The 1790-1800 Virginia Tax List Census includes the majority of counties. And it occurred to me that the list of those counties not included might be helpful to you:
- Albemarle
- Bath
- Berkeley
- Botetourt
- Brooke
- Grayson
- Greenbrier
- Hampshire
- Hardy
- Harrison
- Kanawha
- Loudoun
- Lunenburg
- Madison
- Monongalia
- Monroe
- Ohio
- Patrick
- Pendleton
- Randolph
- Rockbridge
- Rockingham
- Russell
- Tazewell
- Washington
- Wood,
- Wythe (no 1790)
- Richmond (City)
- Winchester (City)
West Virginia counties are missing, and some of the most difficult counties to make connections into and out of. So other printed sources and a search of the original tax lists may be in order. Searching tax lists as a first attack on the evidence in any Virginia county is a good strategy: Here are just a few of the evidences you can expect to find.
You can pick up 16-21 year old males in the tax lists. And for those lists that do not include this category, you can watch for multiple tithables in the same household. When the extra tithable disappears, look for a new male on the tax list.
You can spot new widows and look for the missing male on the list. This will usually lead you to her husband’s name. Then you can look for his death date, burial information, and his estate records.
Watch especially for undivided estates where the whole estate is being taxed as William White’s heirs. When it begins to be divided, portions will appear on the tax list under the new owners. These entries will disclose sons-in-law, cousins, nephews, and brothers-in-law–most of them with surnames previously unknown to you. Take the new owners names and check them against the marriage records.
Watch also for the male who marries the widow and is now responsible for the payment of the taxes on her deceased husband’s property. Virginia was good to women–they became healthier, their skin glowed, and they often outlived 3 or 4 and even sometimes 5 husbands. Tracking their new surnames is the trick–the tax records can aid you in this research task.
New Virginia Index: 1721-1776 (includes Indentured Servants)
Computer Search of Northern Neck Proprietary Rent Rolls: Berkeley, Culpeper, Dunmore (Shenandoah), Fairfax, King George, Lancaster, Loudoun, Northumberland, Prince William, Richmond, Stafford, and Westmoreland counties. Order your search from The Genealogical Institute, Inc., PO Box 129, Tremonton UT 84337. $10.00 per surname; $12.00 for 3 or more surnames. Allow 10 days for response.
Interpreting the Results
Many Indentured Servants settled in these counties before the American Revolution. When they make their first rent payments, subtract 7-15 years and look for their importation/immigration. These men needed a year or two after they completed their service to acquire their own land on which they paid rents.
English servants served until age 21 or the length of their indentures Irish servants served until age 25! Watch for this differentiation! Your favorite Virginia genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://www.arleneeakle.com
PS Research clients: Check my Genealogy News Sheet for the posting of those research projects where the research is completed, the report compiled, and only the photocopying done. I do not send out a report without copying it first–for security, in case the report gets lost. For convenience, in case a relative wants their own copy–I can provide it, with your permission. For reference, when you renew so that I can continue the searches on that particular lineage–I don’t want to duplicate the searches.
I will post the main surnames in each project, so you will know about when to expect your report to arrive. Readers of each post can also see what surnames are being researched and if they have surnames in common, they can be referred to you. And it will save me ton of time contacting each of you individually–time I can spend on the research itself.
If any of you object–let me know, quickly.