Do you find the early tax lists a useful source in your genealogy research? Even though I included tax lists in my research arsenal, I have to admit that at first they were pretty useless. However, now, looking back at the early research, they are useful in helping document residency.
So what changed? Did I all of a sudden become a better researcher? Not likely. Instead, I learned more about the families and can now figure out the who’s who for some of those tax lists.
In 1827, the following Crawford names are found on the tax list for Gasper township in Preble County, Ohio.
- Crawford, James
- Crawford, James
- Crawford, John D.
- Crawford, William A.
In 1828, the two James Crawfords are identified as James Crawford Sr and James Crawford Jr. In 1832, a fifth name is added to the list: Nelson Crawford. By that time John, William and one of the James are missing from the list.
1827
Gasper township
Crawford, James
Crawford, James
Crawford, John D
Crawford, William ATwin Township
Crawford, Samuel1828
Gasper Township
Crawford William
Crawford, James Sr
Crawford, James JrTwin Township
Crawford, Samuel1829
Gasper Township
Crawford William
Crawford, James Jr
Crawford, James sr
Crawford, John1830
Gasper Township
Crawford James1831
Gasper Township
Crawford, James1832
Gasper Township
Crawford, James
Crawford, Nelson1833
Gasper Township
Crawford, James1834 (page 120)
Gasper Township
Crawford, JamesVolume 2 (1835-1842)
1835
Gasper township
Crawford, JamesLanier township
Crawford, Thomas1836
Gasper township
Crawford, JamesLanier Township
Crawford, ThomasTwin township
Crawford, Samuel (not found)1837
Gasper Township
Crawford, James1838
Gasper township
Crawford, James1839
Gasper Township
Crawford, James1841
Gasper Township
Crawford, James1842
Gasper Township
Crawford, JamesVolume 3 (1843-1850)
1843
Gasper township
Crawford, James1844
Gasper Township
Crawford James1845
1846
Gasper Township
Crawford, James1847
1848
Gasper township
Crawford, James S1849
Gasper Township
Crawford, James1850
Audrey S. Gilbert, Preble County, Ohio, Personal Property Tax List, 1827-1850, volumes 1-3 (Utica, Kentucky: McDowell Publications, 1987–1988), Gasper township 1827-1850.
Gasper Township
Crawford, James
So does the Sr/Jr designation indicate father/son? Is it James Jr who moved away leaving James Sr behind? The answer to both questions is No. Again, the only reason I can now answer those questions is because I have researched these families. I still don’t know which James is James Sr and which is James Jr, but the two James Crawfords are my ancestor, James Crawford (1772-1854) who stayed in Preble county and James Crawford (1770-1833) who moved to Warren County, Indiana. Because the James who moved to Indiana is the older of the two men, I assume he is James Sr in the tax lists.
James (1770-1833), his sons John D. and William A. along with my ancestor, Nelson Crawford, all have land entries indicating that they purchased land in Warren County, Indiana. Even though they each have multiple entries, they all have an 1830 entry.
While these tax lists aren’t very helpful on their own, they do show that several Gasper township Crawfords left while one stayed behind.
Because tax lists were created annually, they have proven helpful in filling gaps in census records. Thus, I will continue to utilize tax lists even though I know from experience that I need other sources to help figure out what the tax list is revealing.
Most of the early tax lists for Kentucky and Tennessee are online and they are a favorite resource of mine. Not only do they document residence, they help estimate the ages of young men who make their first appearances and they help determine how many men of the same name were living in a place at one time. I’ve also found notations of “Est” so I can determine the approximate year of death. They are one of my favorite resources.
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