Daily AncestorM
M in the free or mortgaged column of the 1900 to 1920 census means the family's owned home was mortgaged.
For owned homes, the 1900, 1910 and 1920 censuses asked whether the home was free or mortgaged. M meant not fully paid for, or carrying a mortgage or a court-judged lien. F meant owned free. Rented homes left the column blank.
M is the busiest letter on the page: it also means male in the sex column and married in the marital status column. Read the heading before you decide. A mortgaged home may lead you to mortgage records at the county recorder.
As seen in a recordHome ownership columns of the 1900 census
Kerr, John, Head, O, M, H
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "M." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/census-m. Last checked 2026-10-10.