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Bessie Smith — 1940 US Census Record
Model Tree available1940 United States Federal Census · Wake-County, North Carolina
Our Model Tree links this Bessie Smith across the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Wake-County, North Carolina (XGBoost, ~Confirmed), with identified parents Thomas & Thomas — first a head (b.~1909), then head of a 6-person household.
Age 31
b. ~1909
Female
Head
Born: North Carolina
Widowed
1940 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1940 |
| Location | Wake-County, North Carolina |
| Surname | Smith |
| Given Name | Bessie |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | F |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 31 |
| Marital Status | Widowed |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Raleigh |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Wake |
| Additional Details | |
| Highest Grade | No 7 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | North Carolina |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | north carolina |
| Township / Ward | Raleigh |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1909 |
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.
6 people recorded at the same address in the 1940 census.
| Name | Relation to head | Relative to Bessie | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Smith | Daughter | — | 19 | ~1921 |
| Lydia Smith | Daughter | — | 5 | ~1935 |
| Louise Smith | Daughter | — | ~1940 | |
| Bessie Smith | Head | — | 31 | ~1909 |
| Joseph Smith | Son | — | 15 | ~1925 |
| Edgar Smith | Son | — | 17 | ~1923 |
Census Appearances
1920
Wake, North …
Daughter, age 9
Wake, North Carolina · implied b. ~1911 — 8 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Smith |
| Given Name | Bessie |
| Relationship to Head | Daughter |
| Sex | F |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 9 |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Father's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Mother's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Birth State | North Carolina |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | north carolina |
1930
Wake, North …
Daughter, age 20
Wake, North Carolina · implied b. ~1910 — 10 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Smith |
| Given Name | Bessie |
| Relationship to Head | Daughter |
| Sex | F |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 20 |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Father's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Mother's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Can Read/Write | Yes |
| Birth State | North Carolina |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | north carolina |
1940
Wake-County, North …
Head, age 31
Wake-County, North Carolina · implied b. ~1909 — 6 household members
| Surname | Smith |
| Given Name | Bessie |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | F |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 31 |
| Marital Status | Widowed |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Raleigh |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Wake |
| Highest Grade | No 7 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | North Carolina |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | north carolina |
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 Smith across 3 US Census years (1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage. Identified parents: father Thomas Smith (~0.92 confidence) and father Thomas Smith (~0.92 confidence) and mother Liza Smith (~0.92 confidence) and mother Dora Smith (~0.92 confidence). The pedigree spans 1 generation with 4 identified ancestors.
Show:
Gen 1
Parents
confidence ≈ 0.92
Father
Thomas Smith
b. ~1883
Source father
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
Father
Thomas Smith
b. ~1880
Source father
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
Mother
Liza Smith
b. ~1889
Source mother
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
Mother
Dora Smith
b. ~1888
Source mother
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
This person
Anchor record
Bessie Smith
Head · 1940 · age 31 · b. ~1909 · North Carolina
★ 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 — Wake-County, North Carolina
Open full size
1940 US Federal Census — Wake-County, North Carolina
Page Contents
40 people indexed on this census page (nara:1940:m-t0627-02983-00254)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lenora Thomas | 6 | Daughter | — | North Carolina |
| 2 | Ida Ottis | 34 | Lodger | — | North Carolina |
| 3 | Claude Williams | 40 | Head | Contractor | North Carolina |
| 4 | William Williams | 24 | Son | Laborer | North Carolina |
| 5 | Blannie Williams | 23 | Daughter | — | North Carolina |
| 6 | Claude Williams | 21 | Son | Laborer | North Carolina |
| 7 | Charles Williams | 20 | Son | — | North Carolina |
| 8 | Vance Williams | 19 | Son | — | North Carolina |
| 9 | Ernie May Williams | 18 | Daughter | — | North Carolina |
| 10 | Esther Lee Williams | 17 | Daughter | — | North Carolina |
| 11 | Hattie Williams | 16 | Daughter | — | North Carolina |
| 12 | Linwood Williams | 13 | Son | — | North Carolina |
| 13 | Wilbert Williams | 12 | Son | — | North Carolina |
| 14 | Clarence Williams | 11 | Son | — | North Carolina |
| 15 | Lorine Williams | 10 | Daughter | — | North Carolina |
| 16 | Carrie Williams | 8 | Daughter | — | North Carolina |
| 17 | Thomas Myers | 5 | Nephew | — | North Carolina |
| 18 | Kate Myers | 3 | Niece | — | North Carolina |
| 19 | Bessie Smith THIS PERSON | 31 | Head | — | North Carolina |
| 20 | Mary Smith | 19 | Daughter | Laundress | North Carolina |
| 21 | Edgar Smith | 17 | Son | — | North Carolina |
| 22 | Joseph Smith | 15 | Son | — | North Carolina |
| 23 | Lydia Smith | 5 | Daughter | — | North Carolina |
| 24 | Louise Edene Smith | 0 | Daughter | — | North Carolina |
| 25 | Ida Jelly | 45 | Head | Cook | North Carolina |
| 26 | Fred Jelly | 20 | Son | Janitor & Porter | North Carolina |
| 27 | Christine Jelly | 10 | Daughter | — | North Carolina |
| 28 | Edward Baker | 45 | Head | — | North Carolina |
| 29 | Minnie Baker | 35 | Wife | — | North Carolina |
| 30 | Petronia Mitchell | 32 | Lodger | Stone Cutter | North Carolina |
| 31 | Mae Mitchell | 11 | Lodger | — | North Carolina |
| 32 | Louise Mitchell | 2 | Lodger | — | North Carolina |
| 33 | Gabriel Mathew | 48 | Head | Laborer | North Carolina |
| 34 | Millie Mathew | 40 | Wife | — | North Carolina |
| 35 | Robert Mathew | 16 | Son | — | North Carolina |
| 36 | King Fate | 20 | Step son | — | North Carolina |
| 37 | James Allen | 23 | Lodger | — | North Carolina |
| 38 | Brodie Day | 31 | Head | Laborer | North Carolina |
| 39 | Mollie Day | 27 | Wife | — | North Carolina |
| 40 | Thomas Day | 4 | Son | — | North Carolina |
Pedigree Summary
Bessie
Gen 1 · 4 parents
~0.92
Max depth 4 (1900–1950 window)
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)