Need Help with reading something on a Census

@vondajeanoakley1

First, to be clear, you are referring to a Register of Births for Pulaski County, Virginia, not a Census. That register is part of a larger collection provided by the Library of Virginia - see here: https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/catalog/results?count=20&q.authorId=566356

It is helpful to remember that Registers like this one were the result of Town/County Clerks recording information obtained from multiple sources. In this case, birth information may have been obtained from the parents, physicians, midwives, etc… So, the information provided was not always consistent. Indeed, each clerk had their own method of recording the data. One only needs to review the pages before and after the entry noted for Susan M. Bowers to see that recording methods varied greatly from either just checking boxes to actually including letters.

In this case, it would seem that the letters (B vs D) appear to be a distinction between Stillborn and Born alive then died very soon after (likely within hours). I did note that most of the time, though not always, but mostly, when the D is used, the baby name is "Surname, not named." When the B is used, the baby name is "Surname, then a given name."

However, after some checking, and with thanks to @Áine.ní.Donnghaile , both designations appear as S.B. in the typed versions of the old registers. See here: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C331-B28C for Bowers, Susan M with the (S.B.) designation.

I checked some of the listings for those marked with B and D and they all have (S.B.) indicated on the typed version.

So, my conclusion is that in both cases (B vs D), the baby did not survive and is considered Stillborn.