For those searching for persons who may have been living [particularly adult males but some widows] in Virginia or Kentucky in 1787 to a later date, I have found this publication to have been great help for Virginians and Kentuckians (and West Virginians, of course, since West Virginia was not formed until Civil War times). These books have NOT been filmed, and, to my knowledge, are not on the internet. This publication is still under copyright. You may have to look for this compilation in LARGE genealogical libraries, or have someone in the neighborhood of such a library do the searches for you. More advice at the bottom of this message. Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florine Speakman Love The 1787 Census of Virginia This compilation is to make up for the missing 1790 census of Virginia (and what was later to become the Commonwealth of Kentucky and what was later West Virginia--and whatever other taxable entity Virginia may have claimed in 1787) There are three volumes, and the third volume is the index to the first two volumes. This is NOT a census conducted by the Federal government. It is a compilation of all the existing personal property [not real property] tax lists for all the territory claimed by Virginia. A few counties are missing, I am advised. Nonetheless, it is an excellent *people-finder* If a tithable [generally age 16--correct me if I am wrong] owned a horse, he was taxed. In the tax lists, some persons are identified as being the son of so-and-so, so this info is quite valuable to family historians. Kentucky was still a part of Virginia in 1787. West Virginia was not formed for many years later. Parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania had been claimed in Virginia. I cannot speak for those areas--but check anyway. This is what I advise: Using the third volume, the index for the first two volumes, locate your surnames. Photocopy all the pages which pertain to your surnames, no matter whether the first names meet your qualifications or not. (Remember, people did die.) Then using those photocopies of the index of surnames, turn to each page in the first two volumes on which this surname [and variant spellings] is listed. (Some sons were sometimes sent ahead to settle new land.) You may find, as I did, that my Christopher Harris, later of Madison Co., Kentucky, was already making his move from Albemarle Co., VA to Madison Co., Ky as he is taxed for personal property in each jurisdiction as early as 1787. I know his current wife's surname--McCord--so I track all those McCord persons down too. The fact is that families generally moved as a group. That is why we all must collect *associates* [in-laws, cousins, maternal associates, etc.] (Round up all the *usual suspects* advises William Dollarhide, a professional genealogist/lecturer/author.) When you get into the later Kentucky tax lists [a good census substitute], for example, you will find that the watercourse on which the land lies is generally given. I have had wonderful success by collecting all families who lived on or near the same watercourse. Nearly all the colonial [and later] land patents or grants of Virginia name a watercourse. In fact, in trying to distinguish two persons with the same name (for a DAR applicant), I was advised by the DAR genealogist to 1) find out who the associates of the two patriots were and 2) determine the watercourse on which family lived. These two advices have helped me out tremendously not only for the applicant but for my own research. I had an older DAR application which gave the names of the spouses of the children of the patriot in question--that was my guideline to the *associates*. Good luck in your detective work. I hope you can find this valuable publication in a nearby library. If not, you may have to contact the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. How to Request Help from Family History Library in Salt Lake City This is how you may proceed to request help from FHL. I don't know how responsive FHL will be, as there have been many staff layoffs in recent years. Go to _www.familysearch.org_ (http://www.familysearch.org) Look for the tab *Search* and click on that Look for a tab [in blue] called *Research Helps*. click on that On the left drop-down menu, click on *Sort by title* Choose from the alphabet [in the middle top] the letter *R* Go down the list: *Request for Photocopies* (first one on list) Click on that After you download the form, read the form carefully and follow instructions. And write a check, address an envelope, stamp it, and WAIT. If you are near an LDS center, try to have them help you with completing the form. You should be able to find a *hard copy* form at your LDS center. E.W.Wallace