father's Birthplace | Alabama |
| Mother's Birthplace | Alabama |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Birth State | Alabama |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | alabama |
1930
Jefferson, Alabama
Spouse, age 33
Jefferson, Alabama · implied b. ~1897 — 5 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | James |
| Given Name | Bessie |
| Relationship to Head | Wife |
| Sex | F |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 33 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Alabama |
| Age at First Marriage | 21 |
| Father's Birthplace | Alabama |
| Mother's Birthplace | Alabama |
| Can Read/Write | Yes |
| Birth State | Alabama |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | alabama |
1940
Jefferson-County, Alabama
Head, age 43
Jefferson-County, Alabama · implied b. ~1897 — 3 household members
| Surname | James |
| Given Name | Bessie |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | F |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 43 |
| Marital Status | Widowed |
| Birthplace | Alabama |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Sayreton |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Jefferson |
| Income (1939) | 0 |
| Highest Grade | No 7 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | Alabama |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | alabama |
Model Tree
An inferred pedigree reconstructed from census links — up to 4 generations within the 1900–1950 window. Closer generations are built from household co-residence; deeper ones are bridged by following a relative to their own childhood census. Confidence compounds and weakens with each generation.
Our Model Tree links Bessie James across 3 US Census years (1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage.
Show:
This person
Anchor record
Bessie James
Head · 1940 · age 43 · b. ~1897 · Alabama
★ You are viewing this record
Confirmed / household (~0.90+)
Probable / derived (~0.65–0.89)
Candidate (<0.65, unverified)
Original Census Page
1940 US Federal Census — Jefferson-County, Alabama
Open full size
1940 US Federal Census — Jefferson-County, Alabama
Page Contents
40 people indexed on this census page (nara:1940:m-t0627-00046-00384)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Rosella Williams | 36 | Wife | — | Alabama |
| 42 | Sallie Williams | 65 | Mother | — | Alabama |
| 43 | Preston Maddey | 40 | Head | Laundry | Alabama |
| 44 | Adline Maddey | 40 | Wife | Machine Operator | Alabama |
| 45 | Browner Franklin | 25 | Head | — | Alabama |
| 46 | Estella Franklin | 25 | Wife | Coal Digger | Alabama |
| 47 | Lennon Patton | 30 | Head | Coal Loader | Alabama |
| 48 | Mabel Patton | 30 | Wife | — | Alabama |
| 49 | David | 4 | Son | — | Alabama |
| 50 | Eddie | 21 | Brother | Laborer | Alabama |
| 51 | Charlie Crenshaw | 27 | Head | Coal Loader | Alabama |
| 52 | Earnestine Crenshaw | 22 | Wife | — | Alabama |
| 53 | James Sturdivant | 27 | Head | Laborer | Alabama |
| 54 | Annette Sturdivant | 27 | Wife | — | Alabama |
| 55 | Freddie Mincy | 22 | Daughter | School Teacher | Alabama |
| 56 | Robert Baldwin | 42 | Head | Pipe Worker | Alabama |
| 57 | Almon Baldwin | 24 | Son | Elevator Operator | Alabama |
| 58 | Nettie Baldwin | 20 | Daughter | House Keeper | Alabama |
| 59 | Jewell Baldwin | 21 | Daughter | — | Alabama |
| 60 | Clinton Baldwin | 19 | Son | — | Alabama |
| 61 | Cara Baldwin | 61 | Mother | — | Alabama |
| 62 | Almon Mcclain | 1 | Daughter | — | Alabama |
| 63 | Celestine Baldwin | 5 | Daughter | — | Alabama |
| 64 | Bessie James THIS PERSON | 43 | Head | — | Alabama |
| 65 | Dorothy James | 13 | Daughter | — | Alabama |
| 66 | Estelle James | 11 | Daughter | — | Alabama |
| 67 | Will Johnson | 25 | Head | Coal Loader | Alabama |
| 68 | Elizabeth Johnson | 21 | Wife | — | Alabama |
| 69 | Walter Addy | 42 | Head | Coal Miner | Alabama |
| 70 | Mary Addy | 34 | Wife | — | Georgia |
| 71 | Beatrice Addy | 14 | Daughter | — | Georgia |
| 72 | John Lee Dawson | 28 | Head | Truck Driver | Alabama |
| 73 | Etta Dawson | 27 | Wife | — | Alabama |
| 74 | Julia Dawson | 15 | Son | — | Illinois |
| 75 | Johnie Dawson | 3 | Son | — | Alabama |
| 76 | Minnie Ruffin | 48 | Head | — | Carolina |
| 77 | Belles Ruffin | 32 | Daughter | — | Alabama |
| 78 | John Richardson | 33 | Boarder | Shale Pit Worker | South Carolina |
| 79 | John Mcnealy | 35 | Head | Laborer | Alabama |
| 80 | — | None | — | — | — |
About This Record & Model Tree
This record was independently indexed by YourRoots from the 1940 United States Federal Census (NARA). Our Model Tree links this person across census decades using XGBoost-based record linkage, with per-link confidence scores. Household corroboration strengthens the signal when co-residents appear on the same census pages in multiple years.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)