Bonnie,
I have dug up the tax list of land that Adruian posted back in May
1997 and matched it with your list of personal property for Christian
Co., Ky. I am left with a number of questions and maybe some answers.
I will put this in columns for comparison. The numbers are acres of
and the name following is the watershed on the first line and
underneath are the 4 personal property columns: White males over 16,
blacks over 16, total blacks, horses. I have ignored the extra column
in 1811 for white males 16-21 years since it was 0 for everyone.
Apparently Needham had reached his 21 year and James had not reached
his 16th birthday at the time of the taxation, so Sterling is not
listed as having a son 16-21 years. However James was 21 years in
1815, since he served on a jury in the late spring of 1815 and was
taxed that year also. If the columns are all bunched up or scattered
and unreadable, let me know and I will mail a copy by snail mail
Name 1809 1810 1811 1812
Henry ----- 196, Muddy F. ----- -----
----- 1001 ----- -----
Henry 230, T-water 200, Muddy F. ----- 200, T-
Water
00010 1001 ----- 1002
Elizabeth 100, Ford ----- 100, West F. ----
-
0121 ----- 0223 -----
John 200, Muddy F.
1000
Elizabeth 450, T-Water 400, C-Water
0232 0234
Starling 200, Muddy F. 100, Ford R. -----
1002 1001 -----
Nathan 200, Muddy F. 400, T-Water 200, South R.
1002 1002 1002
Richard 200, Muddy F. 100, Ford R. 200, South R.
1001 0000 1001
Needham ----- ----- 100, Muddy F.
----- ----- 1001
The only ones who had any slaves were the two Elizabeth's. The
personal property tax for the two of them is nearly the same, is the
same in Blacks and differs only relative to the number of horses.
Since the second Elizabeth shows up the year that the John Cato
disappears one may quickly assume that she is the widow of John.
However John had neither slaves or horses so one wonders whether she
is connected to him at all. The first Elizabeth is surely the widow
of John Cato who was the son of Daniel. She died in 1812 leaving a
will. This is why she is absent in the 1812 list. The other Elizabeth
remains another year, whoever she is. I am unsure who the John in
1810 was. Could he have been the Rev. John Cato who we have thought
was a son of Henry and Tabitha.. He died in 1810 according to the
South Carolina Baptist. I guess he might have bought land in
Christian Co preparing to move and died before his move and then his
widow might have moved on up to Christian Co. bringing their slaves
and horses. This is obviously pure speculation but is in relation to
a question that needs answering. Then the second Elizabeth disappears
in 1813 or 1814.
There are 2 Henry's in 1810, only one in 1809 and 1811. The Henry in
1809 seems to be the Henry in 1811 so he must the younger Henry. The
older Henry seems to have died before the 1811 tax.
Needham has ownership of land and is taxed in the personal tax list
for the first time in 1812. This supports my thought that he was born
about 1790. Incidentally I read the 1850and 1860 Arkansas census
records today on Needham and they are just as you have read them The
1850 census says he was born in 1781 and the 1860 census has him born
in 1800. They both cannot be right. Something that can be is that
both are wrong. The 1830 census has him born in 1790-1800 and the
1840 census has him born 1780-1790. This indicates a birth of 1790
and as said above fits the time he was first taxed.
Starling was gone to Mo. in 1815 but Richard was still there He was
gone in 1818. The Wiley in 1822 and 1823 is surely William Wiat, not
Wiley who was too young and was probably in Mo. at that time..
Henry