In 1880, there was a special U.S. census schedule for “Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes” — the blind, deaf, paupers, homeless children, prisoners, insane, and idiotic. Do you have someone in your family tree who would have been classified as such? (To learn more about the special 1880 schedule, see Amy's post, “Do You Have a Defective Ancestor?“)
I don't have anyone in the U.S census but sadly the Scottish census of 1841 for Mill of Broomfield shows my 3rd great-grand uncle, Alexander FORSYTH listed as "Idiot".
Piece: SCT1841/192 Place: Ellon -Aberdeenshire Enumeration District: 10
Civil Parish: Ellon Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 10 Page: 9
Address: Mill Of Broomfield
Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born
FORSYTH Alexander M 50 Miller Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH Jane F 50 Wife Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH Alexander M 25 Idiot Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH James M 20 Miller Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH Robert M 15 Miller Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH Isabella F 14 Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH Ann F 11 Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH Helen F 8 Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH James M 2 Aberdeenshire
It looks like the word has been crossed out and no doubt then the meaning was different to what it is today.
Alexander may have been mentally handicapped in some way, even very mildly.
In the 1861 census, he was living with his brother and sister in law Robert and Helen FORSYTH (my 3rd great grandparents) at the Mill of Aberdour. He was unmarried and 49 years of age.
We cannot find him in a census after 1861.
There is no burial information for his parents, Alexander and Jean who died at the Mill of Broomfield in 1864 and 1869 respectively, so we don't know if he was buried with them or not.
He is not listed as buried with his brother Robert.
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