1808 Nottoway Indian Census

The "census" is a report from the trustees of the reservation to the Governor and is held by the Library of Virginia in Executive Papers, June 21-July 22, 1808, Gov. William H. Cabell, in box 154a.

page 4, There are about 18 acres of land rented out and about 20 worked by our permission, 17 acres of the latter is part of a plantation which was occupied by Nanny Woodson, deceased, and permitted to be worked by the father of one of her children (a boy of twelve years old) in part compensation for his maintaining the said child and other expenses incurred on his account the said child lives with his father, near the Indian land. The other three acrees is part of a plantation occupied by Nancy Turner and is worked by her desire and permission by a free negro. Their is no land worked without authority from us that we know of. The quantity of land occupied by the Tribe is about 144 acres, all high land, the greater part is commonly planted with corn, which is never well cultivated: Littleton Scholar occupies 12 acres, Tom Turner 18 acres, Jimmy Wineoak 18. Edy Turner 34 (she had 2 Negroes hired for her last year by the Trustees, and 2 hired for her this year by her husband), Nancy Turner 15 acres, Betsy Step 2 acres, Winny Woodson and Anny Woodson sisters have the care of Jenny Woodson their sister a small girl and occupy 45 acres.

Names of the Males:

Name, age employment

1. Littleton Scholar, 51 years old, Tillage a small part of his time, balance idle.

2. Tom Turner, 36 years old. Tillage when he works; his employment at present unknown as he has left his farm in the possession of a mulatto woman who has been kept by him as a wife; the greater part of his time has been generally spent in drunkenness and the destruction of what little crop he has made.

3. Jemmy Wineoak, 38 years old. Tillage, idle more than three fourths of his time.

4. Tom Step, 18 years old. Sometimes hires himself out as a day labourer, but mostly idle.

5. Henry Turner, 16 years old. Employed by his mother in crop making.

6. Alexander Rogers, 11 years old. Lives with Susanna Goodwyn.

7. John Woodson, 12 years old. Employment unknown.

8. Solomon Bartlett, 8 years old. Lives with Samuel Blunt (trustee). No employment.

9. Billy Woodson, 12 years old. Lives with Micajah Boseman his father. Too small for any particular employment; has been sent to school by his father, can read and write a little; his father has promised the trustees to send him again.

10. Edy Turner, 54 years old. Her employments are knitting, sewing, and what is usual in common housewifery.

11. Nancy Turner, 34 years old. Knitting, sewing, weaving, etc.

12. Betsy Step, 36 years old. Spinning, generally.

13. Winny Woodson, 17 years old. Spinning.

14. Anny Woodson, 19 years old. Spinning.

15. Polly Woodson, 14 years old. Employment unknown.

16. Fanny Bartlett, 10 years old. Sometimes learning to spin, lives with Samuel Blunt (Trustee).

17. Jenny Woodson, 6 years old. Lives with her sisters Anny and Winny Woodson.

The families that are composed out of the above are as follow: Littleton Scholar, no indian in his family but himself in his family his wife being a white woman. Tom Turner, no Indian in his family but himself when at home, his wife being a mulatto as before stated. Jemmy Wineoak, no indian in his family but himself, has no wife, a mulato woman lives with him. Edy Turner, her family consists of herself, Polly Woodson whose allowances are paid to her for the maintenance of the said Polly and John. Nancy Turner and her son Henry Turner compose the indian part of her family, she receives the allowance made to her for his maintenance. Betsy Step (and her son Tom when at home) compose her family. Fanny Bartlett and Solomon Bartlett live with Samuel Blunt as before stated who receives the allowances made to the said Fanny and Solomon in consideration of his maintaining them. Alexander Rogers lives with Susanna Goodwyn as above stated who receives his allowance in proportion to the time she maintains the said Alexander. Billy Woodson lives with his father Micajah Boseman as before stated who received his allowance in consideration of his maintaining &c the said Billy and also is permitted as before stated to work seventeen acres of land for the purpose aforesaid. Anny Woodson, Winny Woodson and Jenny Woodson compose a family; Anny and Winny receive Jenny's allowance in consideration of their maintaining the said Jenny. ...Fanny and Solomon Bartlett live with Samuel Blunt, Alexander Rogers their brother by the mother's side lives with Mrs. Goodwyn...In the year 1806 until September, Alexander Rogers, Fanny Bartlett and Solomon Bartlett lived with a relation of theirs by the name of Celia Rogers, a Nansemond Indian, on the land belonging to the Nottoways at which time Celia Rogers died, (their father and mother had died long before that period) they were then without a near relation, not even as near as a cousin. In this destitution not one of the Nottoways came to take care of them, or to inquire what was to be done with them, in consequence whereof the Trustees took them into their families in consideration of receiving their allowances for their maintenance.