Census Details

1870 Census

10th Ward of the City of Chicago, Cook County, State of Illinois,16 July 1870, page 226, lines 35-38

Looking up Edith on Ancestry.com, the main entry has her listed as "Edith Lillian Granger." I believe that her middle name was actually "Lucy" and this is based on her mother's biographical manuscript and the fact that "Lucy" was the name of Edith's maternal grandmother, Lucy (Bugbee) Munsell. However, it looks like possibly Edith was originally named Lilian (spelled with the one "L" in the middle) according to the 1870 Census. Or this could have simply been a mistake by the census taker. By the 1880 Census, we find Edith listed as "Edith."

Ransom (sometimes written as "Rawson" or "Ranson") Granger is listed as the head of household at 34 years old, a salesman in dry goods. Martha Granger at 24, Ransom's wife and Edith's mother, is listed as "keeping house" as her occupation. "Lilian" is listed as their daughter with an age of "9/12" (9 months of 12) and her birth month as October. This matches Edith's birthday of 8 October 1869 as this Census info was gathered on 16 July 1870. Edith's half-brother Herbert, 4 years old, is also listed. Herbert, like his mother, was born in Michigan. Herbert was the son of Martha and her first husband (and first cousin) Orange William Brooks. They were married on October 23, 1864. They divorced on 9 May 1868. He died in July 1868. She married Ransom Granger on 28 October 1868.

1880 census

In 1880, we find Edith (listed now as "Edith"), Martha and youngest daughter Gertrude represented twice-- in Illinois and Michigan.

In Chapter 17 of Martha's autobiographical manuscript, Martha mentions visiting her parents in the summer of 1880, including spending the Fourth of July there. "In 1880 the two children and I went to the farm at Traverse and made my parents a long visit. Traverse City is a pretty place on the bay, about thirty miles from Lake Michigan." They must have either gone to Michigan shortly after the visit from the census taker in Chicago or they were already in Michigan and Ransom provided the information as both records are from June.

Though she doesn't mention him, we only see her son (Ransom's stepson) Herbert, 14 years old, listed in the Michigan census. He is listed with an occupation of "farming" and one could guess he was there working for his grandfather A.C. who is listed as a farmer.

Chicago in the County of Cook, State of Ill.,10 June 1880, page 20, lines 19-22

Ransom is listed as "RE," 45, salesman. Martha is "MJ," 34, keeping house. Edith, 10 and Gertrude is 5 (though she is listed as 4 in Michigan, she was born on 10 November 1875).

Long Lake in the County of Grand Traverse, State of Michigan, 16 June 1880, page 8, lines 35-40

Edith is listed as residing with her maternal grandparents, A.C., 75, and Lucy Munsell, 71. Her mother Martha J. Granger, 44, her son Herbert, 14, and youngest daughter Gertrude, 4 are also represented.

1900 Census

Town of Lake, City of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, 30th Ward, 9 June 1900, sheet no. 9, lines 43-44

Martha is listed as the head of household at the age of 54 and is listed as a widow. It looks like there is 36 for the number of years married but that wouldn't be correct since she would have been married to Ransom for 24 years. Ransom Edwin Granger died at age 55 in Omaha, Nebraska (5 April 1836 - 8 March 1892).

Edith is listed as single and 30 years old. Her occupation is listed as “Clerk Office" (this could be at Harper Bros. and/or A.C. McClurg).

1910 Census

Santa Rosa Township, Sonoma County, State of California, 21-23 April 1910, sheet no. 7, lines 12-15

By 1910, Edith has moved to California and is married to William Hawkes (they married in 1908). William was listed as 49 (though his birthdate was 4 May 1855 so he would have been 55) and his birthplace was Ireland (though according to his obituary, he was born in England). His father was born in England and his mother, Scotland. The record here states that he immigrated in 1868 though his obituary states he was 19 which would have been around 1874. His occupation is a farmer and the industry was grapes.

Edith is listed as William's wife at 40 years old with 0 children born or living. Incorrect information is listed for her birthplace (California, it should be Illinois), for her father (Ireland, it should be New York) and possibly her mother (it is illegible but should be Michigan).

Also included are William's two sons, John, 24, and Fred, 16, and it looks like they both may have been employed in farming for their father.

1920 Census

Santa Rosa Township, Sonoma County, State of California, 13-14 February 1920, sheet no. 17, lines 18-20

In 1920, Edith has already been divorced and her mother is living with her and is listed as head of household. Martha is 73 and listed with an occupation in farming. Edith Hawkes is 51 and listed as not having an occupation. Her daughter Eleanor is 8 having been born in California and her father's birthplace as Ireland (William Hawkes).

1930 Census

Santa Rosa Township, Sonoma County, State of California, 3 April 1930, sheet no. 2A-2B, lines 49-51

Edith, 60, is listed as head of household and owning a home with a value $5000. Her occupation is postmistress. Her daughter Eleanor is 18.

1940 Census

Santa Rosa Township, Sonoma County, State of California, 3 April 1930, sheet no. 8A, line 9

This is the last census we have with Edith until the 1950 Census is released in April 2022 (the 1950 census records will be released in April 2022. According to the 72-Year Rule, the National Archives releases census records to the general public 72 years after Census Day).

Edith is alone, Martha passed in 25 January 1938 and Eleanor was married 3 July 1937 to George E. Eggersgluess.

Edith, 70, is listed as living at 630 Spencer Ave (this address matches a letter she sent to Charmian London in 1940). She is also listed as male ("M") and the middle initial looks like an "E" which is also incorrect.