Daily AncestorAgent
In old census returns agent alone means someone who acted or sold for another, such as an insurance or real estate agent; enumerators were told to say which kind.
An agent acts for someone else, called the principal, and on that person's authority.
The 1870 and 1880 instructions told enumerators to call no man an agent without further explanation and to distinguish fire from life insurance agents. From 1910 they were to state the agent's line of business in the new industry column. So an unexplained agent in an early return could be almost any kind of representative or commission seller, and a city directory may tell you which.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Agent." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/agent. Last checked 2026-10-10.