Taxation
records can reveal many details to aid our research.
Although
the Town of Erving was not incorporated until 1838, records as early as 1822
are available to review in the Assessors’ office in Town Hall. The earliest
records are ledger pages, now bound in protective sleeves. From 1863, they are
filed in oversized books of printed forms.
The list
of residents – heads of household – and their property introduces us to the
townspeople. The number of polls is listed for each entry. These are men of
voting age. The valuation of their real estate is listed, as well as the
livestock. Taxation on those assets is divided into categories, including
school and road taxes. Beyond the agricultural economy, items such as saw mills
were valued and taxed. In some cases, cash on hand was also taxed.
From 1847, we can see James Moore's one poll checked in the first column, his house and barns valued, and two distinct parcels of land listed. He had 1 horse, 2 oxen, 2 cows, 2 three-year-olds (cattle?), 1 yearling and 2 swine.
Residents
without property were also listed as polls. Notable in 1846 was a
list of men with predominantly Irish surnames who may have been railroad
workers. They were assessed 61 cents each.
George Beedy
David Dale
Michael Fitzpatrick
Michael Finn
Peter Mullen
William Finn
John Mahoney
James Russel
Thomas Shay
Angus Mcdonal
Michael Hafy
Michael Tracy
Michael Murphy
Cornelius Dunnevin
Michael Ryley
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