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Archiver > LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS > 2004-01 > 1075391223


From: "Bob Frakes" <>
Subject: RE: [LDR] Somerset Tax Lists 1723-59
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 09:47:06 -0600
In-Reply-To: <51.3a203f3a.2d4a7069@cs.com>


I've read the notes and comments on these list and found that the Household
numbers are assigned according to position on each list page. A deeper set
of questions:

1. Does the position on the page necessarily have anything to do with the
proximity of where each family lived to each other?

If I were a constable doing my duty and documenting these families, I would
be going to each household in some kind of order so I would not have to
backtrack and possibly miss a family.

2. If there is a relationship to position on the list of each household,
then there could be generated some kind of local map of where these folks
lived. Has anyone put together such a map?

For example: Our ancestor Henry Friggs (taxed as Head of Household) and his
dependent Robert Friggs lived in the Nanticoke Hundred and was enumerated in
1723. Just above were two John Winser/Winsors whom we know were mentioned
in several of the documents we have. And below the Friggs names is a
William Robertson. We know a William Robinson was a stepson of Henry
Friggs. Does it stand to reason that all of these people would have lived
close together and would be enumerated by the local Constable in this order?

Wouldn't it be nice to have a map to show these relationships?

Bob Frakes
Frakes Family Researcher

Compliance Software
A Division of Systems Design Associates LLC
(800) 540-0712 Fax (405) 703-0476
www.compliancesw.com

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:]
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 8:19 AM
To:
Subject: [LDR] Somerset Tax Lists 1723-59


After the many misadventures recounted here, Jean E. Russo's tax lists for
Somerset 1723-1759 have finally arrived at the MSA Web site, properly
formatted!

http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/refserv/coagser/so/html/so1812.html

This should resolve all those old confusions and offer everyone who has
mid-18th Somerset ancestors a real field day. Jean has produced a marvelous
product
here, bringing to light a virtually unique look at colonial households
across
several decades.

An enormous amount of work has gone into transcribing these lists, over many
years. Jean deserves much credit.

She's added an introductory section, which appears at the top of each list,
which will explain the essentials.

Just to remind everyone of the jusridictional changes affecting who may be
in
these lists: in 1742, Worcester was created, so the 1743 and later lists do
not include the Hundreds that became part of Worcester [Baltimore,
Bogerternorton, Mattapany, part of Pocomoke (east of Salisbury) and part of
Nanticoke
(that portion now in Sussex, DE north of Broad Creek).

And, no, no such later tax lists for Worcester survive. Sorry. A keenly
interesting anecdote about the rare survival of these lists is that when
some
bundled Somerset records were forwarded from the Courthouse in Princess Anne
to
the Archives in Annapolis a few decades past, it was discovered that the
wrapping paper of the bundles was these tax lists! Hosanna and good grief.
From
such small things ...

Enjoy!

John Lyon


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