This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/RKT.2ACIB/1500 Message Board Post: There are two John Dodson's in the Frederick Co. Md 1790 census. I believe that one was a weaver and one was a farmer. I base this on information that I found recently about indentures in Frederick County Md. There are Dodsons mentioned in Piney Creek area, the Beaver Dam area, and Liberty Town area. I do not know what those areas are in relation to the census data. The 1790 census shows the two Johns in two different areas of Frederick Co. Md. I reach this conclusion because they are listed on widely separated pages of the census. I can not identify the exact location of each from the census. One John remained in Md. The other left and went to Bedford Co Pa. The 1800 Frederick Co. Md. census lists John Dodson in Liberty Town Dist. 7. I do not know the location of Dist 7 but it does not change the conclusions. This John is listed as over 45yr. A John Dodson is listed in Bedford Co. Pa. also who is also over 45yr. So we can not tell them apart by their age from the census. But John Dodson in Bedford Co. Pa. is listed on the Bedford Co. tax list of 1793. So we know he had moved to Bedford Co. at least by abt 1792. The tax list of 1798 in Greenfield twp. Bedford Co. Pa lists John Dodson. John Dodson of Bedford Co. Pa was a farmer. In the 1808 tax list for Greenfield twp Bedford Co Pa lists John Dodson as owning 47 acres. Listed also - Thomas 150 acres, William 200 acres, 2 Michael Dodsons, one 100 acres and one 140 acres. A Joseph Dodson does not have land. We can assume that one Michael and the Joseph are older sons of the senior Dodsons. Knowing that John Dodson, farmer is in Bedford Co. Pa. there are some records that seem to identify the John Dodson that remained in Md perhaps near Liberty Town. In The Maryland Sources Series - Indentures 1808-1815 Frederick Co. Md Vol MD10-20 [lib. # 975.287 p28ha ] and "Indentures 1794 - 1808 in Frederick Co. Md Leber RB1 Vol MD 10-12 {975,287 p28h ] are found three indentures starting in 1799. 27 Nov 1799 - John Franklin age 12 yr Father = Thomas Franklin To: John Dodson weaver Term: 11 yr 11 mo. 20 Sep 1807 - Obediah Hill illegitimate age 11yr last 11 Sep. To: John Dodson Term: until age 21. 13 Jul 1808 - Joseph Abrahams illegetimate age 14 last 18 Jan. To: John Dodson weaver Term: to age 21. It does not seem reasonable or legal for the John Dodson of Bedford Co Pa to have gone back to Frederick Co. Md and have the courts award him three indentures especially since two of them specificly state that they are to be trained as a weaver and the John Dodson of Bedford Co. Pa was a farmer. In the 1814 tax list of Bedford Co. Pa the following are listed: Michael Dodson farmer 53 yrs, John Dodson farmer 57 yrs, William Dodson farmer 37 yrs, Thomas Dodson farmer and cooper 68 yrs, John Dodson Jr. farmer 26 yrs, Joseph Dodson farmer and shoemaker 48 yrs, Joseph Dodson jr farmer 23 yrs. John Dodson Sr dies in 1816 in Bedford Co Pa. He is listed on the tax list two years previously as 57yrs old. I believe the ages probably come pretty close to the actual ages of the men involved although they could be off by a year or two. So John was probably born between 1755 - 1757. I do not believe that any of the 3 or more John Dodsons in Ky are the same as the John Dodson of Bedford Co.Pa. I have not found a John Dodson in Ohio Co. Ky. Wills are often probated in other counties and states than where the individuals were living at time of death. Sometimes a will is probated in another state or location because a property settlement needs to be known by relatives in other areas.