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 To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html