Pequannock Township Tax Ratables May 1778 and (February 1780) Originally from The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey Whole Number 169 Vol. 45 #1 by Kenn Stryker-Rodda Key: c-horned cattle ex-exempt h-horse(s) hh-householder p-pigs rc-riding chair (single axle carriage) sm-single man who works for hire sm&h- single man who keeps a horse u- acres of unimproved land £-amount out at interest cut-off- my copies are off-center and the right hand columns are sometimes missing data * on 1778 list; not on 1780 (entries on 1780 list); second set of facts in parenthesis refer to changes since 1778; unchanged items not noted (the way it is in the magazine) Numbers without letter(s) are acres of improved land that are taxed My addendum are noted "KR"; all else is from the magazine , and probably Mr. Stryker-Rodda's Fun Fact#1- 51 acres was estimated to be the minimum amount of land to feed a family of 6 ("A Dutch Family in the Middle Colonies" Firth Haring Fabend p. 91) Fun Fact #2-Altho the English traditionally preferred mutton, then beef, pork became the meat of choice in the colonies. Pigs required far less maintenance than cattle.("Everyday Life in Colonial America" Dale Taylor p.79) Pork seemed to preserve better by salting and brine than beef. The invention of refrigerated rail cars would propel beef to the forefront Fun Fact #3- Many animals were allowed to roam free. Brands and marks were recorded in the Pequanock Town Book from 1741, and strays were were routinely posted .(Some Early Records of Morris County, NJ" Stryker-Rodda)An example:"Jan. 15-1747 then came to Hendrick Mouerson a bay mare with a wite streak in her forehead and one wite foot behind and a short doock tale and asmall slit in the toop of each eare coming four years ould I thinck"(ibid p.24) Hendrick's Will of 1786 mentions a variety of animals "in the woods"of his farm. Not -so-fun-fact: Remember , there was a war on, and the army would winter at Morristown 1777 and after Dec.1, 1779-1780 (the coldest winter in the 18th century -"Colonial and Revolutionary Morris County" Theodore Thayer p.227). These are transcriptions of transcriptions, and subject to error; everyone is encouraged to check the original , available thru the LDS.NJ (and Morris County) is lucky, our tax records pretty much survived from 1778 until about 1822.When you consider the 1790-1820 NJ Federal Census did not, these become a valuable substitute. First 2 names are cut off my copy Job Allen 200; 6h, 19c, 4p. ex. (+20u, 2h, 13c, 0p) (Zach Allen sm&h) Reubin Ayrs* 35, 4c Ben. Allenton hh (0hh; 3c) (Jacob Allenton 1h, 2c) (Robert Ayres 36; 2h,1c,1p) (Corn. Arvin 50; 1h,3c) David Brewer 92; 4h,8c,4p;ex (96, 2h,5c,3p, gm) John Blowon 30;3h (Blowers 36; 1c) Ezekiel Baldwin 51; 2h,5c,7p (90;3h,4c,5p) (my ancestor-KR) Martin Berry 150; 9h,13c,3p,1s; ex (9c, 2s) Martin Berry Jr. (25 + 8 u; 4h,5c,2p (0u; 6h, 6c) Peter Berry 25; 4h, 7c, 3p,1s (6c, 4p) (Peter Berry Jr. sm) Jacob Berry *50 +25u 4h, 4c, 3p Henry Berry * 50+ 25u ; 3h, 4c, 4p (Jacob & Henry Berry 99+ 40u; 8h, 8c, 3p) David Bruin 100; 2h, 15c, 3p (Brewin 125; 4c, 1p) Samuel Berry 50 + 200u; 3h, 5c,1p;£ 650; ex (£0) Samuel Berry Jr. 50 +100u; 6h,7c,3p,1s (5h, 4c) Josiah Bigelow * sm Jon. Bigelow* sm Elias Baldwin* 40; 2c, 1p John Burrel Jr. hh; 1c (John Burrel 40u at Mt. Hope) Uzal Bates in. Comn. 297 John Burns 10; 1h, 4c, ex (0h, 2c) Josiah Beaman sm (Jr) David Beaman 55, 3h, 12c, 2p; ex (9c) Josiah Beaman 140; 3h, 11c (250; 4h, 10c) Titus Berry 107; 2h, 8c, 2p; ex (96; 3h, 7c, 5p) John Barwel* 11; 3c, 3p (torn; may be more) Wm. Bunton 30; 2h, 3c, 1p (0; 1h, 6c, 0p) Adam Burrel* 4c Jacob BeSteady 100; 40c (Besteady 0; 2h, 4c) Herick Benjam (?)* 1 John Besteady 2h, 1c, 4p (Besteady 5c, 3p) Jacob & Job Baldwin 100; 9c, (83; 0c) Aaron Bigelow* 114; 2h, 5c, ex Ben. Beach 100; 2h, 6c, 3p, ex (70 + 200u; 3h, 5c, 2p, forge, sawmill) James Barjoe 89+23u ; 9h, 11c, 7p, 1s, ex (108 +0u; 8h, 10c, 5p) John Brown 5c, 1p, (3c, 0p) Humphrey Booth* sm Saml. Berry Jr.* sm (Matthew Baldwin 35; 1c, 1p) (Aaron & Jos. Biglow 217; 2h, 4c, 4p) (Thos. Bartow 200u) (Martin Berry ye 3rd sm) (George Baily sm at Mt. Hope) David Crane* 10; 3c Henry Cook 17 + 20u; 3h, 3c, 4p (0u; 2h, 5c, 1p) Hermone Corter 140; 6h, 14c, 5p, 1s ; ex (100; 8h, 9c, 1p) Henry Corter 3h, 2c, 1p (3c, 0p) John Conert sm (Coneirt taxed at Mt. Hope "poor") Jon. Carter hh; 1h, 1c, 2p (Cartar 0hh, 4h, 1p) Wm & John Coughlen 31; 5h, 8c, 3p (32; 7h, 1p) Ben. Coe Essex 100, 15c (Essex omitted; 0c ) Robt. H. Clark hh Robt. Clark*hh John Corter sm (0sm, 40; 2h, 3c) Abr. Crane* hh Sam. Cobb* hh Timothy Canfield sm (Tim Canfield 0sm; 1, 2c, 1p) Walter Cardiff hh (0hh; 1c) James Cardiff sm (2h) Zophar Carne 149; 4h, 5c, 6p, ex (130; 3h, 3c, 1p) Fredrick Cole 40; 2h, 3c, 1p (37; 3h ) next name illegible (Challottenburg Com. 60 + 1000) To be continued.......