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William Johnston — 1940 US Census Record
Model Tree available1940 United States Federal Census · Shelby-County, Tennessee
Our Model Tree links this William Johnston across the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Shelby-County, Tennessee (XGBoost, ~Confirmed), with identified parents David & Frances — first a head (b.~1913), then head of a 3-person household.
Age 27
b. ~1913
Male
Head
Born: Tennessee
Married
1940 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1940 |
| Location | Shelby-County, Tennessee |
| Surname | Johnston |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 27 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Memphis City |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Shelby |
| Additional Details | |
| Occupation | Reporter |
| Industry | Court |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Hours Worked | 48 |
| Income (1939) | 2581 |
| Highest Grade | C 4 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
| Occupation | Reporter |
| Township / Ward | Memphis City |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1913 |
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 William | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Johnston | Head | — | 27 | ~1913 |
| Billy Johnston | Son | — | 2 | ~1938 |
| Anne Johnston | Spouse | — | 25 | ~1915 |
Census Appearances
1920
Shelby, Tennessee
Son, age 7
Shelby, Tennessee · implied b. ~1913 — 9 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Johnston |
| Given Name | William B. |
| Relationship to Head | Son |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 7 |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Father's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Can Read | Yes |
| Can Write | Yes |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
1930
Shelby, Tennessee
Son, age 17
Shelby, Tennessee · implied b. ~1913 — 8 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Johnston |
| Given Name | William B |
| Relationship to Head | Son |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 17 |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Father's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Can Read/Write | Yes |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
1940
Shelby-County, Tennessee
Head, age 27
Shelby-County, Tennessee · implied b. ~1913 — 3 household members
| Surname | Johnston |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 27 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Memphis City |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Shelby |
| Occupation | Reporter |
| Industry | Court |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Hours Worked | 48 |
| Income (1939) | 2581 |
| Highest Grade | C 4 |
| 1935 Residence | Same place |
| 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 Johnston across 3 US Census years (1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage. Identified parents: father David Johnston (~0.92 confidence) and mother Frances Johnston (~0.92 confidence) and father Samuel Johnston (~0.92 confidence). The pedigree spans 1 generation with 3 identified ancestors.
Show:
Gen 1
Parents
confidence ≈ 0.92
Father
David Johnston
b. ~1877
Source father
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
Mother
Frances Johnston
b. ~1878
Source mother
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
Father
Samuel Johnston
b. ~1879
Source father
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
This person
Anchor record
William Johnston
Head · 1940 · age 27 · b. ~1913 · Tennessee
★ 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 — Shelby-County, Tennessee
Open full size
1940 US Federal Census — Shelby-County, Tennessee
Page Contents
40 people indexed on this census page (nara:1940:m-t0627-03963-00179)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Lewis | 40 | Head | Chauffeur | Tennessee |
| 2 | William Weeks | 41 | Head | Accountant | Virginia |
| 3 | Ethel Frances Weeks | 45 | Wife | — | Georgia |
| 4 | William Jr. Weeks | 18 | Son | — | Tennessee |
| 5 | James Padgett | 30 | Head | Salesman | Tennessee |
| 6 | Geraldine Padgett | 28 | Wife | Office Work | Indiana |
| 7 | Francis Cynday | 43 | Head | Teacher | Mississippi |
| 8 | Wilma Hicks | 24 | Roomer | Typist | Tennessee |
| 9 | Louis Strong | 32 | Head | Cotton Buyer | Tennessee |
| 10 | Louise H. Strong | 30 | Wife | Manager | Tennessee |
| 11 | Frank Heflin | 24 | Head | Driver | Kentucky |
| 12 | Doris Heflin | 20 | Wife | Bookkeeper | Tennessee |
| 13 | Neeley Crofford | 43 | Mother-in-law | — | Illinois |
| 14 | B. D. Jr. Churchill | 23 | Head | Accountant | Tennessee |
| 15 | Roberta Churchill | 22 | Wife | — | Tennessee |
| 16 | J. G. Cason | 32 | Head | Manager | Georgia |
| 17 | Ruth (X) Cason | 31 | Wife | — | Tennessee |
| 18 | Friend Walker | 25 | Head | Buyer | Texas |
| 19 | Elizabeth Walker | 24 | Wife | — | Tennessee |
| 20 | Elizabeth Walker | 3 | Daughter | — | Tennessee |
| 21 | Mark Pollard | 34 | Head | Secretary | Tennessee |
| 22 | Marguerite Lary | 34 | Sister | Bill Clerk | Tennessee |
| 23 | Mary E. Pollard | 58 | Mother | — | Tennessee |
| 24 | A. C. Gribble | 38 | Head | Salesman | Tennessee |
| 25 | Hazel Gribble | 36 | Wife | — | Illinois |
| 26 | Gloria Gribble | 8 | Daughter | — | Tennessee |
| 27 | Mother-In-Law Vaughan | None | F | — | — |
| 28 | Lena Schaffer | 64 | Head | — | Arkansas |
| 29 | William Johnston THIS PERSON | 27 | Head | Reporter | Tennessee |
| 30 | Anne Johnston | 25 | Wife | Stenographer | Tennessee |
| 31 | Billy Johnston | 2 | Son | — | Tennessee |
| 32 | Adolph Goldney | 44 | Head | Salesman | Tennessee |
| 33 | Beatrice Goldney | 40 | Wife | Saleslady | Tennessee |
| 34 | Allyne Goldney | 25 | Daughter | — | Tennessee |
| 35 | Clifton Goldney | 16 | Son | — | Tennessee |
| 36 | Jessie M. Falty | 54 | Head | Salesman | Tennessee |
| 37 | Edeline Falty | 46 | Daughter | Saleslady | New York |
| 38 | Jessie Mae Falty | 19 | Granddaughter | Typist Clerk | Tennessee |
| 39 | Bernard Stark | 37 | Head | Driver | Tennessee |
| 40 | Sadie Stark | 31 | Wife | — | Tennessee |
Pedigree Summary
William
Gen 1 · 3 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)