[DGS LOGO] DELAWARE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

Delaware Tax Transcription Project

Examples from Tax Lists and Transcription Notes

Delaware Families 1787-1800 and Other DGS Genealogical Projects
There is a major need to transcribe statewide tax records in conjunction with the Delaware Families 1787-1800 project of the Delaware Genealogical Society. If persons, except as minors, are taxed as residents in any of these years, it is proof that they were adults residing in Delaware during the 1787-1800 period, the qualifier for inclusion in the Delaware Families 1787-1800 project. While other proofs of residency are possible (probate, deeds, 1800 census, etc.), appearance on these tax lists is the one most often used. Besides providing a list of residents, tax records can also contain valuable clues on family relationships, age, marriage, death and migration. Eventually all the tax data (names, amounts, notes) from many years could be merged together with the 1782 and 1800 census information into one large database of early Delaware residents. We are now actively developing a large searchable database from the over 100 lists already transcribed.

Reader Logo You can see a example of the database we are building by clicking: Delaware Tax Sample Database. To view, use Acrobat Reader. If you do not have it, you may download a free copy using the button at the right. To see only raw data, click: Delaware Tax Raw Data Sample.

Transcribing Delaware Tax Records
Several DGS members have been transcribing Delaware tax records. We are not at the present time seeking more volunteers to transcribe (unless they can transcribe directly from microfilm) until we get volunteers to make photocopies of tax lists on microfilm. Transcribers need a computer with a spreadsheet (e.g. Lotus 123, Excel) that will convert to a M/S Excel spreadsheet for a PC (not an Apple). E-mail is very beneficial for transferring electronic files as attachments and for quick clarification of any questions.

Tom Doherty is coordinating this project. If you are interested in helping by making photocopies from microfilm or transcribing directly from microfilm, please notify him at tdoherty@delgensoc.org and he will help you acquire the microfilm. So Tom can help you set up a file transfer procedure please let him know:
* what spreadsheet or word processing software you have to enter data and the version number
* whether you use a Mac or a PC
* your E-mail address
* your snail address
* your preference, if any, for county and/or hundred

By no means do you have to live in Delaware to help. E-mail brings everyone closer together.

What Kind of Work Is This?
Much of the work involves reading handwriting from old records and some of the task also includes abstracting key items of genealogical interest from these original records. Reading old handwriting takes some getting used to, but most can do it with a little practice. The work often requires interpreting how the same letter is formed at other places in the same document. It might be useful, although not mandatory, to consult the following links:
Examples from Tax Lists scanned fragments of actual Delaware tax lists with transcriptions
"Reading Early American Handwriting" (June 1998) by Kip Sperry (about 30% down web page)
"Understanding Colonial Handwriting" (1980) by Harriet Stryker-Rodda
Colonial Alphabets and Deciphering Old Handwriting: examples of 200 year old alphbaet and handwriting


The Task
In most all cases, we can supply microfilms of the original records and/or photocopies if we can find volunteers to make photocopies of the tax lists from the microfilm. The format for transcribing these tax lists has already been developed for the "Delaware - 1782 Tax Assessment and Census Lists" book (1994).

To ensure accuracy, our process will follow the current genealogical standard of duplicate transcriptions followed by computer matching. The computer will highlight only those relatively few entries which were interpreted differently, thus providing the impetus to revisiting those entries. Although we did not have computer matching available for the 1782 project, the process was similar.

Data Entry Software
It is probably easier to use a spreadsheet (Excel, Lotus 123, M/S Works, etc.) rather than a word processing software to enter data, because each entry's data (usually "given name", "surname", "suffix", tax assessed and collected and "Notes") can be easily typed in separate cells. If using a word processor (Word, WordPerfect, WordPro, etc), instead of cells, each category is separated into columns using tabs (called a "tab delimited" database). About 10% of our volunteers use only a word processor.

Acknowledgements
Original tax records are from Delaware Public Archives microfilms RG 2535, 3535, 4535, 4200

All volunteers will be acknowledged in any publication. We wish to acknowledge now the services of 30 transcribers from 13 states and Japan who have already volunteered:
Arizona: Don Tatman
California: Arthur Cohee and Mary Anne Vincent
Delaware: Jim Beall, Lorie Conner, Margaret A. David, Heather Doherty, Melissa Levy, Mary Jane Mallonee, Kathy Robbins, Ann Rowell, John Rowell, Kay Schorah and Joan Walker Wolf
Florida: Betty Gordy Schulz
Georgia: Nancy Pinner
Hawaii: Betty Hearst
Indiana: Carol Neill, Steve Ross
Maine: Dusty Doherty
Maryland: Valerie Burke DeLeon, Dee Emsley-Miller
New Jersey: John Dawson
New Hampshire: Jack Conaway
Pennsylvania: Jim Black, Lynn Jackson and Mary Emma Wagner
Virginia: Noreen Skrinski and Debra Robertson
Japan: Kimberly Norman
and to Phoebe Doherty of Delaware for copying and distributing the photocopies.

Types of Tax Lists
Initial lists were usually compiled near the end (often November) of the previous year in preparation for the next year's taxes, using data of taxes actually collected and adding new residents and men turning 21 and subtracting those who had died or moved away. This initial list was often updated when the tax collectors went out in the community to collect the taxes. A 2nd and maybe a 3rd revised list was often compiled. When all the taxes should have been collected, the record of who paid what was sent to a representative of the county government. Also included was a list of delinquents and/or errors to the tax list. The county would then compile yet another list of those who actually paid their taxex, usually all hundreds together in a bound book.

File Transfer
It would be a good idea to attach a sample of your work to an E-mail note to Tom Doherty at tdoherty@delgensoc.org for comments, before you get too deeply into it. Also keep an electronic file of your work so that each file will reside on at least two different computers in two different places. Save your file using the abbreviation of the hundred name followed by the last two numbers of the year, e.g. LtCrKT87.xls (Excel file) is the 1787 tax list of Little Creek hundred in KentCo (to distinguish it from Little Creek hundred in Sussex Co); Pencad00.wk4 (Lotus 123 v.4) is the year 1800 tax list for Pencader in New Castle Co; NoWesF97.wpd (WorPerfect 7 file) is the 1797 taxlist of North West Fork in Sussex Co. Here are the 10-letter abbreviations for hundreds to use when naming files:
Kent Co: Dover, DuckCreek, LittleCrKT, Mispillion, Murderkill
New Castle Co: Appoquinom, Brandywine, Christiana, MillCreek, NewCastle, Pencader, RedLion, StGeorges, WhiteClayCr
Sussex Co: Baltimore, BroadCreek, Broadkill, CedarCreek, Dagsboro, IndianRive, LewesRehob, LittleCrSX, Nanticoke, NorWesFork

Cost Reimbursement
The Delaware Genealogical Society will reimburse all costs of copying and postage. Contact Tom Doherty for details at tdoherty@delgensoc.org.

Who are "We"?
The Delaware Genealogical Society is a nationwide collection of over 740 people who are linked primarily by an interest in Delaware genealogy. Most all of us have Delaware roots, but several local members do not, being simply interested in advancing Delaware genealogy. We all pay the same annual dues and all expect the experience to be a rewarding one.

We are not equipped to answer general queries - see Submitting Queries.
© Delaware Genealogical Society July 5, 2005 - comments to Webmaster Tom Doherty at [mail it]