From left, Betty Waltman, Cathy Cheely, Kathy Johnson, Renee Penland, Rose Mary Williams and Carelyn Sheppard, who received from the Library of Virginia a certificate for the Chesterfield chapter’s participation in the Adopt Virginia History Program.
The Chesterfield Courthouse chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently helped with the preservation of the 1747 Chesterfield Lists of Tithables, the oldest list of tithables for an area that became Chesterfield County.
The noun “tithable” applied to a person on whom the colony’s tax laws were assessed. The poll tax was assessed for all males 16 or older and all women of African or Indian descent 16 years of age or older.
The 1747 Lists of Tithables offers a unique insight into colonial Chesterfield. The names of several prominent families and some of the founders of Chesterfield are included. Many entries also have the names of those in the household and are an essential resource for researching females who may not appear in any other source. There are also several entries with the notation “mulatto.” This information is also rare to find. In a couple of entries, the occupation or country of origin is listed. Before restoration, the 272-year-old paper had tears and gaps where it had deteriorated. Recognizing the historical significance of the document, the Chesterfield Courthouse chapter of the NSDAR chose this project and contributed funding for its repair and restoration. The project was completed over a period of a few months in the fall of 2018 and involved a team of restoration professionals contracted and supervised by the Library of Virginia along with the chapter’s members’ fundraising efforts. The restored 1747 Chesterfield Lists of Tithables will be a valuable resource for students of colonial history as well as a resource for genealogists who are researching ancestors. A photocopy of the document will be available at the Chesterfield Historical Society.
