The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:          Philadelphia County (Pa.)                                 

Title:               Tax ledgers

Dates:             1776-1847

Call No.:         Mic. 667-708

Acc. No.:         [none]

Quantity:        42 microfilm reels

Location:        microfilm cabinet

 

 

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, state tax assessments dated 1776-1779, 1841; poor tax county register for 1832 to 1847; county tax assessment ledger dated 1779-1844.  The tax assessment ledgers list such taxable assets as livestock, ground rents, dwellings, watches, furniture (individual pieces of furniture not listed), and servants.  The items listed change over time.  Sometimes the occupation of the tax payer is given. 

           

 

ORGANIZATION

 

The records are arranged by ward or township.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

 

Original records in the Department of Records, City of Philadelphia.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Public records - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Taxation - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Real property tax - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Personal property - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

            Philadelphia (Pa.) - Taxation.

            Philadelphia (Pa.) - Public records.

            Ledgers.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: microfilm cabinet

 

Mic. 667-674: State tax assessor ledgers for Philadelphia County:

 

Mic. 667:         v.1, 1776-1779, by township;

v. 2, 1779-1783, Cheltenham township, Douglas;

v. 3, [1779-1783], Franconia, Frederick, Gwinedth [sic]

 

Mic. 668: 1779-ca.1783          v. 4, Hatfield, Horsham, Limerick, Lower Merion

                                                v. 5, Lower Salford, Marlborough, Montgomery

                                                v. 6, New Hanover, Norrington, Plymouth

                                                v. 7, Providence, Skippack, Springfield

                                                v. 8, Towamensing, Upper Dublin, Upper Hanover, Upper Merion

 

Mic. 669:         v. 9, Upper Salford, Whitemarsh, Whitpain, Worcester, [1779-ca.1783]

                        v. 10, Blockley township, 3 undated lists, 1825, 1849?;

                                    Bristol, 2 undated lists, 1811;

                                    Byberry, two undated lists, 1812, 1820;

                        v. 11, Cedar ward, 1805, 1807, and undated;

                                    Chestnut ward, undated;

                                    Cedar ward, undated;

                                    Chestnut ward, undated, 1820

 

Mic. 670:         v. 12, Dock, 3 undated lists, 1841, 1846;

v.13, Germantown, 2 undated lists, 1818;

            High Street, undated, 1809?

 

Mic. 671:         v.14, East Kensington, 1826;

                                    Kingsessing, 4 undated lists, 1816, 1825;

                                    Locust ward, undated

                        v. 15, Middle ward, undated;

                                    Moreland, undated, 1819;

                                    Moyamensing, 1805, undated;

                                    North ward, undated, 1811

v.16, Lower Delaware, undated, 1810, undated;

            Lower Dublin, 3 undated lists, 1814;

            Lower Merion, undated

 

Mic. 672:         v. 17, North Mulberry ward, 4 undated lists;

                                    Northern Liberties, district 2, 1819;

                                    Northern Liberties, district 3, 1820;

                                    Northern Liberties, district 5, 1820;

                                    East Northern Liberties, 1821

v. 18, Oxford, 3 undated lists, 1846;

            Passyunk, 2 undated lists;

            Penn, 1826;

            Northern Liberties, district 3, 1822;

            Northern Liberties, 1848

 

Mic. 673:         v. 19, Roxborough, 3 undated lists;

                                    South ward, 2 undated lists, 1812, 1814, 1816, 1818

v. 20, South Mulberry ward, undated, 1806;

            North Mulberry ward, 2 undated lists;

            South Mulberry, undated

            Southwark, western district, two undated lists

 

Mic. 674:         v. 21, Upper Delaware, undated, 1809, undated, 1820;

                                    West Philadelphia, 2d ward, 1852, 1854

v. 22, Upper Delaware, North Mulberry, Lower Delaware, South Mulberry, High Street, North, Chestnut, Middle, Walnut, South, Dock, Locust, Pine, New Market, and Cedar wards, 1832, with index

 

 

Mic. 675-680: State tax assessment ledgers, 1841

 

Mic. 675:         v. 1: Byberry, Blockley, and Bristol townships, Cedar ward;

                        v. 2: Chestnut, Germantown Upper, and High Street wards;     

                        v. 3: Kensington 1st, 2d, and 3d wards [see v. 15 for Kensington 4th and 5th wards]

 

Mic. 676:         v. 4: Locust ward, Lower Dublin;

                        v. 5: Middle, Moreland, Moyamensing 1st, and North Mulberry wards [see v. 16 for other Moyamensing wards];

                        v. 6: New Market ward, Penn township, Northern Liberties 1st ward

 

Mic. 677:         v. 7: Northern Liberties 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th wards;

                        v. 8: Northern Liberties 7th ward, Oxford and Passayunk townships;

                        v. 9: Penn township, Pine ward, Roxborough

 

Mic. 678:         v. 10: South and South Mulberry wards;

                        v. 11: Southwark 1st, 2d, and 3d wards

                        v. 12: Southwark 4th and 5th wards

 

Mic. 679:         v. 13: Spring Garden 1st, 2d, and 3d wards;

                        v. 14: Spring Garden 4th, Upper Delaware and Walnut wards;

                        v. 15: Kensington 4th and 5th wards [see v. 3 for Kensington 1st, 2d, and 3d wards]

 

Mic. 680:         v. 16: Moyamensing 2d, 3d, and 4th wards [see v. 5 for Moyamensing 1st ward];

                        v. 17: West Philadelphia North ward

 

 

Mic. 681-687: Poor Tax county register, 1832-1847

 

Mic. 681:         v. 1-2, 1832;

                        v. 3, 1833;

                        v. 4-5, 1834

 

Mic. 682:         v. 6-12, 1834-1837

Mic. 683:         v. 13-19, 1837-1839

Mic. 684:         v. 20-27, 1839-1840

Mic. 685:         v. 27-32, 1841-1842

Mic. 686:         v.  33-39, 1842-1844

Mic. 687:         v. 40-48, 1844-1847

 

 

Mic. 688-707: county tax assessment ledgers, 1779-1813, 1841-1844

 

[note: different years are covered for the different wards]

 

Mic. 688: Chestnut ward:          v. 1, 1779-1783;

                                                v. 2, 1791-1800;

                                                v. 3, 1807-1812

 

Mic. 689: Dock ward, north and south:

                                                v. 4, 1783;

                                                v. 5, 1789, 1791, 1793, 1794;

                                                v. 6, 1797-1800

 

Mic. 690: Dock ward:              v. 7, 1786, 1800, 1801;

                                                v. 8, 1789, 1791, 1793, 1794

                                                v. 9, 1797, 1800

 

Mic. 691: Dock ward:              v. 10, 1802, 1805, 1809;

            High ward:                    v. 11, 1780, 1783, 1785, 1789, 1791, 1799

 

Mic. 692: Locust ward: v. 12, 1801-1805;

                                                v. 13, 1818-1820;

Lower Delaware ward:v. 14, 1793, 1785, 1789

 

Mic. 693: Lower Delaware ward: v. 15, 1791-1795 and 1797-1801;

                                                v. 16, 1802-1803, 1806;

                                                v. 17, 1809-1812

 

Mic. 694: Middle ward:            v. 18, 1783;

                                                v. 19, 1785, 1787, 1789;

                                                v. 20, 1791, 1793, 1796

 

Mic. 695: Middle ward:            v. 21, 1797, and also constable returns;

                                                v. 22, 1798-1801;

                                                v. 23, 1802-1807

 

Mic. 696: Middle ward:            v. 24, 1808-1813;

            New Market ward:       v. 25, 1785-1789

 

Mic. 697: New Market ward:   v. 26, 1791-1796;

                                                v. 27, 1798-1800

 

Mic. 698: New Market ward:   v. 28, 1809-1811;

                                                v. 29: 1841-1842

 

Mic. 699: North ward:  v. 30, 1781-1789;

                                                v. 31, 1791-1795

 

Mic. 700: North ward:  v. 32, 1796-1804;

                                                v. 33, 1797-1800

 

Mic. 701: North Mulberry Ward: v. 34, 1788-1789, 1798;

                                                v. 35, 1791-1797;

                                                v. 36, 1793-1794, 1796; and Middle ward, 1813

 

Mic. 702: South ward:  v. 37, 1785-1789;

                                                v. 38, 1791, 1793-1794;

                                                v. 39, 1795;

                                                v. 40, 1796, 1798-1799

 

Mic. 703: South ward:  v. 41, 1805-1809;

                                                v. 42, 1841-1844

 

Mic. 704: South Mulberry ward: v. 43, 1797, 1789, 1791;

                                                v. 44: 1792-1795

 

Mic. 705: South Mulberry ward: v. 45, 1796-1798;

                                                v. 46, 1799-1802

 

Mic. 706: South Mulberry ward: v. 47, 1809-1811;

                                                v. 48, 1779, 1791

 

Mic. 707: Upper Delaware ward: v. 49, 1792-1799;

                                                v. 50, 1809-1812