How a Tax Record Helped Date a Migration

Untangling Two James Crawfords

Have you ever used tax records to solve a genealogical mystery? I’ve looked at many over the years, particularly in Kentucky, while researching my Crawford line. But I always come back to the same frustrating question: which James Crawford is this?

Two Men, One Name

My ancestor, James Crawford, appears to have migrated alongside another James Crawford. Since there’s only a two-year difference in their ages, they aren’t father and son. That makes distinguishing their records all the more difficult—and every small clue becomes important.

In Preble County, Ohio, the name James Crawford shows up prominently:

• In 1808, a James Crawford was appointed Justice of the Peace.
• In 1814, a James Crawford served as a county commissioner.

The question is: were both roles held by the same James Crawford? Or were both men prominent community leaders? If these positions belonged to just one of them, which James was it?

Based on other evidence, I’ve long suspected that the older James Crawford—married to Martha Knight—was the man serving in these civic roles. That suspicion is partly based on the fact that, after 1829 (when James and Martha migrated to Warren County, Indiana), such civic involvement seems to disappear from local records.

The Coffin Maker

Another clue comes from early county history. Preble County records note:

“The first death of which there is any remembrance that took place in the Seven Mile settlement after the arrival of Mr. Dooley was that of an infant child of William and Sarah Sellers… James Crawford made the little coffin of puncheons and it fell to the lot of Silas Dooley to dig the grave.”

History of Preble County, Ohio: with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches (N.p.: H. Z. Williams & Bro., Publishers, 1881), page 177; digital images, Archive.org, http://www.archive.org.

Find A Grave suggests that this Sellers infant died in 1805, placing James Crawford in the community that early. I’ve always attributed this event to the older James, but until recently, the evidence was circumstantial.

Tax Records to the Rescue

Then I turned back to tax records. Both James Crawfords appear in the 1805 Barren County, Kentucky tax list:

• James Crawford Sr. owned 200 acres on the Marrowbone.
• James Crawford Jr. owned 50 acres, also on the Marrowbone.

In 1822, James Crawford of Preble County sold 200 acres on the Marrowbone in Barren County—land that matches the holdings of James Sr. This deed was signed by Martha, his wife, confirming the connection. This ties “Big Jimmie,” as he was known in early Preble County histories, to the land in Kentucky.

The 50-acre parcel, owned by the younger James Crawford, remains a bit of a mystery. I have yet to locate a deed documenting its sale.

A Key Clue in the 1806 Tax List

While exploring FamilySearch’s experimental full-text search, I tried a query using +CRAWFORD +MARROWBONE. I didn’t find the missing deed—but I did uncover a key tax record I hadn’t fully analyzed.

In 1806, only James Crawford Jr. appears in the Barren County tax records, listed with the 50 acres. The 200-acre entry for James Sr. is gone. That suggests James Sr. migrated to Preble County around 1805, likely with members of the Dooley family, leaving his namesake behind.

By 1814, both James Crawfords appear in the voter rolls for Preble County’s first election. My ancestor completes the purchase of land in the county in 1816, confirming that both families had settled there by that point.

Conclusion

While the missing deed for the 50-acre parcel still eludes me, the absence of James Crawford Sr. from the 1806 tax list provides an important clue. It supports the conclusion that he was the community leader, coffin maker, and Justice of the Peace remembered in early Preble County history. This case highlights how something as seemingly simple as a tax list can help pin down a migration timeline—and differentiate between two men who otherwise appear nearly identical on paper.