Virginia Census Records

Despite the wealth of information available in census indexes, there are limitations. These include incomplete information, mis-transcribed information, mis-recorded information, and incorrect information. Reasons for these problems include persons who refused to answer the enumerators questions, persons who lied in answer to the enumerators questions, persons missed by the enumerators, and human error in writing down the information originally or transmitted incorrectly.

The first federal census in Virginia was taken in 1790, but neither the first enumeration nor that of 1800 has survived, except for the 1800 censuses of Accomack County (microfilm) and Louisa County (in print). Only part of the 1810 census exists. Virginia Tax lists from 1782 through 1785 were used as a substitute for the 1790 census, reportedly lost when the British burned the city of Washington during the War of 1812. The 1787 census of Virginia, and the 1908, Heads of Families at the First Census of the United States taken in the year 1790: Records of the State Enumerations, 1782-1785: Virginia, are the best substitute available for the 1790 census. Compiled from Virginia’s 1787 tax lists, this source offers both more and less information than the original census. The 1790 census listed only heads-of-household but enumerated their families, including women. In contrast, tax commissioners in 1787 were required to list all free males subject to taxation, not just heads-of-household; women were only included if they owned personal property subject to taxation or were widows with sons aged sixteen to twenty-one. In cases where 1787 tax lists have not survived, Schreiner-Yantis and Love substituted other extant records.

Beginning in 1820 and continuing every ten years through 1930 (except for the 1890 census, which was also destroyed by fire), Virginia’s federal census records are available.

United States Census Records

Other Virginia Census Records

There are no proper pre-1800 census returns for Virginia. Researchers who use Heads of Families, Virginia Tax Payers, and The 1787 Census of Virginia are advised to consult the Virginia laws to learn what information the lists contain and do not contain. For the 1782, 1783, 1784, and 1785 enumerations, see Hening’s Statutes at Large, 11:40-41, 108, 193, 415-417. For the first of the Virginia personal property tax laws, adopted in 1782, see Hening’s Statutes at Large, 11:112-129. The 1787 personal property tax law is in Hening’s Statutes at Large, 12:243-255.

  • 1624/1625 Muster Rolls
    In June 1624, King James I assumed responsibilty for the colony of Virginia after he dissolved the Virginia Company of London. He ordered Virginia’s leaders to make a record of the colony’s inhabitants and their provisions. This census-known as the 1624/5 Muster-is the first comprehensive account of households in British North America. In addition, it is the only extant census for seventeenth-century Virginia. A 1623/4 list of the colony’s habitants noted who survived the 1622 Indian attack and where they lived. This list did not include details about the relations among the settlers or their ages. The 1624/5 Muster is a house-to-house survey that contains information about the location of households in Virginia, the individuals in each household and the ties that connected the colony’s early residents to one another. The census-takers also made note of each household’s provisions, buildings, boats, arms and ammunition, and livestock. The names of individuals who died during 1624 is part of the muster.
    • Main database
      The main database contains the names of individuals listed on the 1624/5 Muster. Each entry includes information about the household in which a person lived and the location of the household. It is possible to learn additional information, such as age and date of arrival in Virginia, for some of the colony’s inhabitants.
    • Deaths-Muster
      Deaths-Muster includes the names of the settlers who died during 1624 and the place of their residence.
    • Food-Muster
      The last four databases (Food-Muster, Arms-Muster, Livestock-Muster, and Buildings-Muster) provide details about each household’s food, arms, livestock, and buildings (this database also includes boats). The names in these four databases are those of the men and women who headed households in January and February 1624/5. The names of wives, children, and servants do not appear in the databases.
    • Arms-Muster
      The last four databases (Food-Muster, Arms-Muster, Livestock-Muster, and Buildings-Muster) provide details about each household’s food, arms, livestock, and buildings (this database also includes boats). The names in these four databases are those of the men and women who headed households in January and February 1624/5. The names of wives, children, and servants do not appear in the databases.
    • Livestock-Muster
      The last four databases (Food-Muster, Arms-Muster, Livestock-Muster, and Buildings-Muster) provide details about each household’s food, arms, livestock, and buildings (this database also includes boats). The names in these four databases are those of the men and women who headed households in January and February 1624/5. The names of wives, children, and servants do not appear in the databases.
    • Buildings-Muster
      The last four databases (Food-Muster, Arms-Muster, Livestock-Muster, and Buildings-Muster) provide details about each household’s food, arms, livestock, and buildings (this database also includes boats). The names in these four databases are those of the men and women who headed households in January and February 1624/5. The names of wives, children, and servants do not appear in the databases.
  • U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885
  • Virginia, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1607-1890
    This collection contains the following indexes: 1800 Accomack County Federal Census Index; 1810 Federal Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1850 Slave Schedule; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1860 Slave Schedule; 1870 Federal Census Index; 1890 Veterans Schedules; 1890 Naval Veterans Schedule; Early Census Index.

Virginia Colonial Census Records

Two early censuses of Virginia have survived intact; only statistical abstracts remain of other censuses conducted. The first census is dated 16 February 16241 and is a list of the names of persons living in Virginia and the names of those who died since April 1623. The colony conducted a second census in January and February 1625. The Musters of the Inhabitants of Virginia were taken by household and includes ages, relationships, dates of arrival in Virginia, the name of the ship each person arrived in, and enumerations of weapons, buildings, foodstuffs, and boats. The information included varies from household to household and from plantation (or town) to plantation. Another census was conducted in 1634 but is apparently lost. The best transcription of the 1625 Musters is in Virginia F. Meyer and John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607’1625, 3d ed. (Richmond, Va.: Dietz Press, 1987).

Other lists of Virginia inhabitants include militia musters, tithables lists, and quitrent rolls. These lists cover a single county or precinct rather than the entire colony.

Bibliography

  • Eichenholz, Alice. Red Book, American State, County and Town Sources, Third Edition. Provo, UT: Ancestry Publishing, 2004.
  • Nettie Schreiner-Yantis and Florence Speakman Love, comps.,  The 1787 census of Virginia : an accounting of the name of every white male tithable over 21 years, the number of white males between 16 & 21 years, the number of slaves over 16 & those under 16 years, together with a listing of their horses, cattle & carriages, and also the names of all persons to whom ordinary licenses and physician’s licenses were issued‘, 3 vols. (Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987).
  • North, S. N. D. (Simon Newton Dexter). Heads of families at the first census of the United States taken in the year 1790 : records of the State enumerations: 1782-1785, Virginia. Washington [D.C.] : G.P.O., 1908.
    The loss of Virginia’s original schedules for the First and Second censuses is so unfortunate that every endeavor has been made to secure data that would in some measure fill the vacancy. The only records that could be secured were some manuscript lists of state enumerations made in the years [1782-1785]; also tax lists of Greenbrier County from 1783 to 1786. The counties for which the names of the heads of families are returned on the state census lists are 39 in number, and contained in 1790 a population of 370,000; 41 counties with 377,000 population are lacking; this publication covers, therefore, only about one-half of the state

  1. The originals of the 1623/4 census and the 1624/5 Muster are in the Public Record Office, London, England.  ↩