On 11/8/08 3:03 AM, "Cynthia McCachern" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I would like to know how many pounds of tobacco an average planter in Virginia
> in the late 1600's or early 1700's could harvest.  I guess I'm just trying to
> get some sort of frame of reference as to how much money we are talking about
> when I'm reading about early lawsuits.  For instance, I have an ancestor who
> was ordered after losing a lawsuit in Westmoreland Co, VA, in 1703 to pay 720
> pounds of tobacco.  To me this seems like a lot of tobacco.  However, in
> reading through early court records, I'm seeing a lot of orders for 400-700
> pounds of tobacco.  So, I'm just trying to find some frame of reference to
> understand how much money we are talking about.  Any help?

In the vestry minutes of Piscataway Parish, Prince George's Co., MD, there
are a lot of references to the use of tobacco as money.

In 1694, 800# Tobacco was used to buy 78 acres of land for the church.

In 1696, the vestry set the marriage license fee at 20 Shillings -or- 1
hogshead of Tobacco.

In 1699, Benj. Berry was paid 400# Tobacco for being clerk of the vestry for
one year.

In 1723, 500# tobacco was paid to the Sexton for the year.

In 1725, 3070# Tobacco was paid for Glass for the church. The vestry minutes
gave the amount in Sterling as equaling £12.15.10.

In the Queen Anne's Parish vestry book there's a 1705 note stating that the
Sheriff was to pay 1000# Tobacco to get 5£ Sterling to pay to the Speaker
(of the assembly) for his fee for the Act to divide the parish.

In 1719 in Queen Anne, the vestry paid 400# of Tobacco for washing the
surplice and church linen for the year.

Lots of good stuff in those vestry minutes!

The Philip Bruce book, "Economic History Of Virginia In The Seventeenth
Century" (2 vol.), is also available on the google books site.


C.Etter

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