WB
William Butler — 1920 US Census Record
Linked across censuses1920 United States Federal Census · Shelby, Tennessee
Our Model Tree links this William Butler across the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Shelby, Tennessee (XGBoost, ~Confirmed) — first a head (b.~1881), then head of a 9-person household.
Age 39
b. ~1881
Male
Head
Born: Tennessee
Married
1920 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1920 |
| Location | Shelby, Tennessee |
| Surname | Butler |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 39 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Father's Birthplace | Mississippi |
| Mother's Birthplace | Mississippi |
| Additional Details | |
| Occupation | Laborer |
| Industry | Brick mason |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
| Occupation | Laborer |
| Township / Ward | Memphis City |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1881 |
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.
9 people recorded at the same address in the 1920 census.
| Name | Relation to head | Relative to William | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annie Butler | Daughter | — | 6 | ~1914 |
| Corine Butler | Daughter | — | 10 | ~1910 |
| Lucille Butler | Daughter | — | 12 | ~1908 |
| Lizzie Butler | Daughter | — | ~1920 | |
| William Butler | Head | — | 39 | ~1881 |
| William Butler | Son | — | 4 | ~1916 |
| John Butler | Son | — | 2 | ~1918 |
| James Butler | Son | — | 8 | ~1912 |
| Elizabeth Butler | Spouse | — | 32 | ~1888 |
Census Appearances
1920
Shelby, Tennessee
Head, age 39
Shelby, Tennessee · implied b. ~1881 — 9 household members
| Surname | Butler |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 39 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Father's Birthplace | Mississippi |
| Mother's Birthplace | Mississippi |
| Occupation | Laborer |
| Industry | Brick mason |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
1930
Shelby, Tennessee
Head, age 48
Shelby, Tennessee · implied b. ~1882 — 2 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Butler |
| Given Name | Will |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 48 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Age at First Marriage | 20 |
| Father's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | General farm |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read/Write | No |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
1940
Shelby-County, Tennessee
Head, age 57
Shelby-County, Tennessee · implied b. ~1883 — 2 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | BUTLER |
| Given Name | Will |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | Black |
| Age | 57 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Civil Dist No 2 |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Shelby |
| Occupation | Farm Hand |
| Industry | Cotton Farm |
| Class of Worker | OA |
| Hours Worked | 25 |
| Highest Grade | No 4 |
| 1935 Residence | Tennessee |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
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 William Butler across 3 US Census years (1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage.
Show:
This person
Anchor record
William Butler
Head · 1920 · age 39 · b. ~1881 · Tennessee
★ You are viewing this record
Confirmed / household (~0.90+)
Probable / derived (~0.65–0.89)
Candidate (<0.65, unverified)
Original Census Page
1920 US Federal Census — Shelby, Tennessee
Open full size
1920 US Federal Census — Shelby, Tennessee
Page Contents
50 people indexed on this census page (ia:1920:14thcensusofpopu1763unit:0804)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linda Harris | 38 | Head | House Work | Tennessee |
| 2 | Sarah Harris | 18 | Daughter | House Work | Tennessee |
| 3 | Willie Anderson | 36 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 4 | Lillie Anderson | 25 | Wife | Wash Woman | Tennessee |
| 5 | Ella Duncan | 37 | Head | Cook | Tennessee |
| 6 | Jessie Duncan | 40 | Sister | Cook | Tennessee |
| 7 | Butler Jones | 34 | Head | Laborer | Mississippi |
| 8 | Rosa Jones | 34 | Wife | Laborer | Louisiana |
| 9 | Lula Donaldson | 31 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 10 | George Donaldson | 3 | Son | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 11 | Melvin Donaldson | 21 | Son | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 12 | James Wright | 34 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 13 | Hannah Wright | 38 | Wife | Laborer | Louisiana |
| 14 | Ida Slaughter | 42 | Roomer | Laborer | Mississippi |
| 15 | Joe Davis | 25 | Head | Driver | Arkansas |
| 16 | Prennie Davis | 18 | Wife | None | Mississippi |
| 17 | Mary Davis | 1 | Daughter | None | Tennessee |
| 18 | Arthur Williams | 25 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 19 | James Holt | 25 | Roomer | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 20 | Jessie White | 30 | Head | Laborer | Arkansas |
| 21 | Edna White | 25 | Wife | Laborer | Arkansas |
| 22 | Erwin Davis | 47 | Head | Laborer | Alabama |
| 23 | Ida Davis | 40 | Wife | None | Arkansas |
| 24 | John Yoid | 35 | Head | Laborer | Mississippi |
| 25 | Minnie Yoid | 29 | Wife | None | Mississippi |
| 26 | Ike Watkins | 26 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 27 | Culley Robinson | 51 | Head | Laborer | Arkansas |
| 28 | Henry Joiner | 37 | Roomer | Laborer | Arkansas |
| 29 | Pierce Elford | 24 | Roomer | Laborer | Mississippi |
| 30 | Beulah Wilson | 28 | Head | Laborer | Mississippi |
| 31 | Annie Montgomery | 30 | Head | Laborer | Mississippi |
| 32 | Emma Jones | 36 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 33 | Ida Mckinley | 38 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 34 | George Oliver | 35 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 35 | Nellie Gross | 20 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 36 | Bessie Davis | 26 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 37 | William Th. White | 42 | Head | Inspector | Missouri |
| 38 | Lizzie M. White | 38 | Wife | None | Mississippi |
| 39 | Maud Reeder | 40 | Roomer | None | Mississippi |
| 40 | Thos. G. White | 15 | Son | None | Tennessee |
| 41 | Fred Liddell | 50 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 42 | William Butler THIS PERSON | 39 | Head | Laborer | Tennessee |
| 43 | Elizabeth Butler | 32 | Wife | None | Tennessee |
| 44 | Lucille Butler | 12 | Daughter | None | Tennessee |
| 45 | Corine Butler | 10 | Daughter | None | Tennessee |
| 46 | James Butler | 8 | Son | None | Tennessee |
| 47 | Annie Butler | 6 | Daughter | None | Tennessee |
| 48 | William Butler | 4 | Son | None | Tennessee |
| 49 | John Butler | 2 | Son | None | Tennessee |
| 50 | Lizzie Butler | 0 | Daughter | None | Tennessee |
About This Record & Model Tree
This record was independently indexed by YourRoots from the 1920 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)