You can probably access the tax records on microfilm from the LDS. While they will help give you a better handle on the amount of land owned by the Kirby's, it is unlikely that you will be able to account for all transactions. First of all, some deeds may not have survived. Second, Thomas Kirby may have conveyed property to his son as a gift, in which case a deed may or may not have been filed. If William inherited land there would not be a deed, and his father's will may or may not include the amount of acreage and/or a description of the property. Finally, if either William or his father Thomas were taken to court for an unpaid debt, their property might have been confiscated and sold at auction, in which case the deed would be recorded under the sheriff's name and not the original property owner's name. Deeds are such a great source of information, but at the same time they can be very frustrating. To make matters worse, often times the deed was copied over and over again, so did not always include current landmarks and neighbors. You should also check mortgages, which are at the Monmouth County Archives, and deeds held at the State Archives. The microfilmed tax lists that I have seen are arranged alphabetically by first name, so do not help to determine who the neighbors were. I do not know if the original tax lists were recorded that way. Good luck with your research! Susan -----Original Message----- From: kirby heard <kirbz@netmcr.com> To: NJMONMOU-L@rootsweb.com <NJMONMOU-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Monday, May 29, 2000 3:32 PM Subject: [NJMONMOU] 1780 tax ratables >in the 1780 tax rateables of Monmouh county, my ancestor William KIRBY >[that is, I'm assuming & hoping he's one & the same] is listed as owning 90 >acres. his father Thomas owns 200. in 1797 William purchases some acreage >from his father, yet so far I've found no reference for any transactions >prior to that date. [searching mostly in Monmouth Archives via email & >other long-distance research methods not inclusive of LDS]. are there other >tax or agricultural schedules I can consult? I've had a tough time adding >up all the parcels of property they each bought and sold over the years... >some sort of tax list will help me get a perspective, I think. > >also, would anyone on the list have a 'complete' index [or entire listing] >of the 1780 ratables? now that I know more 'surrounding' and allied names, >I'm curious how some neighbors or family might be listed. I have a copy of >one page, which lists William, Thomas & Job KIRBY at the bottom of the >page. would be happy to reimburse copying & postage if anyone could >enlighten me [better yet, is it digitized yet?] and send me a copy... can't >be all *that* big <G>. > >thanks for any help! > >kirby in NC >kirbz@netmcr.com > >