I'm quite certain that the countries of origin indicated in that
publication are taken from
_A Century of Population Growth: from the First Census of the United
States to the Twelth, 1790-1900_ (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1909;
reprinted by Genealogical Pub. Co.), text free online at
http://books.google.com/books?id=H9KwtRkiO1YC&pg=PA11&dq=intitle:%22a+ce
ntury+of+population+growth%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&
as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=4#
Table 111 (p. 230) is "Nomenclature, dealing with names represented by
at least 100 white persons, by States and territories, at the first
census: 1790."
Table 112 (p. 271) is "White population, classified according to
nationality as indicated by names of heads of families, by counties:
1790." Fluvanna County is shown on p. 272. Because the 1790 census of
Virginia is lost, the state enumerations of 1782 and 1783 were used.
It is clear from the descriptive notes (see chapters X and XI) that the
compilers were making assumptions about the nationality of each surname,
and using those assumptions to estimate how many persons of each ethnic
origin were living in America. They had no special knowledge of the
true origin or birthplace of any of those persons.
Donald L. Wilson, Virginiana Librarian,
Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center
for Genealogy and Local History (RELIC),
Prince William Public Library System,
Bull Run Regional Library,
8051 Ashton Avenue, Manassas, VA 20110-2892
703-792-4540 www.pwcgov.org/library/relic
-----Original Message-----
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:47:21 -0400
From: Al Adams <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Countries of origin of early Virginians
In the April 1976 Bulletin of the Fluvanna County Historical Society,
Issue # 22, page 28, there is an article titled 1777: Fluvanna County.
In the article there is a recap of the 1782 Fluvanna County census. It
gives the surname nationalities from that census. For example English
66.7%, 10.8% Scots and Welsh 9.3%, etc. The footnote on the page refers
to the "Census of 1782, published in Bulletin Number 9". In the
October 1969 Bulletin (#9) the Heads of Households from that census are
listed, but there are no nationalities shown.
Does anyone know if the census actually had the information about the
country of origin for each family, or was the recap of nationalities
just based on a best guess as to where that surname came from?
In my case, all of the Adams listed in that 1782 census are my
relatives. However, several Adams had come to VA from England,
Scotland, Ireland and Wales. It would be great to know where my
Fluvanna County Adams originally came from. We have lots of guesses,
but no facts.
Thanks
Al Adams
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