Our Astounding Past March 8

I will begin with the Ward Family of Bedford, Campbell and Pittsyvlania County, Virginia.
John Ward
• Born August 12, 1720 Albemarle County, Virginia
• Death 1805, Virginia
• Married to Ann Chiles
Children:
• William Ward
• Agatha Ward
• Anne Ward
• Thomas Ward
• Jeremiah Ward
• Henry Ward
John Ward’s second wife was Mrs. Sarah Clark Lynch, widow of Major Charles Lynch. There were no children from this marriage.

Tithables of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, 1767.
The term “tithable” referred to a person who paid one of the taxes imposed by the General Assembly for the support of civil government in the colony. In colonial Virginia, a poll tax or capitation tax was assessed on free white males, African American slaves and Native American servants. In a law passed in the House of Burgesses in 1705, the tithable list included all male persons sixteen years of age and over, as well as all negro, mulatto, and Indian woman sixteen years or over. The Tithable lists did not include anyone under the age of 16 and adult white women. The only time a tithable was assessed on an adult white women was if she was the head of household.
In order to stop fraud among sheriffs bringing in tithable lists, the House of Burgesses passed an act in March 1660 requiring that each county be divided into four precincts. A commissioner was appointed in each precinct. The commissioner would post a notice on door of the church notifying the public when the tithable should be ready before the June 10th deadline. In August the commissioner would turn these lists over to the county court clerk, who then turned the list into the clerk of the House of Burgesses.
In a further effort to discover concealed tithables, the colonial government passed an act requiring that tithables lists be made to the public. After the June deadline, the county clerk would post the tithables list on the courthouse door for a whole day. This procedure allowed people that lived near those that were concealing reporting the fraud. Masters concealing tithables forfeited a servant to the informant.
For more information on tithables please see http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/m17_tithables.htm
You can also find this list in “The History of Pittsylvania County” by Maud Carter Clement. This book can be found at Genealogical Publishing, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Books a Million.
The Pittsylvania county website http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~Vapittsy/#land

The following is the List of Tithes taken by John Wimbush, Gent, for the Year 1767
• Robert Adams
• Mrs. Sarah Piggs Tithes, Richard Pigg,Philis, Jim, Lucas, Dorcas and Peter
• James Pigg
• Henry McDaniel
• Jeremiah Worsham
• Joseph Gorman
• Thomas Hardy
• Jonathan Jennings
• Thomas Hardy, Jr. and John Bailey
• Richard Thomas
• Nathaniel Christian
• Adam Clement
• Captain John Ward’s Tithes: John Cleveland, Thomas Hardy, Peter Lee, Harry, Jack, Abram, Bess, Tom and Ben, Nant, jack, Dick, Matt, Tom, John, Thomas and Nant
• John Nichols
• Samuel Smith, Jack, Tom, Will, Hannah &Bess
• Edward Polley, Jr.
• John Adams, John Adams, jr.
• Alan Adams
• Charles Beasley
• William Pigg

The above is the list of tithables taken by John Wimbish, Gentleman in the year 1767. This indicates that John Ward owned property in Pittsylvania County. His list indicates that he had 17 tithable men and women on his property which means that he probably had more, but they were under the age of sixteen. As you will see in further records, John Ward lived in Campbell County. So it is a possibility that his male children were listed in a Campbell or Bedford County tithable.
You may want to take special notice of some of the other names on the tithable which indicate that they owned some property nearby. Special attention should be made of Robert Adams at the beginning of the list that had close ties to the family.
It is my attention to offer the reader a closer insight in the life of John Ward by providing documents pertaining to the history of the area and pictures, maps and stories. I hope that this information about tithables will bring you some information or understanding of the area and the people living there at the time.