1. Nathaniel Bradford of Accomack County, Virginia - Lower ...

Nathaniel Bradford During the 1670s: 1671-1677
Nathaniel’s Tithables
In 1671, Nathaniel Bradford had 9 taxable inhabitants in his household, an increase of about 50% over the
6 taxable individuals found in his household in 1670. This increase most likely indicates the acquisition of
servants or slaves, and hints at some kind of heightened activity on Nathaniel’s plantation. In the inventory
of Nathaniel’s estate taken after his death, the appraisers found a “shoemakers shop” with three seats for
shoemakers. 169 In light of this fact, it is interesting to note that in 1671 the number of individuals in
Nathaniel’s household increased by exactly the number of seats later found in his shoemakers shop. It may
be that 1671 was the year Nathaniel added shoe manufacture to his business activities.
Nathaniel’s Tithables from 1668 to 1677 170
1668 5 tithables
1669 5 tithables
1670 6 tithables
1671 9 tithables
1672 list missing
1673 list missing
1674 10 tithables (plus 1 unreported “Indian called Dick”)
1675 9 tithables
1676 9 tithables
1677 11 tithables [Nathaniel, Jr. probably turned 16 in this year]
The tax lists of Accomack are a useful tool for measuring the wealth of the county’s inhabitants, since
every servant or slave in a household represents an investment of capital. Furthermore, the number of
servants & slaves an individual owned was a direct indication of how much labor was required for the
running of his plantation, and therefore the tithable lists may be used to indicate the scope of a particular
individual’s business activities. Nathaniel, for instance, would have required laborers for his leather
operation, such as tanners and shoemakers, and also laborers for whatever agricultural activities he was
engaged in, such as planting corn, wheat, or tobacco.
It is instructive to view the growth in Nathaniel’s household over time, and to compare him with other
individuals to see how his household grew in relation to his neighbors.
In 1664, when he first settled at Matchapungo, Nathaniel had 3 taxable individuals in his household, which
is about the median number of tithables for Accomack County in that year. Following is a chart
representing the array of households on the tax lists for that year in terms of size, with heads listed for those
households of uniquely large proportions.
1664 171
1 individual with 27 Col. Edm. Scarburgh
1 individual with 15 Devorax Browne
1 individual with 11 Edmund Bowman
2 individuals with 8 Jno. Lewis, Hugh Yeo & Robt. Huitt
1 individual with 7 Richard Kellum
11 individual with 6
8 individuals with 5
18 individuals with 4
23 individuals with 3 incl. Nathaniel
26 individuals with 2
36 individuals with 1
Page 33 of 74 Copyright 2008 Adam M. Bradford