I need some ideas here. 1799 tax records for Moses Henry indicate he had 3 whites over 16 and 8 horses, whereas most of the other individuals I looked at had (avg. of the ones I've reviewed) 1 or 2 per household. The question is this, What occupations would make it necessary for an individual to have 8 horses? Since I doubt there were any horse races going on in those parts in those days, I'm guessing one occupation may require pulling heavy wagons - teamster? I'd like to find out what this individual did for a living. Some of the occupations of the descendants (likely of this Henry family) that relocated to Ohio were gunsmiths, blacksmiths, distillers, tavern keeps, farmers, etc. I'm hoping that occupation information may give me more ideas of where to find data. Any ideas?

Waggoner, teamster, livery stable, stage stop owner.... -----Original Message----- From: DRKessinger [mailto:drkessinger@alltel.net] Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 3:43 PM To: OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA] 8 Horses - Why? I need some ideas here. 1799 tax records for Moses Henry indicate he had 3 whites over 16 and 8 horses, whereas most of the other individuals I looked at had (avg. of the ones I've reviewed) 1 or 2 per household. The question is this, What occupations would make it necessary for an individual to have 8 horses? Since I doubt there were any horse races going on in those parts in those days, I'm guessing one occupation may require pulling heavy wagons - teamster? I'd like to find out what this individual did for a living. Some of the occupations of the descendants (likely of this Henry family) that relocated to Ohio were gunsmiths, blacksmiths, distillers, tavern keeps, farmers, etc. I'm hoping that occupation information may give me more ideas of where to find data. Any ideas? ==== OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA Mailing List ==== Our Old Frederick County messages can be reviewed at: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/old-frederick-co-va ============================== Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. New content added every business day. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx

Horses were the "horsepower" for the 18th century, not only for farming but for industry (milling, tannery, logging and construction, transportation, etc.). Horses accomplished what machines do today. I consider the number of horses owned as one measure of affluence (any number over four). Eight horses indicates that Moses Henry was an affluent person, whatever his business. Wilmer L. Kerns -----Original Message----- From: DRKessinger [mailto:drkessinger@alltel.net] Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 6:43 PM To: OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA] 8 Horses - Why? I need some ideas here. 1799 tax records for Moses Henry indicate he had 3 whites over 16 and 8 horses, whereas most of the other individuals I looked at had (avg. of the ones I've reviewed) 1 or 2 per household. The question is this, What occupations would make it necessary for an individual to have 8 horses? Since I doubt there were any horse races going on in those parts in those days, I'm guessing one occupation may require pulling heavy wagons - teamster? I'd like to find out what this individual did for a living. Some of the occupations of the descendants (likely of this Henry family) that relocated to Ohio were gunsmiths, blacksmiths, distillers, tavern keeps, farmers, etc. I'm hoping that occupation information may give me more ideas of where to find data. Any ideas? ==== OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA Mailing List ==== Our Old Frederick County messages can be reviewed at: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/old-frederick-co-va ============================== Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. New content added every business day. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx

This topic, use of horses in the mid to late 1700's has been very fascinating and informative. Everyone brought such different insights and considerations to the topic. A lot of people have asked me about or indicated that Moses's age, terrain of his property, acreage, number of slaves, etc. may also provide clues to his livelihood or need for so many horses. I don't have a lot of those answers but I believe this Moses Sr. was likely the Moses Henry b. abt. 1754 according to a Moses Henry of Shenandoah Co., VA's Rev. War pension file (not yet proven to be one and the same). Moses Henry of the pension file lived at Flint Run when he entered the service in 1776 (abt. Age 21 or 22). At the time he is in the tax list with 8 horses (Apr. 22, 1799 - Shenandoah Co., VA), a Moses Henry owned land in Shenandoah Co. on Gimlet Mtn. (Deed N-220 - doesn't mean he actually lived there but it is a possibility), was probably abt. 45 yrs. old, three yrs. later records indicate the Moses Henry owner of the property on Gimlet Mtn. had a wife named Elizabeth (Deed ref. to her dower rights 2 Nov. 1802 - don't know that they were married in 1799). To my knowledge there were no slaves enumerated in what I believe may have been his household prior to or after 1799. I do not know what the terrain, "lay of the land" was like but am guessing 'Mtn.' may suggest farming could have been difficult - but a possibility (no knowledge of the crops raised there then). I do not know the total number of individuals in his household at that time but the list indicates that 3 were over 16 yrs. Thirteen yrs. later (1810 - Shenandoah Co., VA, pg. 43) there were 11 people in the Moses Henry household that I believe may be his residence (1 male 45 yrs.+, thus b. before 1765). So, possibly - no slaves, Gimlet Mtn., 45 yrs. old, Rev. War soldier, 100a., 3 persons over 16, terrain-? Hope this is helpful. -----Original Message----- From: Wilmer L. Kerns [mailto:wkerns4@comcast.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 12:01 AM To: OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA-L@rootsweb.com Subject: RE: [OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA] 8 Horses - Why? Horses were the "horsepower" for the 18th century, not only for farming but for industry (milling, tannery, logging and construction, transportation, etc.). Horses accomplished what machines do today. I consider the number of horses owned as one measure of affluence (any number over four). Eight horses indicates that Moses Henry was an affluent person, whatever his business. Wilmer L. Kerns -----Original Message----- From: DRKessinger [mailto:drkessinger@alltel.net] Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 6:43 PM To: OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA] 8 Horses - Why? I need some ideas here. 1799 tax records for Moses Henry indicate he had 3 whites over 16 and 8 horses, whereas most of the other individuals I looked at had (avg. of the ones I've reviewed) 1 or 2 per household. The question is this, What occupations would make it necessary for an individual to have 8 horses? Since I doubt there were any horse races going on in those parts in those days, I'm guessing one occupation may require pulling heavy wagons - teamster? I'd like to find out what this individual did for a living. Some of the occupations of the descendants (likely of this Henry family) that relocated to Ohio were gunsmiths, blacksmiths, distillers, tavern keeps, farmers, etc. I'm hoping that occupation information may give me more ideas of where to find data. Any ideas? ==== OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA Mailing List ==== Our Old Frederick County messages can be reviewed at: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/old-frederick-co-va ============================== Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. New content added every business day. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx ==== OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA Mailing List ==== NEW Members are encouraged to post your Old Frederick County genealogy lines at anytime. Give as many facts as you can. Send to:Old-Frederick-Co-Va-L@RootsWeb.com ============================== Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more. Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx