A 1688 Census of Kent County, Delaware

A 1688 Census of Kent County, Delaware Jeffrey L. Scheib* O NE OF THE MOST important documents to survive from the early colonial history of the state of Delaware is a partial census of Kent County taken late in the spring or sometime in the summer of 1688. The 1688 enumeration was not the earliest census of the Kent County population.' Nevertheless, it was the first census of the region to provide detailed information on the members of each household, listing not only the name of each freeholder in the county but also the names and ages of everyone dwelling in each household. Of importance both historically and genealogically, the census provides a fascinating glimpse of the population of Kent County at a very early period. Introduction The circumstances surrounding the compilation of the 1688 Kent County census remain a mystery. In December of 1682, shortly after he had assumed jurisdiction over the Three Lower Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, William Penn' issued an order to the justices of the peace in each of the counties: I do also think Fitt that an Exact Catalogue be returned to Me, of the Names of all the People of your County, Masters, Mistresses, Servants, Parents, Children, allso the number of Acres each Free Holder hash, and *Editor's Note: The author is indebted to Rosalind,. Belle; former assistant editor of the Biographical Dictionary of Early Pennsylvania Ligiclaton project. During the course of her research on several Kent Countians who served as representatives in the Pennsylvania Assembly before the year 1 nv, she discovenxi a partial transcript of the Kent County census in the Matilda Spicer Hari Collection at the Genealogical Society cf Pennsylvania. SubsequeniN she obtained a complete copy of the census from the Delaware State Archives and contributed to establishing both the date of the census and its organization by hundreds. 135 136 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine by Whom, and When, Granted, all in Distinct CoHums, with a Mark of non Residents that have claims[.] The details of Penn's instructions match so closely the parameters of the Kent census that it is tempting to conclude that the document was created in response to Penn's order. In the original document, which appears to be in the hand of William Berry, who was clerk of Kent County from 1685 to 1691,4 the information was supplied in five columns, with separate blocks provided for each household. The first column contains the names of the members of the household, headed, of course, by the freeholder. The second column contains the ages of the individuals listed in the first column. The third column consists of the total number of individuals in the household, while the fourth column provides the number of acres of land held by the freeholder, and the fifth column provides the name of the freeholder's estate.' The document concludes with a list of nonresident landholders, with the number of acres each held. Moreover, the first page of the census contains the heading, "Kent County," written in the upper left-hand corner, which tantalizingly suggests that similar documents once existed for New Castle and Sussex counties. Nevertheless, the Kent census was clearly compiled well over five years after Penn's order, so that it seems very unlikely that it was taken as a response to Penn's instruction. Ultimately, the provenance of the 1688 Kent County census remains unknown. Perhaps it was compiled under local authority for purely local purposes, such as assessing county taxes. A portion of the census has been published before, as recently as 1986.6 The present editor, however, feels that several cogent reasons warrant republication. Principally, the most recent publication contained only 26 households, or less than half of the 61 households represented in the portion of the census that has survived.' Additionally, the most recently published version dated the census at "Before 1686-4-10 Mo.," that is, before 4 December 1686. Further study, however, has shown that the census was taken at least a year and a half later, sometime between 2 May and 25 August 1688. Finally, by comparing the census to the Kent County provincial tax list of 1693, the editor has been able to demonstrate that the households listed in the census were grouped by hundreds8 in order from south to north, starting with Mispillion Hundred and ending with Duck Creek; from this it has been possible to deduce that most of the population Census of Kent County 137 schedule of Dover Hundred has been lost, as well probably as much of Little Creek and possibly a portion of Murderkill. Establishing the date of the census was fairly simple. Among the households listed is that ()flames Maxwell and Alice his wife. From other sources, it is known that James Maxwell married the widow Alice Adams on 2/3 mo. [2 May] 16889; thus the census cannot have been taken before that date. Similarly, the census includes the household of Arthur Alstone, which consisted of Alstone himself, his wife Hannah, and their two daughters. On 25/6 mo. [25 August] 1688 Hannah Alstone gave birth to a son, Thomas, who does not appear in the censue; therefore, the census must have been taken before that date.' By comparing the householders enumerated in the census with the freeholders and other taxpayers on the 1693 provincial tax list for Kent County, the editor was able to divide the census into hundreds. Thirteen of the first 16 householders listed in the census, plus Hugh Loffe/Luff, at the time of the census a freeman residing in the household of Georg[ el Bowers, were assessed taxes in Mispillion Hundred in 1695.12 Similarly, 9 of the next 16 householders listed, beginning with Peeter Groundick/Peter Groenendyke and ending with W<illia>m Lawrence, paid the provincial tax in Murderkill Hundred.' Of the five householders listed next after W<illia>m Lawrence, only the first, Allexander Chance, paid taxes in Dover Hundred in 1693." The fourth household listed, however, that of W<illia>rn Trippett, ends the first page of the existing population schedule. The name of the fifth householder listed after Lawrence has been completely torn away, and the editor has been unable to identify him. At the same time, that household begins the existing second page of the census, which is clearly only the right-hand half of the original second page. The first householder on the existing second page who can be confidently identified is [j] ohn Kelly/Kelley, who was assessed in Little Creek Hundred in 1693, as were 4 of the succeeding 8 householders.' Finally, 9 of the last 17 householders in the census were taxed in Duck Creek Hundred in 1693.16 Since only 1 of the 40 taxpayers assessed in Dover Hundred in 1693" appears in the census in a group of households that falls between groups that can with confidence be placed in either Murderkill or Little Creek, it is readily apparent that the missing left-hand half of the second page contained most of the Dover population schedule. By the same reasoning, a part of the Little 138 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Creek Hundred census may also be missing, for in 1693 Little Creek had 24 taxpayers, of whom only 5 appear as householders in the census, and an even smaller portion of the MurderIdll enumeration may also be missing. The reader should be aware that ages given for many, if not most, of the individuals who appear in the census seem to be approximations. For example, the age of johanes Groundick []ohannes Groenendykej is given as 14 years. It is known, however, that he was baptized on 24 March 1675. If the census was taken about 1 August 1688, he would, in fact, have been just past 13 years and 4 months of age.' The approximations can be even farther off in the cases where the editor has supplied names that do not appear in the census (for a discussion of names supplied by the editor, see below under "Editorial Method") . The ages of Elizabeth and Hannah Alstone, daughters of Arthur and Hannah Alstone, are given as 4 and 2, respectively, but Elizabeth was born on 8 March 1686, making her almost 2 years and 5 months old on 1 August 1688, and Hannah was born on 1 September 1687, making her only 11 months old.' On the other hand, sometimes the estimated age is reasonably close; Alexander Stroughan, son of David and Elizabeth Stroughan, was born on 12 January 1683," making him about 5 years and 7 months old, which compares favorably with the age, 6, given in the census.' Why the ages given are in many cases such rough approximations has not been explained. Although many adults in the late seventeenth century were not able to state their ages exactly (anyone who has worked with court records of the period is familiar with depositions where the deponent gave his or her age as "thereabouts"), one would expect that parents would have a fairly good idea of the ages of their children. Nor has the clerk's failure to record all the names been explained. As is evident from the census itself, the entire population of Kent County in 1688 was still quite small; only 249 persons are enumerated on the part of the census that has survived, of whom 28 can confidently be identified as either servants or slaves. Among them, the county clerk and the justices of the peace probably knew, or thought they knew, everybody in the county. Conceivably they may have compiled the census at a meeting among themselves without undertaking a costly house-to-house canvas of the population, for which the county taxpayers, themselves included, would have had to pay. Census of Kent County 139 Editorial Method The version of the census presented below should not be taken as a literal transcription. No attempt has been made to duplicate the tabular form of the original (for a description of the original document, see above). In the version presented below, the editor has inserted headings to indicate the division of the census into hundreds; these headings do not appear in the original document. Additionally, the names of the freeholders have been used as subheadings. Under each subheading appears the total number of individuals in the household and the number of acres held by the freeholder, with self-explanatory exceptions to the placement of the acreage in the households of Nicholas Bartlett and John Robbison, where several individuals dwelling in each of those households held their own separate lands. Note that the phrase "in household" and the word "acres" have been added by the editor for clarity in presentation; they are not a part of the original census. Then the individuals in the household, including the freeholder, are listed, with their ages. In transcribing the contents of the census, the original capitalization and spelling of the names have been preserved, except that "ff" has been rendered as "F" where appropriate. Superscripts have been brought to the line and expanded, as have raised brevigraphs. Names abbreviated with a tilde have been expanded, while names abbreviated without a tilde have had their missing letters inserted in <angle brackets>. A minimal amount of punctuation has been added by the editor to the originally unpunctuated document in the interest of clarity in this presentation. Na attempt has been made to provide complete histories or genealogies of the families that appear in the census. The editor has, however, attempted to supply given names for those individuals who appear only as "his Wife," or "his Son," or "one Daughter," and to supply surnames for stepchildren for whom only the given name appears. The supplied name appears in {braces}, and an end note provides the source of the identification; where no name has been supplied, the reader should assume that the editor was unable to supply a plausible identification after a reasonable amount of research. A woman's surname in parentheses within braces is a supplied maiden name. A surname in braces without parentheses indicates a previous married name, that is, the woman was a widow when she married the householder, and her maiden name has not been found. 140 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Where all or part of a word or name appears in [square brackets], the editor is confident of his reconstruction of a part of the manuscript that has since been torn away. A question mark [?] after text within square brackets indicates uncertainty in the transcription. Gaps in the manuscript that the editor has been unable to fill appear simply as [torn]. The original manuscript of the census is located in Record Group 0720, Proprietary Papers, 1654-1776, in the Delaware State Archives, at the Hall of Records in Dover. It is published here with the permission of the Delaware State Archives. A 1688 Census of Kent County, Delaware [Mispillion Hundred] Thomas Pemberton 6 in household; 1845 acres; Thomas Pemberton, 45; Eliz<abeth> his Wife, 30; His Daughter fElizabethi,22 7; His Son Thomas, 3; Georg Kendall 8cc hirlin[ , 50; his Wife, M." Georg Cullin 5 in household; 400 acres; Georg Cullin, 42; His Wife fAvice},24 35; his son, 12; his son, 9; his daughter, 2. Mark Manloe 5 in household; [no acreage given] ; Mark Manloe; 39; His Wife {Elizabeth ( Greene”, 37; One Daughter, 14; One Daughter, 10; One Daughter, 2.25 Richard Williams 3 in household; 300 acres; Richard Williams, 30; Saragh his Wife, 25; One Daughter, 3.26 Census of Kent County 141 William Manloe 4 in household; 300 acres; William Manloe, 47; His Wife {Alice (Robins)), 27; One Daughter, 2; John Samson a Servant, 25." Georg Manloe 4 in household; 300 acres; Georg Manloe, 25; His Wife {Ann}, 19; One Daughter {Ann}, 1; W<illia>rn Laurence a freeman, 22.28 Georg Bowers 7 in household; 300 acres; Georg Bowers, 40; Priscilla ((Kitchen) Hunn) his Wife, 41; Priscilla {Hunn}His Wifes Daughter, 18; Saragh {ilunn}[ his] Wifes Daughter, 15; One boy his Wifes Son {Nathaniel Hunn}, 12; Hugh Loffe a freeman, 25; Georg Bowers Junior, 11/2 •29 John Curtis 7 in household; 1300 acres; Aberdeene; John Curtis, 45; Winlock Curtis his Son, [2011 ; Elizabeth Curtis his Daughter, [torn]; Cornelius Collone, [torn]; 3 Negroes, 2 men, one wonaan." John Betts 8 in household; 800 acres; John Betts, 43; Mary iStacT)31 his Wife, 40; Mary (Stacy) his Wifes Daughter, 15; Susanagh (Stacy] his Wifes Daughter, 10; Jane {Stacy} his Wifes Daughter, 8; Morris {Stacy} her son, 6; John Foster' freeman, 25; One servant man, 20. Richard Curtis 2 in household; 200 acres; Richard Curtis, 30; Ann I( Curtis)}" his Wife, 1[8?). 142 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Thomas Scidmore 3 in household; 400 acres; Thomas Scidmore, 30; His Wife {Mary},m 25; Thomas his Son, 3. John Walker 2 in household, 400 acres; John Walker, 3[2?]; Mary {Paynter}his Wife," 20. Edward Killingsworth 2 in household; 100 acres; Edward Killingsworth, 30; Mary {(Robeson)} his Wife,36 18. Joseph Hilliard 3 in household; [no acreage given]; Joseph Hilliard, 35; Easter his Wife, 24; Joseph his son, 2." John Mills 4 in household; 900 acres; John Mills, 35; Elizabeth his Wife, 28; John His son,' 2; Moses Mosely a freeman, 40. Daniell Browne 6 in household; 1200 acres; Daniell Browne, 50; Mary his Wife," [torn]; Daniell his son, [torn]; Mary {Garland} her Daughter, [ torn]; Tho<mas> Lain a freeman, torn] ;Thomas Jones, [ torn] . [Murderkill Hundred] Peeter Groundick 8 in household; 1500 acres; Peeter Groundick, [torn]; Mary [(de Lanoyr his Wife, torn]; johanes Groundick his son, 14; Patrick Grady a freeman, 30; One Spanish Indian slave, 27; His Wife an English Woman, [30?); One Negroe man & his negro wife, [no ages given]. Census of Kent County 143 James Max] well 4 in household; 50 acres; James Max] well,' V] 0; Al<i>ce h[ is wife]; torn]; William [torn]; [torn], a Labo[ red [ torn]. End of first column of households] Nicholas Bartlett 5 in household; Nicholas Bartlett, 55, 50 acres; John Newell, 50, 100 acres; Elizabeth Newells Wife, 22; John Newell, junior, 3; W<illia>rn Newell his son, 1.42 Thomas Hethard 5 in household; 800 acres; Thomas Hethard, 50; Anna his Wife, 40; William his son, 15; Ralph his son, 9; Mellesent his Daughter, 17.43 John Robbison 5 in household; John Robbison, 30, 200 acres; Ellinor his Wife, 20; Georg Robbison his brother, 23, 100 acres; Thomas Groves, 58, 100 acres; Tho<mas> Robbinson Junior, 2." Robert Edmons 3 in household; 200 acres; Robert Edmons, 35; Priscilla {(Heatherd)) his Wife,45 26; John his son, 2. Jacob Emerson 3 in household; 150 acres; Jacob Emerson, 30; His Wife {Margared,46 27; His son, 5. Samuell Mott 4 in household, 200 acres; 144 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Samuel! Mott, 35; His Wife Saragh {(}lancock)V 23; His son, 2; One french servant man, 40. Thomas Rouse 6 in household; 500 acres; Thomas Rouse, 60; Margarett his Wife, 55; 3 Negroes, 2 men & I Woman; a Negroe Child, 3,48 W<illia>m Nicholas 5 in household; 100 acres; W<illia>m Nicholas, 45; Margarett his Wife, 40; Robert His son, 18; One Daughter, 16; One son more {William Nicholas, jr.}, 14." Richard Walls 4 in household; 300 acres; Richard Walls, 43; Saragh His Wife, 36; One son, 16; One son, 12." Benony Bishop 4 in household; 1050 acres; Benony Bishop, 48; Saragh {Hancock} his Wife, 40; One Daughter (Elizabeth), 16; One Daughter {Margaret}, 12.5' James Brooks 6 in household; 600 acres; James Brooks, [?]"; His Wife, 30; John His son, 15; James his son, 13; Benjamine his son, 1; Margrita Loviiper, 20. Robert Huttson 5 in household; 800 acres; Robert Huttson, 42; His Wife, 36; His son Robert, 16; One servant man, 25; One servant maid, 24.' Henry Lissonby 3 in household, 100 acres; Henry Lissonby, 35; His Wife (Sarahl," 28; His Daughter, 3. Census of Kent County 145 W<illia>m Lawrence 5 in household; 800 acres; W<illia>m Lawrence, 35; His Wife Ann, 30; His son John, 12; His Daughter Mary, I; Michell Walton, 35.55 [Dover Hundred] Allexander Chance [4 in household; no acreage given]; Allexander Chance, [no age given] ;Ann Chance his Wife, [no age given] ;one Daughter, [ no age given] ;one Daughter, [no age given]. David Morgan 6 in household; 400 acres; David Morgan, 40; Phebey his Wife, 36; His son David, 8; His son John, 5; His Daughter Phebey, 1; His Daughter Ann, 6.57 John Howell 6 in household, 1600 acres; John Howell, 32; Georg Lamb his Overseer, 28; One Woman servant, 25; Benjamine an English servant, 18; One Negroe man and his Wife.' W<illia>m Trippett 2 in household; 400 acres; Trippett, 30; His Wale] Saragh, 22.59 [End of first page of census] [Torn] 5 in household; 600 acres; [Torn: head of household] , 56; [Torn: wife of householder] , 44; [his d] aughter Mary, 14; [his] son, 9; [a] servant man, 23. 146 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine [Little Creek Hundred] Ulohn Kelly 2 in household, 400 acres; Wolin Kelly, 30; [ S] aragh {(Word)} his Wife, 20.' [Willia]m Wilson 6 in household; [no acreage given]; [Willia] rift Wilson, 34; [ Su] sanna his Wife, 30; rilhomas his son, 9; [on]e daughter, 6; One daughter, 2; W<illia>rn Johnson, 27.6' Thomas Wilson, Junior 2 in household; 200 acres; Thomas Wilson, junior, 27; his Wife, 20.62 John Wilson 2 in household, 200 acres; John Wilson, 23; Mary his Wife, 2013 [A] rthur Alstone 4 in household; 300 acres; [A] rthur Alstone, 36; [Manna his Wife, 27; [On] e Daughter {Elizabeth}, 4; [Cl]ne Daughter {Hannah}, 2." Illhomas Boulstock 4 in household; 300 acres; [11homas Boulstock, 40; [Nis Wife {Ann}, 37; [hi)s son {Abraham}, 9; (his] Daughter {Ann}, Uoihn Walker 3 in household; 200 acres; Uo]hn Walker, 37; [Eli]zabeth his Wife, 30; (his] son, 2.66 Census of Kent County 147 [Torn] Harrer 3 in household; 200 acres; [Torn] Harrer,67 36; [his] Wife, 27; [a s] ervant boy, 18. Ueffer]y Thompson 5 in household; 600 acres; [Jeffer] y Thompson, 35; [Ellin] or his Wife, 27; [ Agne] s, his Daughter, 6; [Jeffe]ry his son, 2; [Mar] y his Daughter, 4.68 [Duck Creek Hundred] [Rich ark d James 2 in household; 100 acres; [Richadd James, 22; [torn] his wife, 20.69 [Geor]g Martin 3 in household; 929 acres; [Geo-r]g Martin, 35; [Ursill] a {(Colliner)}" his Wife, 23; [a] servant man, 24. [ Davi] d Stroughan 4 in household; 400 acres; [Davi]d Stroughan, 35; [Elizajbeth his [wife], 27; [Alexander]" his son, 6; [torn] his Daughter, 1. (john [6] in household; 322 acres [John Millia[r]d, 26; [Rachel his wife], [torn]; [John his sl on, 2; [torn], [his] wifes son, 5; [torn], [a s] ervant boy, 7; [torn], a Labourer, 30.72 Torn] unstone 6 in household; 148 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine [Torn] unstone,"64; [Mary] his Wife, 47; [non* s Hilliard her son, 20; Olive] r Hilliard her son, 17; [Charle]s Hilliard her son, 12, 300 acres; [Mary] Hilliard her Daughter, 10. [John] Bradshaw 3 in household; 300 acres; []ohn] Bradshaw, 36; Uoanijean] his Wife, 25; []ohn] his son, 3.74 [Torn] Reynolds 4 in household; 400 acres; [Torn] Reynolds,' 57; torn]11 his Wife, 43; [his so?]n Robert, 9; [his so?]n, 6. [TN omas Ellett in household; 25 acres; [TN omas Ellett,' 37; [M]ary his Wife, 30; (on] e Daughter, 3. [Rol Bert Ardin 2 in household; A Tenant on W<illia>m Wilsons plantation; [Rod berg Ardin, 37; [hi] s wife, 40.77 [Willia]m Green 4 in household, 1000 acres; [Williaj in Green,' 50; [M]arcy his Wife, 36; [hi] s son W<illia>m, 7; [hi]s son John, 4, [Jck]hn Holland 1 in household; 1000 acres; Uoihn Holland, 26.79 He] nry Parmaine 4 in household; 400 acres; [Hey my Parmaine, 40; Oa] ne his Wife, 37; Lia?]rie his Daughter, 9; [Ms son {Henry},8° 2. Census of Kent County 149 Sherrer I in household; 775 acres; [ William] Sherrer, 32.81 [TN oinas Elder 3 in household; [no acreage given]; [TN ornas Elder, 40; [Nis Wee {Marys, 38; [on] e Child {Margaretr 4. [ Rob] ert Palmatry 3 in household; 400 acres; [Rob] ert Palmatry, 37; []'oanna his] Wife,' 34; [his so] n Robert, 9. [Torn] 1 in household; 100 acres; [Torn], 26. Persons Nonresident In our County whoe have Land John Edmondson, 16,300; Edmond Gibbond, 2400; Francis Richardson, 2275; John Alberson, 600; W<illia>m Berry, Senior, 1400; W<illia>m Dickardson, 800; W<illia>rn Stephens, 600; John Howell, 1600; Ralph Fretwell Company, 6750; Francis Gamball & Company, 5750; John King, 300; Daniell Toe[ s], 1900; Anthony Tompkins, 1250." Notes 1. In 1680 a census of the householders dwelling between the north side of Cedar Creek (in Sussex Co.) and the south side of Duck Creek had been compiled in connection with the petition to establish the county that eventually was named Kent, but that enumeration contained only the name of each householder and the number of taxables resident in each household. For the latest published version of the 1680 census ofhouseholders, see Charles T. Gehring, ed., Delawave Papers (English Period): 1664-1682, Newyork Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vols. 20-21 (Baltimore, 1977), 304-5. An earlier published version can be found in K B. O'Callaghan and 150 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Berthold Fernow, eds., Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York 15 vols. (Albany, 1856-87), 12:646-47. 2. Joined in one government with Pennsylvania under William Penn in 1682, the Three Lower Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex upon Delaware remained a part of the Penn family proprietary even after separate legislatures for Pennsylvania and Delaware were established in 1704. For the often stormy relationship between Delaware and its Quaker neighbor to the north in the last years of the 17th century, see, "Pennsylvania and the Three Lower Counties, 16824704," in Craig W. Horle, Marianne S. Wokeck, et aL, Lawmaking and Legidaton in Pennsylvania: A Biographical Diaionars Volume 1, 1682-1709 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991). 3. William Penn to Francis Whittwell, John Hillyard, John Cords [ Curtis] , Daniel Jones, John Brigs, Thomas Heatherd, and William Winsmore, justices of the peace of Kent Co., 25 Dec. 1682. The quotation is taken from an 18th-century copy of Penn's letter in Penn Manuscripts, Penn u Baltimore, Kent Co. Records, 28, Historical Society of Pennsylvania ( hereafter HSP). Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:201. Compare the hand4. Honk, Wokeck, et writing and characteristic spellings such as "Saragh" for "Sarah" and "Alce" for "Alice" on the census with Berry's writing in, e.g., Kent Co., Deed Bk. C, 1:3-5, microfilm, HSP. 5. In actuality, only the name of John Curtis's plantation, "Aberdeene," was listed. 6. "Kent County Census Before 1686A-10 Mo.," Delaware Genealogical Society Journal, 3 ( 1986) :49-51, contributed by Mary Fallon Richards. Readers should note that the 1688 census is not included in Ronald Vern Jackson and Gary Ronald Teeples, Early Delaware Census Records, 1665-1697 (Bountiful, Utah, 1977). This misleadingly tided volume is actually an index, although it contains no key to inform the reader what documents are indexed or where those documents can be found. It seems to index the 1693 provincial tax lists for each of the Delaware counties, as well as various early New York documents pertaining to Delaware, among others. It may not index any true census records. 7. A typescript transcript of a part of the census containing 27 households is located in the Matilda Spicer Hart Collection at the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania (GSP). 8. In England a hundred was a subdivision of a shire or county with its own court; in early colonial Delaware a hundred was comparable to a township in Pennsylvania. 9. Charles W. Lord, Jr., comp., "Early Marriages, Births and Deaths from Kent County, Delaware Deed Books," Pennsylvania Gentalogical Magazine, 7 ( 1918-20):158. Lord's article contains abstracts from several 17th- and 18th-century Kent Co. deed books, mostly from Bk. C, 1. A spot-check of his transcription against microfilm of the original Bk. C, 1 suggested that the dates given in Lord's article are reliable. William Berry, the clerk who recorded the marriage of Maxwell and Adams, was a Quaker, hence his use of the Quaker style in writing the ( Old Style) date. 10. Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20) :160. 11. Similarly, Hugh Luff and Sarah Hunn were married on 26/6 mo. [26 Aug.] 1688, the day after Thomas Alstone was born; however, both Hugh and Sarah appear in the census as unmarried individuals in the household of Sarah's stepfather, George Census of Kent County 151 Bowers. If more of the Dover Hd, enumeration had survived, it might have been possible to refine the date of the census even further, as Arthur Meston, who lived in Dover Hd., married the widow Elizabeth ( Brincidoe) Haile on 21/4 mo. [21 June] 1688; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 191$-2D}:158; Horle, Wokeck, d am, Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:537-39. 12, Jeffrey L Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists of the Three Lower Counties, 1693," PGM, 37 (1991):20-22. Thomas Pemberton, whose household is enumerated first, had moved to Sussex Co. by 1693. Pemberton held land on Mispillion Creek and was undoubtedly living in Mispillion Hd. in 1688. Horle, Wokeck, et al, Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:605-7. 13. Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists," PGM, 37 (1991)19-20. 14. Ibid., 18. 15. Ibid., 16-17. 16. Ibid., 15-16. Charles Hilliard, who in 1688 was a minor in the Duck Creek Hundred household of his stepfather, was also assessed in Duck Creek in 1693; Ibid., 15. 17. Of the 40 taxpayers assessed, 16 met the property requirements to be assessed at the rate of one penny per pound value of their estates, rather than at the fiat rate of six shillings per head; Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists," PGM, 37 (1991):1-3,17-19. 18. Thomas Grier Evans, ed., Records cf the Reformed Dutch Chuta in New Amsterdam and New York: Baptisms /win 25 December 1639 to 27 December 1730, Collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Volume 2 (New York, 1901), 118. It is assumed here that Johannes was baptized within a very short time after his birth. Aside from the custom of the period, it is probable thatjohannes was baptized shortly after he was born because an earlier child of Peter and Maria Groenendyke had been conceived in Oct. 1672 and baptized in July 1673; Evans, Records of Baptisms , 110; V. H. Paltsits, ed., Minuiesj the Executive Council of the Province ofNew Yoth ( Albany, 1910), 1:169-75, esp. 170 for the date of conception. 19. The editor assumes that the recorded date of Elizabeth's birth, 8/1 MO. 8 March] 1685 (Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7( 1918-20] :160), is Old Style, making the actual year of her birth 1686. 20. Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20) :160. 21. Given the high rate of infant mortality and the dangers of childbirth in the late 17th century, the editor recognizes that his identification of wives and children from conveniently available birth, court, and probate records and secondary sources may not always be correct. 22. Hanle, Wokeck, et at., Lawmaking and Legislator s 1:605-7. 23. Both Matilda Spicer Hart and the version of the census in the Delaware Genealogical Soddy journal include, as a separate household between those of Jacob Emerson and Samuel Mott, the entry "Georg Cendall 8c his Wife[,] Wife 25 or Thereabouts," which, in the original, is written on the back of the first page (Hart adds the note that the name "may be Crandelr). Although there is a five-year discrepancy in the age given for the wife, the note on the back of the original census might refer to the Georg Kendall who was Thomas Pemberton's hireling in 1688. 24. A son, George Cain, Jr., was born to George and Avice Cain on 25/5 mom. [July] 1687; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, ( 1918-20) :160; but note that a livestock mark was recorded on 16/6 mo. [Aug.] 1690 for Thomas Cullin, "the son of George 152 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Cullin and Ann his wife"; Leon deValinger, Jr., ed., Court Records of Kent Count); Delawam 1680-1705 (Washington, D.C., 1959), 88, hereafter cited as Court Retards. Either the child born in 1687 died in early infancy or the census taker mistook the gender of the Caine youngest child. 25. When Manloe made in will in 1694, he had eight children living, six of them girls. The 14-year-old could be his daughter Mary (b. 1674), but further research is needed to establish which of his daughters are the three listed in the census; George Ely Russell, "The Migrations of Mark Manlove (ca. 1617-1666) in New England, Virginia, and Maryland," TheAmerican Genealogist, 61 ( 1986)15; Leon deValingerjr., comp., Calendar of Kent County, Delaware, Probate Records, 1680-1809 (Dover, 1944), 17, hereafter cited as Calendar of Probate Records. The families of Manlove's brothers William and George are listed below. 26. Richard Williams appeared on the Mispillion Hd. tax list for 1693, but the family has not been otherwide identified or traced; Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists," PGM, 37 (19910:21. 27. The daughter was probably either Manloe's daughter Hannah or Elizabeth, as his daughter Mary, who was born in 1681, was far too old to he the child listed in the census. When Manioc made his will, he had six children living, three sons and Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:522-23; Russell, three daughters; Horle, Wokeck, et "Mark Manlove," TAG, 61 (1986):75; Calendar of Probate Records, 16. 28. Honk, Wokeck, et al., Lawmaking and 4grislators, 1:521-22; Calendar of Probate Records, 17. 29. Bowers's wife Priscilla (Kitchen) Hunn was a. daughter of a prominent New England Quaker family; following Bowers's death, she married John Curtis (see below) on 29 Dec. 1689. As previously noted, Sarah Hunn, her daughter by her previous marriage, married Hugh Loffe/Luff on 26 Aug. 1688. Presumably the "Wifes Son" listed below was Nathaniel Hunn (d. 1718), who was an executor of Hugh Luffs will. See Honk, Wokeck, et al., Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:305-7; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20):158; George Valentine Massey, H, "Priscilla ." New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 106 Kitchen, Quakeress, ( 1952) :38-52; Massey, "The Hon. John Curtis of 'Aberdeen' on Bawcom Brigg Creek, Kent County, Delaware," PGM, 20 ( 1955-57) :34-39; Calendar of Pmbate Records, 33, 35 SO. As noted above, Curtis married his widowed neighbor Priscilla (Kitchen) Hunn Bowers on 29 Dec. 1689. Ann Curtis, Curtis's daughter by his first wife, Elizabeth Cabley, was the wife of Richard Curtis, below; Honk, Wokeck, et at., Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:305-8; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, '7 ( 1918-20) :158. 31. At the time of the census, Betts was married to his second wife, Mary, the widow of Maurice Stacy; the children in the household were hers by her marriage to Stacy; Horle, Wokeck, et at., Lawmaking and Legislatays, 1:203-4. John Robbison/Robinson, below, and his brother George were Betts's stepsons, and Mary, the wide of Edward Killingsworth, below, was his stepdaughter, by his first wife, Elizabeth ( Die) Robinson, widow of Lawrence Robinson of Accomack Co., Va.; Ralph T. Whitelaw, Virginia's Eastern Shore (Richmond, 1951), 111042; Accomack Co., Va., Wills, Deeds, & Orders, 1673-1676, Virginia State Library, Richmond. 32. After Foster's name the clerk originally wrote the word "his," perhaps as if to write "his servant," but then crossed it out. Census of Kent County 153 33. As noted above, Ann (Curtis) Curtis was the daughter ofjohn Curtis. Richard Curds and Ann Curtis were married 1 March 1688; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, (1918-20):158. M. Calendar of Probate Recants, 18. 35. John Walker of Kent Co. and Mary Paynter of Sussex Co. were married at the house of John Kipshaven at Lewes, Sussex Co., on 18 Oct. 1685; Wills, Administrations, Marriages, Kent & Sussex Counties, 16834695, AM .2013, HSP, 50. This volume of records, originally kept by William Clark, deputy register of Kent and Sussex cos., and then by his successor Nehemiah Field (see Honk, Wokeek, et al., Lawmaking and LATislators, 1:273-78, 345-44), will hereafter be cited as Clark MS. 36. Court &conic., 88. As previously noted, Mary RobesonfRobbison Killingsworth was a stepdaughter of John Betts, above. 37. Both Joseph and Easter/Esther Hilliard had died by Oct. 1697, when their son Joseph, then aged 11 ( which tallies welt with an age of 2 in 1688) was "bound out" by the Kent Co. orphans' court. They also had another son, John, whose age was given as 7 in 1699; Court Records, 105,143. This family has not been connected to the Hilliard family, below 38. John and Elizabeth Mills had a son, William, born 2 March 1687, but whether that child died or whether the census taker erred in recording the name has not been established; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20):160. 39. The given name of Browne's wife, Mary, is evident yan error, for Browne had married the widow Susannah (Verplanck) Garland in 1679, and his wife Susannah was one of the executors of his will when he died in 1695. "Mary her Daughter" is probably the "daughter-in-law" ( i.e., stepdaughter) Mary named in Browne's will; by 1695 she was the wife of one William Thompson, a co-executor of Browne's will; Honk, Wokeck, et al., Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:242-45; Calendar of Probate Records, 16. When dealing with original documents such as the Kent Co. census, it is generally unwise to assume clerical error as the explanation for a discrepancy, but in this case it is more likely (because it makes for a simpler explanation) that the census taker made a mistake than it is that Browne was married three times with wives l and both named Susannah. 40. Peter Groenendyke married Maria de Lanny in 1673 in the wake of a scandal where she and another woman both claimed to be pregnant by Groenendyke at the same time; Honk, Wokeck, et A, Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:577-81. 41. The marriage of James Maxwell and widow Alice Adams has been discussed above. 42. Evidently Bartlett married shortly after the census was taken and had died by Feb. 1690, for on 12 Feb. of that year administration on his estate was granted to Sarah Bartlet, "widdow and Relict of Nichlos Bartiet late of the County of Kent deceased"; Clark MS, 112. It is interesting that Bartlett is listed as the head of this household in the census, even though John Newell had a wife and children. 43. Another of Hethard's daughters, Priscilla, was the wife of Robert Edmonds, below; Horle, Wokeck, et at., Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:330-31, 420-21. 44. As noted above, the Robbi son/Robinson brothers were stepsons ofjohn Betts. 45. As noted above, Priscilla (Fleatherd/Flethard) Edmons/Edmonds was the daughter of Thomas Heatherd. For the birth of John, son of Robert and Priscilla Edmonds, see Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20) :160. 154 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 46. Calendar ofProbate Records, 17. Emerson's will of 22 Nov. 1706 ( probated 5 Dec. 1706) named sons John and Jacob. 47. Sarah ( Hancock) Mott was a stepdaughter of Benoni Bishop, below; Delaware Historical and Genealogical Recall, 4 ( 1933) :3. 48. Thomas Rouse appeared on the 1693 tax list for Murderkill Hd., but he and his wife have not been otherwise traced; Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists," PGM, 37 (1991):19. 49. The identity of the younger son has not been difinitively established; he could be the "William Nichol, Junior," who married Hannah Hayes, spinster, on 25 May 1693; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20) :158. 50. Richard Walls appeared on the tax list for Murderkill Hd. in 1693, but the family has not been otherwise traced; Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists," PGM, 37 (19911:20. 51. Honk, Wokeck, et at, Lawmaking and Leg'sectors, 1:218-19; Delaware Historical and Genealogical Recall, 4 1933):3. As noted above, Sarah (Hancock) Mott was Bishop's stepdaughter. Margaret Bishop later married John Bowman, and Elizabeth Bishop married Owen Garvey; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20):159; Delaware Historical and Genealogical Recall, 4 (1935):3; Calendar cf Probate Records, 15. 52. Brooks's age is not clear on the original document; apparently it was either 33 or 35. He and his family have not been further traced. 53. Robert Hudson, who had been granted his 800 acres by the Kent Co. court in Feb. 1682, appeared on the Murderkill Hd. tax list in 1695; Court Records, 50; Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists," PGM, 37 ( 1991) :19. 54. Court Records, 127. 55. Evidently Lawrence and Walton were partners in their plantation, as they were assessed jointly for the 1693 provincial tax; Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists," PGM, 37 1991):19. 56. Administration on the estate of Alexander Chance was granted to Joanna Chance on 6 April 1706; Calendar of Probate Records, 27. Whether she was the same wife listed here has not been determined; the daughters have not been identified. Although the census taker failed to record any acreage for Chance, he had been granted 500 acres by the Kent Co. court in Aug. 1682; Court Records, 77. 57. The birth dates of David, John, and Phebe Morgan, children of David and Phebe Morgan, were recorded after the birth of their fifth child, Matthew, on 5 Sept. 1692. Since the birth of Ann was not recorded, the assumption is that she died between the date the census was taken and the birth of Matthew; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20) :161. If the census was taken about 1 Aug. 1688, then the ages given in the census for the Morgan children would all be their ages at their next birthdays. 58. By 1693 Howell had either died or removed his residence from Kent Co., as his estate but not Howell personally was listed on the 1693 Murderkill Hd. tax list; Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists," PGM 37 (1991):19. 59. The Trippetts would later have at least two children, sons Daniel and William, born 13 April 1689 and 7 Feb. 1696, respectively; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 1918-20):160-61. Census of Kent County 155 60. Sarah (Word) Kelly was the daughter of Patrick Word ( d. 1698). In March 1701 she was granted administration on John Kelly's estate; Calendar of Probate Recants , 21,23. 61. On 1 Nov. 1704 administration on the estate of William Wilson was granted to his wife Ann, but whether she was the same woman who appeared as Susanna in the census has not been established; Calendar of Probate Reconis, 2662. Thomas Wilson, Jr., appeared on the Little Creek Hd. tax list for 1693, but his wife has not been identified, and they have not been traced further; Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists," PGM, 37 t 1991):17. 63. John Wilson died in 1697, fearing his wife Mary as executrix of his estate; Calendar of Probate Records, 19, 64. Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 1918-20} :160. 65. Ibid. 66. The Walker family has not been traced. 67. This freeholder and his wife have not been identified, but they may be William liarvv-ar (d. 1691) and his wife Susannah; Clark MS, 130. 68. Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20):159-60. Note that while the ages given for Agnes and Mary Thompson match very well with the ages given in the census, the age of the son (of whose name only the last letter remains visible in the original document) does not match the age of the Jeffery Thompson whose birth record appears in Lord's article. Possibly the Jeffery who was born in 1680 died in early childhood, and the name was given to another son of Jeffery and Elliner Thompson for whom no birth record has been found, a fairly common practice in the period. 69. Presumably this entry is for Richard James, who was assessed for the 1693 provincial tax in Duck Creek Hd.; Scheib, "Provincial fax Lists," PGM, 37 (1991):15. 70. Hode, Wokeck, et al., Lawmaking and Lep:44(am, 1:532-33. 71. Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 4X918-20) :160. David Stroughan d. 1699) appears in the Kent Co. court records; COUri Records, 88,92,97,109,131,150. 72. For more on John Hilliard, see the note on the household listed next after his in this census, that of his mother and stepfather. For the birth of his son, see Lord, "Early Marriages,"PGM, 7 ( 1918-20) :159. See also Honk, 1A•bkeck, et al., Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:432-34. 73. To the editor's annoyance, this individual has proved elusive of identification. From the surnames of the wife's children, however, it can definitely be concluded that the householder, whoever he was, had married Mary, the widow of John Hillyard/Hilliard, who died about Sept. 1684. In addition to his wife, Mary, and his eldest son, John ( the householder listed above), the elder Hillyard's will also mentioned his sons Thomas, "Olefere" [Oliver] ,and Charles, and his daughter Mary. The elder Hillyard's will is in Clark MS, 21-23. 74. Clark MS, 75; Lord, "Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20) :160; Horle, Wokeck, et al., Lawmaking and Legislators, 1:232-33. 75. This householder has not been identified. Richard, Francis, and John Reynolds all appear in the Kent Co. records for the 1680s; see Clark MS, 76,132,134; Court Recalls, 59. 156 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 76. Thomas Ellett left a will dated 2 Dec. 1707 that was probated 20 April 1708, but that document names his wife Susannah; Calendar of Prvbate Records, 29. 77. Aydin and his wife have not been identified. 78. William Green left a will dated 15 Jan. 1708/9 that was probated 28 Feb. 1708/9; Calendar of Probate Records, 32. 79. John Holland has not been identified. 80. Clark MS, 83. 81. Although William Sherrer's later life remains somewhat shadowy, since publication of Lawmaking and LIgislators in Pennsylvania (Sheffer represented Kent Co. in the Assembly in 1684), it has been discovered that he left a will in Kent Co. ( dated 24 Jan. 1705/6, probated 5 April 1709) that named his wife Mary and his children William, Robert, and Mary; Kent Co. Will Bk. B, 77 ( microfilm, GSP); Honk, Wokeck, et al., Lawmaking and Legislaton, 1:665-66. 82. Lord,"Early Marriages," PGM, 7 ( 1918-20) :160; Court Records, 286. 83. Calendar of Probate Record's, 15. 84. These nonresident landholders have not been researched, but it may be noted that John Alberson could be the John Albutson who appeared on the Duck Creek Hd. tax list in 1693; William Berry, Sr., was the father of the county clerk who has been suggested as the probable scribe of the census; and the listing for John Howell may be an error, as the acreage matches that given for the John Howell listed above under Dover Hd. (his estate appeared in the 1693 tax list in Murderkilt); Scheib, "Provincial Tax Lists," PGM, 37 ( 1991) :15,19; Honk, Wokeck, aL, Lawmaking and Legislatays, 1:200 202.