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SOUTHERNS IN SURRY AND STOKES COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
TAX LISTS, 1775-1801

Tax lists are a fruitful source that provide annual "snapshots" of heads of households which supplement census records and in some cases capture families that enter and leave an area between census years. Stokes County tax lists are particularly rich in this regard. The following show the first appearance of the Southern family in North Carolina with William Southern in Surry County in 1775, and the apparent emergence of younger men out of his household in years thereafter. Stokes County was formed from Surry in 1789.

SURRY COUNTY

1775

Camplins District

William Suthern. 350 acres; 150 pounds
0 slaves
10 cattle, 3 horses; 220 pounds

Taken from the transcription by William Perry Johnson. This is the first record of William Southern's presence in North Carolina. Since he and Reuben appear in the 1774 titheables list of Buckingham Co., Virginia, the family apparently moved to N.C. between the time the two lists were taken.

1780

Name Acres Value Horses Value Cattle Value Slaves Money Total
Reubin Southern 0 - 1 42 1 10 - 12 64
William Southern 515 280 3 126 9 90 - 64 492

William's son Reubin appears here as a separate householder, but without land of his own as yet.

1782

______District
Name Acres Horses Cattle Value
William Surthern 315 2 12 99

1783

Capt. Bostick's District
Name Acres
deeded		 Acres entered Negroes
1-7
50-60		 Negroes
7-16
40-50		 Negroes
16-40		 Horses
& Mules		 Cattle Pounds
Wm Southern Jr. 0 100 1 - - 2 1 51
Wm Southern Sr. 315 - - - - 2 13 83
Reubin Sothern 0 300 - - - 2 4 39

William "Jr." appears, perhaps William's son, but their relationship is not documented. The younger William was a veteran of the Revolution (link to Revolutionary War Service of William Southern II). He is shown owning a slave at this early date -- he was the only N.C. Southern ever to own a slave -- and consistently appears with a slave in subsequent records until his death in the mid-1830s. If the slave seen here was seven or younger in this record, it may be the same person who is the slave woman in her 50s in William's 1830 census. See The Slaves of William Southern II.

1785

Capt. Bosticks District
Name Acres Free Polls
Gibson Sothern - 1
Reubin Sothern 300 1
William Sothern 315 1

Gibson appears here and in the 1787 list. By 1790 he was in Greenville Co., S.C. He was also a veteran of the Revolution (link to Revolutionary War Service of Gibson/Gipson Southern). He may have been William's oldest son, but their relationship is not documented.

1786

____ District
Name Acres Polls
Reubin Sothern 300 1
William Sothern 315 1
1787

____ District
Name Acres Polls
Gibson Sothern 200 1
William Sothern 315 1
Reubin Sothern 300 1

1788

Capt. Beaseley's District
Name Acres Polls
William Southern 100 1

This is the younger William (the Revolutionary War veteran) on Snow Creek.

1789

Name Acres Polls
Capt. Beasley's District
William Southern 100 1
Capt. Bostick's District
William Sothern 215 1
Reubin Sothern 300 1
Boaz Sothern 100 1
Ford Sothern - 1

The first appearance of Boaz and Ford in the record, younger men coming out of William and Magdalen's household. From this point onward, the family structure remains stable and consistent for over a decade.

STOKES COUNTY (formed from Surry in 1789)

1790

Name Acres Polls
Capt. Beasley's District
William Southern 100 1
Capt. Bostick's District
William Sothern 215 1
Reubin Sothern 457 1
Boaz Sothern - 1
Ford Sothern - 1

1791

Name Acres Polls
Capt. Beasley's District
William Southern 100 1
Capt. Morgin's District
William Sothern 160 -*
Reubin Sothern 522 1
Boas Sothern 50 1
Ford Sothern 155 1
(*exempt because of his advanced age)

1792

Name Acres Polls
Capt. Beasley's District
William Southern 300 1
Capt. Morgin's District
William Sothern 160 -
Reubin Sothern 525 1

1793

Name Acres Polls
Capt. Beasley's District
William Southern 200 1
Capt. Morgan's District
William Southern 150 -
Reubin Sothern 457 1
Boze Sothern 50 1
Ford Sothern 155 1

1794

Name Acres Polls
Capt. Beasley's District
William Southern 200 1
Capt. Morgin's District
William Southern Sen 160 -
Reubin Southern 457 1
Boaze Southern 50 1
Ford Southern 155 1

The older William's last appearance in the record. He died this year. Link to Will of William Southern).

1795

Name Acres Polls Black Polls
Beasley's District
William Southern 200 1 1
Morgan's District
John Southern 150 1 -
Reubin Southern 457 1 -
Ford Southern 155 1 -
Campbell's District
Boaz Suthern 50 1 -

Young John replaces his father William this year. There is no substantial change for the next several years.

1796

Name Acres Polls
Beasley's District
William Southern 200 1
Morgan's District
John Southern 150 1
Reubin Southern 457 1/2 1
Ford Southern 155 1
Campbell's District
Boaz Southern 50 1

1797

Name Acres Polls
Beasley's District
William Southern 200 1
Morgan's District
John Southern 157 1/2 1
Rheubin Southern 834 1/2 1
Ford Southern 155 1
Campbell's District
Boaz Southern 50 1

1798

Name Acres White Polls Black Polls
Capt. Beazley's District
William Southern 200 1 1
Capt. Maygers District
Rubin Southern 584 1 -
John Southern 157 1 -
Ford Southern 155 1 -
Capt. Campbell's District
Bouaz Southern 50 1 -

1799

Name Acres White Polls Black Polls
Capt. Beazley's District
William Southern 200 1 1
Capt. Bosticks District
Rubin Southern 584 1 -
John Southern 157 1 -
Ford Southern 155 1 -
Capt. Campbell's District
Boaz Southern 100 1 -


1799 Stokes County Property Valuations: Houses, Lands, Slaves

Name Dwelling Houses
&Out Houses
Not Exceeding
$100 Value:
Number		 Houses
Value		 Acres Acreage
Value		 Slaves Under
Age of 50
Subject to
Taxation
Cloud's District
William Southern 1 $50 200 $300 1
Hairston's District
John Southarn 3 $10 153 $153 -
Ford Southern 3 $15 155 $200 -
Rubin Southern 7 $25 584 1/2 $400 -
Brinkley's District
Boaz Southern 2 $10 100 $75 -

1800

Name Acres White Polls Black Polls
Capt. Childress's District
William Southern 200 1 1
Capt. Bosticks District
Reuben Southern 584 1 -
John Southern 156 1 -
Ford Southern 355 1 -
Boze Southern 100 1 -

1801

Name Acres White Polls Black Polls
Capt. Childress's District
William Suthern 200 1 1
Capt. Bosticks District
Reuben Southern 584 1 -
John Sothern 157 1 -
Ford Sothern 358 1 -
Reuben Southern
for Wm. Stephens		 250 1 -
Capt. Moore's District
Boaz Sothern 100 1 -