More than half the county
The federal census of 1840 was the first taken in Clarke County, made from Frederick four years before. Its assistant marshal, Jos. M. Nicklin, wrote down the head of each household and counted everyone else in it by color, sex and age.
The Compendium of the Sixth Census, printed in Washington in 1841, gives the county 6,353 people. Its slave columns for Clarke add to 3,325, 1,771 men and boys and 1,554 women and girls: 52.3 percent of everyone in the county. One woman is counted at 100 years or more. Its free colored columns add to 161. The remaining 2,867 people, 45.1 percent, were white.
The count of the proposed county made in November 1835, before the legislature created it, had found 3,508 enslaved people, 160 free Black people and 3,125 white people. In both counts more of the county's people were enslaved than free.
Source note: United States Department of State, 1841
The Compendium of the Sixth Census, printed in 1841, gives Clarke County 6,353 people, and its twelve slave columns for the county add to 3,325: 1,771 male and 1,554 female. One enslaved woman is counted at 100 years or more.
What the source supports
How many people were enslaved in Clarke County in 1840, by the federal government's own published count, and what share of the county they were.
Uncertainty
The volume prints the slave columns by sex and age but no slave total; 3,325 and the totals by sex are the sums of its printed cells. This project's count of the schedules gives the same twelve figures. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Evidence role: supports. United States Department of State, Page 38, Virginia, Western District, slaves and total, row Clarke.
Compendium of the Enumeration of the Inhabitants and Statistics of the United States, as Obtained at the Department of State, from the Returns of the Sixth Census (Washington: Thomas Allen, 1841)
United States Department of State · 1841 (publication)
Locator: Page 38, Virginia, Western District, slaves and total, row Clarke
Relevant passageClarke ... 576 | 503 | 328 | 269 | 95 | .... | 552 | 426 | 260 | 210 | 105 | 1 | 6,353
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
Source note: United States Department of State, 1841
The Compendium of the Sixth Census gives Clarke County free colored persons in twelve columns that add to 161: 73 male and 88 female.
What the source supports
How many free people of color the 1840 census counted in Clarke County.
Uncertainty
The volume prints no free colored total; 161 is the sum of its cells, and this project's count of the schedules gives the same twelve figures. The census term is the census's. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Evidence role: supports. United States Department of State, Page 37, Virginia, Western District, free colored persons, row Clarke.
Compendium of the Enumeration of the Inhabitants and Statistics of the United States, as Obtained at the Department of State, from the Returns of the Sixth Census (Washington: Thomas Allen, 1841)
United States Department of State · 1841 (publication)
Locator: Page 37, Virginia, Western District, free colored persons, row Clarke
Relevant passageClarke ... 30 | 16 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 28 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 8 | ..
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
Source note: Library of Virginia, 1835
A census of the proposed county ordered by the legislature in 1835 and finished on November 30, 1835 counted 3,125 white people, 3,508 enslaved people and 160 free Black people, 6,793 in all. Its takers, Richard M. Sydnor and Wilford G. Settle, refused to count enslaved people hired out to masters outside the district.
What the source supports
The population of the proposed county on the eve of its creation, and that more of its people were enslaved than free.
Uncertainty
The figures are Robert Page's sum in the margin of the return and Settle's corrected total; the return itself gives the white count as 3126 and its own total as 6783, and Settle had first reported 6569. Read on the Library of Virginia's scan of the microfilm, a digital reproduction. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Evidence role: supports. Library of Virginia, file 045_083_053, Scan page 1, the census return, its opening.
Library of Virginia, Legislative Petitions, Frederick County, December 30, 1835 (file 045_083_053): Richard M. Sydnor and Wilford G. Settle's census of the north-eastern part of Frederick County
Settle, Wilford G. & Sydnor, Richard M.: Correspondence (catalogued by the Library of Virginia) · 1835-12-30 (filing)
Locator: Scan page 1, the census return, its opening
Relevant passageWe Richard M Sydnor and Wilford G. Settle, State, that in pursuance of an act of assembly passed February 28th 1835 we have taken the census of the North east part of Frederick County
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: lva-legislative-petitions-frederick-1831-1836. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Library of Virginia, file 045_083_053, Scan page 1, Robert Page's sum in the margin.
Library of Virginia, Legislative Petitions, Frederick County, December 30, 1835 (file 045_083_053): Richard M. Sydnor and Wilford G. Settle's census of the north-eastern part of Frederick County
Settle, Wilford G. & Sydnor, Richard M.: Correspondence (catalogued by the Library of Virginia) · 1835-12-30 (filing)
Locator: Scan page 1, Robert Page's sum in the margin
Relevant passage3125 white persons 3508 Slaves 160 Free Negroes 6793 the whole number according to the above
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: lva-legislative-petitions-frederick-1831-1836. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Library of Virginia, file 045_083_053, Scan page 1, the census return.
Library of Virginia, Legislative Petitions, Frederick County, December 30, 1835 (file 045_083_053): Richard M. Sydnor and Wilford G. Settle's census of the north-eastern part of Frederick County
Settle, Wilford G. & Sydnor, Richard M.: Correspondence (catalogued by the Library of Virginia) · 1835-12-30 (filing)
Locator: Scan page 1, the census return
Relevant passageconceiving that such slaves were not inhabitants of the district at the time of taking the census We refused to place them on the list.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: lva-legislative-petitions-frederick-1831-1836. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Library of Virginia, file 045_083_049, Scan page 36, Wilford G. Settle to Robert Page, Winchester, November 30, 1835.
Library of Virginia, Legislative Petitions, Frederick County, December 9, 1835 (file 045_083_049): printed petition for a new county out of north-eastern Frederick, with signatures and Wilford G. Settle's letter on the census
Citizens: Petition (catalogued by the Library of Virginia) · 1835-12-09 (filing)
Locator: Scan page 36, Wilford G. Settle to Robert Page, Winchester, November 30, 1835
Relevant passagethe true amount of population is 6793
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: lva-legislative-petitions-frederick-1831-1836. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-17. How this project checks its sources
The federal count of 1840, as printed in 1841: the slaves of each county in the Western District of Virginia by sex and age, with every county's total population. Clarke is the ninth county down.
What this image does and does not showThe whole printed page. The Clarke row is one line of the table; the other rows are the other counties of the district.
Compendium of the Sixth Census (Washington: Thomas Allen, 1841), page 38. U.S. Census Bureau. Rights Changes: The whole page image from the Census Bureau's scan of the volume (4439 by 5631 pixels), not cropped or scaled, re-encoded once as JPEG. Nothing retouched or added.
Source: Compendium of the Enumeration of the Inhabitants and Statistics of the United States, as Obtained at the Department of State, from the Returns of the Sixth Census (Washington: Thomas Allen, 1841) Open the full image
How the holdings were spread
This site read the schedule itself, line by line on the census pages: 538 lines, almost all of them households under a named head. 310 of them, 57.6 percent, list enslaved people.
Most holdings were small: the median line lists 6, and 54 lines list just one person. But the people were not spread evenly. The 46 lines with 20 or more enslaved people held 1,633, nearly half of everyone enslaved in the county (49.1 percent). The ten largest held 631. No line reached 100.
Source note: United States Department of State, 1841
The Compendium of the Sixth Census, printed in 1841, gives Clarke County 6,353 people, and its twelve slave columns for the county add to 3,325: 1,771 male and 1,554 female. One enslaved woman is counted at 100 years or more.
What the source supports
How many people were enslaved in Clarke County in 1840, by the federal government's own published count, and what share of the county they were.
Uncertainty
The volume prints the slave columns by sex and age but no slave total; 3,325 and the totals by sex are the sums of its printed cells. This project's count of the schedules gives the same twelve figures. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Evidence role: supports. United States Department of State, Page 38, Virginia, Western District, slaves and total, row Clarke.
Compendium of the Enumeration of the Inhabitants and Statistics of the United States, as Obtained at the Department of State, from the Returns of the Sixth Census (Washington: Thomas Allen, 1841)
United States Department of State · 1841 (publication)
Locator: Page 38, Virginia, Western District, slaves and total, row Clarke
Relevant passageClarke ... 576 | 503 | 328 | 269 | 95 | .... | 552 | 426 | 260 | 210 | 105 | 1 | 6,353
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
Source note: Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, 1840
The six largest entries of enslaved people on the 1840 schedule for Clarke County are, as the census writes the heads: Philip Burwill, 90; John E Page Ex, 79; L Lewis, 74; Joseph Tuly, 73; Geo H Burwell, 68; and Nath Burwell Sen, 67. Every cell of Philip Burwill's line is a round 10 or 5.
What the source supports
Which census lines held the most enslaved people in 1840, and that the largest of them is entered in round figures.
Uncertainty
A line is a household on the census day under its head, not proof of ownership; "Ex" on John E Page's line usually stands for executor, and the words after it run past the column and were not read. Philip Burwill's round figures add up on the page but read as an estimate rather than a count. The names keep the census's spellings. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 18, line 17 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 18, line 17 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228)
Relevant passagePhilip Burwill ... 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | . | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | . ... 93
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 18, line 3 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 18, line 3 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228)
Relevant passageJohn E Page Ex ... 15 | 7 | . | 7 | 5 | . | 14 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | . ... 88
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 17, line 17 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K4M and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KHZ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 17, line 17 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K4M and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KHZ)
Relevant passageL Lewis ... 15 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | . | 16 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | . ... 83
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 3, line 18 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 3, line 18 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ)
Relevant passageJoseph Tuly ... 12 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 7 | . | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 1 | . ... 78
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 12, line 20 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 12, line 20 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL)
Relevant passageGeo H Burwell ... 5 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 2 | . | 17 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 2 | . ... 81
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 3, line 21 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 3, line 21 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ)
Relevant passageNath Burwell Sen ... 9 | 7 | . | 20 | 1 | . | 5 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 2 | . ... 70
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
The families
Grouped by the surname the census gives each head, a few names stand out. Households headed by a Burwell held 276 people, 8.3 percent of the county's enslaved, on 6 lines; one of them, Philip's, is written Burwill. Households headed by a Page held 235 on 9 lines, 79 of them on a line entered under John E Page with the abbreviation Ex, for executor. The McCormicks, whom the census writes McCamick, held 141 on 10 of their 13 lines.
Then come Smith, 109 people on 3 lines; Nelson, 105 on 5; Sowers, 88 on 7; Taylor, 83 on 5, one of them a household of free people of color; and Castleman and Kerfoot, 81 each, on 8 lines and on 4. These nine surnames together held 1,199 people, 36.1 percent of the county's enslaved.
These are surnames, not proven families. The census does not say how one head was related to another, and the Smiths and the Taylors may well be several households with nothing in common but a name.
Source note: Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, 1840
The six largest entries of enslaved people on the 1840 schedule for Clarke County are, as the census writes the heads: Philip Burwill, 90; John E Page Ex, 79; L Lewis, 74; Joseph Tuly, 73; Geo H Burwell, 68; and Nath Burwell Sen, 67. Every cell of Philip Burwill's line is a round 10 or 5.
What the source supports
Which census lines held the most enslaved people in 1840, and that the largest of them is entered in round figures.
Uncertainty
A line is a household on the census day under its head, not proof of ownership; "Ex" on John E Page's line usually stands for executor, and the words after it run past the column and were not read. Philip Burwill's round figures add up on the page but read as an estimate rather than a count. The names keep the census's spellings. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 18, line 17 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 18, line 17 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228)
Relevant passagePhilip Burwill ... 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | . | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | . ... 93
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 18, line 3 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 18, line 3 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228)
Relevant passageJohn E Page Ex ... 15 | 7 | . | 7 | 5 | . | 14 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | . ... 88
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 17, line 17 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K4M and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KHZ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 17, line 17 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K4M and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KHZ)
Relevant passageL Lewis ... 15 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | . | 16 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | . ... 83
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 3, line 18 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 3, line 18 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ)
Relevant passageJoseph Tuly ... 12 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 7 | . | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 1 | . ... 78
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 12, line 20 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 12, line 20 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL)
Relevant passageGeo H Burwell ... 5 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 2 | . | 17 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 2 | . ... 81
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 3, line 21 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 3, line 21 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ)
Relevant passageNath Burwell Sen ... 9 | 7 | . | 20 | 1 | . | 5 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 2 | . ... 70
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
Source note: Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, 1840
On the 1840 schedule for Clarke County, the line of Fairfax Taylor lists 3 free colored persons and 5 slaves, 8 in all, and the line of Jacob Vanmeter 1 free colored person and 1 slave, 2 in all, with no white person on either; the line of James Murray lists 13 free colored persons and no one else.
What the source supports
That free people of color headed households in Clarke County in 1840, and that two such lines also list enslaved people.
Uncertainty
The census does not say how the people on a line were related, or who among them was the head. Whether anyone else was on these lines rests on the line total as written. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 1, line 21, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KF7 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KJ7).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 1, line 21, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KF7 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KJ7)
Relevant passageFairfax Taylor ... free colored 1 | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | . | 1 | . | . | . ... slaves . | . | 1 | 2 | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | 1 | . ... 8
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 12, line 10, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 12, line 10, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL)
Relevant passageJacob Vanmeter ... free colored . | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . ... slaves . | . | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . ... 2
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 4, line 11, free colored (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KC6 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KWG).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 4, line 11, free colored (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KC6 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KWG)
Relevant passageJames Murray ... free colored 4 | 1 | 1 | . | . | . | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | . ... 13
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
The largest households
The six largest entries, with the heads' names as the census writes them, are Philip Burwill, 90; John E Page Ex, 79; L Lewis, 74; Joseph Tuly, 73; Geo H Burwell, 68; and Nath Burwell Sen, 67.
Philip Burwill's line is unlike any other in the county. Every age column holds a round number: 10 males and 10 females in each age group under 55, and 5 of each from 55 to 100. The figures add up on the page, but they read as an estimate rather than a count of people.
Source note: Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, 1840
The six largest entries of enslaved people on the 1840 schedule for Clarke County are, as the census writes the heads: Philip Burwill, 90; John E Page Ex, 79; L Lewis, 74; Joseph Tuly, 73; Geo H Burwell, 68; and Nath Burwell Sen, 67. Every cell of Philip Burwill's line is a round 10 or 5.
What the source supports
Which census lines held the most enslaved people in 1840, and that the largest of them is entered in round figures.
Uncertainty
A line is a household on the census day under its head, not proof of ownership; "Ex" on John E Page's line usually stands for executor, and the words after it run past the column and were not read. Philip Burwill's round figures add up on the page but read as an estimate rather than a count. The names keep the census's spellings. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 18, line 17 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 18, line 17 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228)
Relevant passagePhilip Burwill ... 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | . | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | . ... 93
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 18, line 3 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 18, line 3 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228)
Relevant passageJohn E Page Ex ... 15 | 7 | . | 7 | 5 | . | 14 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | . ... 88
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 17, line 17 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K4M and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KHZ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 17, line 17 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K4M and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KHZ)
Relevant passageL Lewis ... 15 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | . | 16 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | . ... 83
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 3, line 18 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 3, line 18 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ)
Relevant passageJoseph Tuly ... 12 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 7 | . | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 1 | . ... 78
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 12, line 20 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 12, line 20 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL)
Relevant passageGeo H Burwell ... 5 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 2 | . | 17 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 2 | . ... 81
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 3, line 21 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 3, line 21 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ)
Relevant passageNath Burwell Sen ... 9 | 7 | . | 20 | 1 | . | 5 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 2 | . ... 70
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
Page 18 of the schedule, the names side. John E Page Ex is line 3 and Philip Burwill line 17; the counts of free white and free colored persons run across the page from each name.
What this image does and does not showThe whole page as FamilySearch's image shows it. The enslaved people of these households are on the facing page, shown next.
United States census of 1840, Clarke County, Virginia, page 18. FamilySearch, film 005154913, image 44. Rights Changes: FamilySearch's whole page image as downloaded, not cropped or scaled and not re-encoded. Nothing retouched or added.
Source: Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555) Open the full image
The facing page: each household's enslaved people by sex and age, then the line's total. Line 17, Philip Burwill's, reads 10, 10, 10, 10 and 5 for males and the same for females. The assistant marshal signed at the foot.
What this image does and does not showThe whole page as FamilySearch's image shows it. Its lines run straight across from the names on the facing page; the columns at the right are occupations, pensioners and schools.
United States census of 1840, Clarke County, Virginia, page 18. FamilySearch, film 005154913, image 45. Rights Changes: FamilySearch's whole page image as downloaded, not cropped or scaled and not re-encoded. Nothing retouched or added.
Source: Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555) Open the full image
Free people of color
The census counted 161 free people of color, 73 male and 88 female, on 57 lines. On 14 lines every person listed was a free person of color: 81 people, the largest James Murray's household of 13. 41 lines list free people of color beside white people, most of them in households that also held enslaved people; the census does not say whether they were servants, hired hands, tenants or kin.
On two lines free people of color and enslaved people are listed with no white person: Fairfax Taylor, with 3 free people of color and 5 enslaved, and Jacob Vanmeter, with one of each. The census does not say who they were to each other.
Source note: United States Department of State, 1841
The Compendium of the Sixth Census gives Clarke County free colored persons in twelve columns that add to 161: 73 male and 88 female.
What the source supports
How many free people of color the 1840 census counted in Clarke County.
Uncertainty
The volume prints no free colored total; 161 is the sum of its cells, and this project's count of the schedules gives the same twelve figures. The census term is the census's. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Evidence role: supports. United States Department of State, Page 37, Virginia, Western District, free colored persons, row Clarke.
Compendium of the Enumeration of the Inhabitants and Statistics of the United States, as Obtained at the Department of State, from the Returns of the Sixth Census (Washington: Thomas Allen, 1841)
United States Department of State · 1841 (publication)
Locator: Page 37, Virginia, Western District, free colored persons, row Clarke
Relevant passageClarke ... 30 | 16 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 28 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 8 | ..
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
Source note: Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, 1840
On the 1840 schedule for Clarke County, the line of Fairfax Taylor lists 3 free colored persons and 5 slaves, 8 in all, and the line of Jacob Vanmeter 1 free colored person and 1 slave, 2 in all, with no white person on either; the line of James Murray lists 13 free colored persons and no one else.
What the source supports
That free people of color headed households in Clarke County in 1840, and that two such lines also list enslaved people.
Uncertainty
The census does not say how the people on a line were related, or who among them was the head. Whether anyone else was on these lines rests on the line total as written. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 1, line 21, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KF7 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KJ7).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 1, line 21, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KF7 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KJ7)
Relevant passageFairfax Taylor ... free colored 1 | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | . | 1 | . | . | . ... slaves . | . | 1 | 2 | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | 1 | . ... 8
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 12, line 10, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 12, line 10, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL)
Relevant passageJacob Vanmeter ... free colored . | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . ... slaves . | . | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . ... 2
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 4, line 11, free colored (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KC6 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KWG).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 4, line 11, free colored (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KC6 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KWG)
Relevant passageJames Murray ... free colored 4 | 1 | 1 | . | . | . | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | . ... 13
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
The same table's free colored persons, by sex and age, county by county; Clarke's row adds to 161.
What this image does and does not showThe whole printed page. The free colored columns are at the right; the columns at the left continue the free white persons of the facing page.
Compendium of the Sixth Census (Washington: Thomas Allen, 1841), page 37. U.S. Census Bureau. Rights Changes: The whole page image from the Census Bureau's scan of the volume (4400 by 5600 pixels), not cropped or scaled, re-encoded once as JPEG. Nothing retouched or added.
Source: Compendium of the Enumeration of the Inhabitants and Statistics of the United States, as Obtained at the Department of State, from the Returns of the Sixth Census (Washington: Thomas Allen, 1841) Open the full image
About the sourcesWhat the evidence says
The county's totals from the Compendium of the Sixth Census (1841), and the largest lines and the free colored households quoted from the census schedule as read on its page images.
The census counts enslaved people under the head of the household where they were; it never names them, and a line is not proof of who owned them.
- An account exists✓ Supported by a source
The Compendium of the Sixth Census, printed in 1841, gives Clarke County 6,353 people, and its twelve slave columns for the county add to 3,325: 1,771 male and 1,554 female. One enslaved woman is counted at 100 years or more.
See the evidence
✓ Supported by a sourceAn account existsThe Compendium of the Sixth Census, printed in 1841, gives Clarke County 6,353 people, and its twelve slave columns for the county add to 3,325: 1,771 male and 1,554 female. One enslaved woman is counted at 100 years or more.
What the source supports
How many people were enslaved in Clarke County in 1840, by the federal government's own published count, and what share of the county they were.
Uncertainty
The volume prints the slave columns by sex and age but no slave total; 3,325 and the totals by sex are the sums of its printed cells. This project's count of the schedules gives the same twelve figures. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Document Evidence role: supports. United States Department of State, Page 38, Virginia, Western District, slaves and total, row Clarke.
Compendium of the Enumeration of the Inhabitants and Statistics of the United States, as Obtained at the Department of State, from the Returns of the Sixth Census (Washington: Thomas Allen, 1841)
United States Department of State · 1841 (publication)
Locator: Page 38, Virginia, Western District, slaves and total, row Clarke
Relevant passageClarke ... 576 | 503 | 328 | 269 | 95 | .... | 552 | 426 | 260 | 210 | 105 | 1 | 6,353
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
- An account exists✓ Supported by a source
The six largest entries of enslaved people on the 1840 schedule for Clarke County are, as the census writes the heads: Philip Burwill, 90; John E Page Ex, 79; L Lewis, 74; Joseph Tuly, 73; Geo H Burwell, 68; and Nath Burwell Sen, 67. Every cell of Philip Burwill's line is a round 10 or 5.
See the evidence
✓ Supported by a sourceAn account existsThe six largest entries of enslaved people on the 1840 schedule for Clarke County are, as the census writes the heads: Philip Burwill, 90; John E Page Ex, 79; L Lewis, 74; Joseph Tuly, 73; Geo H Burwell, 68; and Nath Burwell Sen, 67. Every cell of Philip Burwill's line is a round 10 or 5.
What the source supports
Which census lines held the most enslaved people in 1840, and that the largest of them is entered in round figures.
Uncertainty
A line is a household on the census day under its head, not proof of ownership; "Ex" on John E Page's line usually stands for executor, and the words after it run past the column and were not read. Philip Burwill's round figures add up on the page but read as an estimate rather than a count. The names keep the census's spellings. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Document Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 18, line 17 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 18, line 17 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228)
Relevant passagePhilip Burwill ... 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | . | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | . ... 93
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Document Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 18, line 3 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 18, line 3 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92GN and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9228)
Relevant passageJohn E Page Ex ... 15 | 7 | . | 7 | 5 | . | 14 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | . ... 88
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Document Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 17, line 17 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K4M and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KHZ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 17, line 17 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K4M and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KHZ)
Relevant passageL Lewis ... 15 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | . | 16 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | . ... 83
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Document Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 3, line 18 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 3, line 18 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ)
Relevant passageJoseph Tuly ... 12 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 7 | . | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 1 | . ... 78
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Document Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 12, line 20 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 12, line 20 (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL)
Relevant passageGeo H Burwell ... 5 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 2 | . | 17 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 2 | . ... 81
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Document Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 3, line 21 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 3, line 21 (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9K2Y and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-9LDQ)
Relevant passageNath Burwell Sen ... 9 | 7 | . | 20 | 1 | . | 5 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 2 | . ... 70
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
- An account exists✓ Supported by a source
On the 1840 schedule for Clarke County, the line of Fairfax Taylor lists 3 free colored persons and 5 slaves, 8 in all, and the line of Jacob Vanmeter 1 free colored person and 1 slave, 2 in all, with no white person on either; the line of James Murray lists 13 free colored persons and no one else.
See the evidence
✓ Supported by a sourceAn account existsOn the 1840 schedule for Clarke County, the line of Fairfax Taylor lists 3 free colored persons and 5 slaves, 8 in all, and the line of Jacob Vanmeter 1 free colored person and 1 slave, 2 in all, with no white person on either; the line of James Murray lists 13 free colored persons and no one else.
What the source supports
That free people of color headed households in Clarke County in 1840, and that two such lines also list enslaved people.
Uncertainty
The census does not say how the people on a line were related, or who among them was the head. Whether anyone else was on these lines rests on the line total as written. No human historian has reviewed this claim.
Source
Document Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 1, line 21, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KF7 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KJ7).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 1, line 21, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KF7 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KJ7)
Relevant passageFairfax Taylor ... free colored 1 | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | . | 1 | . | . | . ... slaves . | . | 1 | 2 | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | 1 | . ... 8
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Document Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 12, line 10, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 12, line 10, free colored and slaves (images 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92G1 and 3:1:33S7-9YYJ-92RL)
Relevant passageJacob Vanmeter ... free colored . | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . ... slaves . | . | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . ... 2
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Document Evidence role: supports. Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal, Page 4, line 11, free colored (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KC6 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KWG).
Sixth Census of the United States, 1840: population schedule for Clarke County, Virginia (National Archives microfilm M704, roll 555)
Jos. M. Nicklin, assistant marshal · 1840 (creation)
Locator: Page 4, line 11, free colored (images 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KC6 and 3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-9KWG)
Relevant passageJames Murray ... free colored 4 | 1 | 1 | . | . | . | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | . ... 13
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: us-census. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-10-21. How this project checks its sources
Each statement above is assessed on its own evidence. Nothing here is averaged, scored or voted on, and a well-attributed account can be documented while what it describes stays unconfirmed.
How this was counted
The figures for lines and families are this site's own count of the census pages, read on FamilySearch's images of the National Archives microfilm. Every slave column on all 18 pages adds to the total the assistant marshal wrote at its foot, and the county's columns match the Compendium cell for cell. The census names only the head of each household. The 3,325 enslaved people appear as tallies by sex and age, without a single name, and a line records where people were on the census day, under the head of that household, who was not always their owner. Families here are surnames as the census writes them, with McCamick and McComick filed as McCormick and Burwill as Burwell.
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Go deeper: every source under this story Follow another threadHow Clarke left Frederick: the petitions and the newspapers, 1833 to 1836
How the county was made in 1836, and the count of 1835 that found more of its people enslaved than free.