AscOff

Understanding the Final Rolls

When starting your search of the Final Rolls (Dawes Rolls) it can and will be confusing.  To make this process simpler for the researcher who visits our pages I suggest you look at the information provided on the Final Rolls like a book, Index, Content, and Bibliography.

The Index tells you what and where you will find the information in the book.  In this case the name, tribe and roll number.  On our pages you will find this listed as Final Roll Index.  This search produced the following:


Page AscOff DescOffRoll AscOff DescOffSurname AscOff DescOffFirst AscOff DescOffBlood AscOff DescOff
39726758SwiftFrank T.Cherokee by Blood
39726760SwiftFrank B. Jr.Cherokee by Blood

From the index you now have the information you need to search the Contents of the book, Frank T. Swift, Cherokee, Roll 26758.  On our pages this is the Dawes Final Rolls.  This search produced the following:

TribeLastFirstMiddleAgeSexBloodCardRollMiscType
CherokeeSwiftFrankB0MD228P
CherokeeSwiftFrankB Jr6M1/81007826760MUSKOGEEBB
CherokeeSwiftFrankB Jr6M1/8D228MUSKOGEED
CherokeeSwiftFrankR0M10078P
CherokeeSwiftFrankT33M1/41007826758MUSKOGEEBB
CherokeeSwiftFrankT33M1/4D228MUSKOGEED

Our search provided us with 2 Frank T. Swift’s, same age, degree of blood. With this information we can now check the Bibliography which in this case is the Census Card. I can’t tell you which card to order, you will have to decide that on your own.  Census Card D228 shows the following:

swift3
Click for larger image

Here is where the reading comes in.  If you look at the bottom of the card you will find the hand written note:

Feb. 3, 1909 in accordance with the decision of the Commission of Jan. 15, 1903, No’s 1-5 incl. are transferred to Cherokee card #10078

Now look up Frank T. Swift #10078, click on his  card number you now have a list of Frank and his family. This search produced the following:

TribeLastFirstMiddleAgeSexBloodCardRollMiscType
CherokeeButlerBenjamin0M10078P
CherokeeButlerCallie0F10078P
CherokeeSwiftCrystie8F1/81007826759MUSKOGEEBB
CherokeeSwiftFrankB Jr6M1/81007826760MUSKOGEEBB
CherokeeSwiftFrankR0M10078P
CherokeeSwiftFrankT33M1/41007826758MUSKOGEEBB
CherokeeSwiftMabel3F1/81007826761MUSKOGEEBB
CherokeeSwiftMartha0F10078P
CherokeeSwiftNettie30FIW10078NRMUSKOGEEBB

You also know they were not denied or doubtful. Without the census card the search is a little more difficult, but if you just follow through with the census card numbers, you will find that some that were doubtful, denied, or rejected can change.

You must have your ancestors name and tribe, before you can make any kind of search that will be useful to your research.  Indian Genealogy may be helpful in obtaining this information.

The following chart also provides information on the Type and Roll number:

A – Adopted
AD – Adopted Delaware
BB – By Blood
D – Doubtful or denied
F – Freedman
FD – Freedman, doubtful or denied
FM – Freedman, minor
FRR – Freedman, rejected
IW – Intermarried White
MCR – Mississippi Choctaw Rejected
NR – Not Registered, Non Resident
O – Owner*
OS – Old Series** Old Settler
P – Parent

Additional Final Roll Research

 


Topics:
Guide, Roll,

Collection:
AccessGenealogy.com Native American Rolls.

Search Military Records - Fold3

4 thoughts on “Understanding the Final Rolls”

  1. Terry Chancellor

    Looking for information on my great grandmother mary Elizabeth Morris and her mother Margaret Dodd(1/16 Cherokee) from Tennessee, both were given 130 acres of land, moved to Texas than to Oklahoma

  2. My great-grandfather and my grandfather and my mother are Cherokee my mother and one of my sisters have their roll number I am trying to get my roll number I mailed off all the information that was needed about a year ago and I still have not heard anything back maybe you can help me

  3. Looking for information on Mary King/ John King/ James King/ Penny Jackson married King and Mary Margurite King.Mary who married Andrew Gill was my great grandmother,her mother was married to John Franklin King,his dad was James King have heard he was called Mushulatubbe don’t know,he was supposed to have married Penny Jackson whose father was supposed to be a Indian chief some say Nitakechi,some say Mushulatubbe,her mother was supposed to be Machou,can anyone shed some light on any of this?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Pin It on Pinterest

Scroll to Top