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Portsmouth in 1730: Gleanings from the Census

March 8, 2025

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What kinds of information does a census give us about Portsmouth? I have worked with other census documents and within the names and numbers there is a great deal that can be learned from them. An article by Christian McBurney in his blog Small State Big History encouraged me to find the 1730 census for Portsmouth. McBurney’s article, “South Kingstown’s Partial Census for 1730, Whites, Indians and Blacks” noted that the Portsmouth census had been posted in Rhode Island Roots magazine by Ruth Sherman. DAR genealogist Laurie Greaney was kind enough to find it for me.

Quaker Meeting House – dating from 1700.

The census is headed with the note: “The number of Inhabitants, whites, etc. belonging to ye town of Portsmouth 1730.” It goes on to say ” A true Account of the number of the Inhabentantans [sic] of the Town of Portsmouth Taken by me John Freeborn, Sargant –. whites 643, blacks etc 170. Unlike the South Kingston census, Freeborn did not list “Indians” separately but counted them with the “blacks, etc.” That makes the total inhabitants to be 813.

Many of the names remind us of the founding families. They are familiar to us in the street names of Portsmouth. Freeborn, Burden (Borden), Durfee, Shearman (Sherman), Anthony, Lawton, Hall, Earl, Cornell, Slocum, Coggeshall, are just a few of those familiar names.

Working with the census, you can get an idea of life in Portsmouth households. Rhode Island legally abolished slavery in 1652, but the Gradual Emancipation Act of 1784 did more to abolish slavery. Children born after March 1, 1784 could not be enslaved, but children born of an enslaved mother would be supported by the master until they reached adulthood. The census records help us understand who the people of Portsmouth were as a whole. Whites made up to 90.5% of the town residents in 1774 and 93.5% in 1782. In 2020 the white population is about 95%. According to the census of 1730, whites accounted for 79% of inhabitants. After the War for Independence the Quakers (Society of Friends) in Portsmouth began to free their slaves. Among Portsmouth citizens who freed their slaves for religious reasons were William Anthony (1 slave 1775), Thomas Brownell (1 slave 1775), James Coggeshall (3 slaves 1775), Cornell Walter (2 slaves, 1775). Weston Hicks (1 slave 1775), Isaac Lawton (1 slave 1775), James Sisson (3 slaves, 1775). I recognized the family names of several whose ancestors are listed as having blacks in 1730. The idea of “all” being created equal had an effect. In 1730 the situation was different. Out of the 123 households, more than half (68) had blacks in their household. Thomas Hix (Hicks) with 8 had the largest number of blacks. Joseph Martin had 7 and George Cornell had 6.

The average number of people (white and black) in a Portsmouth household was 6.6. Daniel Pears had the largest household with 12 whites and 4 blacks. Others with large households were Abral (Able) Tripp, John Alen, Gideon Freeborn, William and Nathanael Hall, William, Benjamin and Job Lawton, Jacob Mott Jr. and Abraham Anthony.

There were a few women listed as head of household. Abigail Shearman, Mary Hefland, Marah Lawton, Joan Taylor, Patience Durfie, Hanah Tallman, and Mary Burden (Borden). Only two – Marah Lawton and Hanah Tallman – had blacks in their household.

Below is a list copied from the census. Some figures had been crossed out and those are marked with XX. These were not included in Freeborn’s totals.

W = WHITES, B= BLACKS, (ETC)

Pears, John W-09 B-03
Pears, Daniel W-12. B-04
Hill, Jothan W-05, B-06
Sweet, James W-08, B-00
Alen, John W-10, B-02
Alen, Willim W-05 B-03
Rementon, Josias W-0X, B-00
Smith, Ebnezer W-10, B-04
Alen, Mathew W-0x B-XX
Remington, William W-0X, B-XX
Freeborn, Gideon W-10, B-04
Freeborn, Gideon, Jr. W-03, B-02
Denis, Joseph W-06, B-03
Earl, William W-06, B-01
Thomas, Joseph W-08, B-00
Corey, Thomas W-06, B-00
Shref, William W-02, B-00
Almory, Daniel W-07 B-02
Manchester, Nathaniel W-07, B-00
Bennett, Caleb W-02 B-00
Tallman, Peter W-04, B-00
Buts, John W-07, B-00
Durfie, Gideon W-06, B-01
Buranton, John W-03, B-01
Arnold, William W-07, B-00
Wing, John W-04, B-02
Burden, Thomas W-04, B-03
Bengman, Tallman W-08, B-01
Durfie, Thomas W-04, B-01
Tripp, Abial W-10, B-01
Earl, John W-06, B-01
Hall, William W-11, B-01
Tallman, Hanah W-06, B-01
Shearman, Ebnzer W-02, B-01
Fish, Thomas W-05, B-00
Anthony, Abraham W-10, B-00
Durfie, Patience W-08, B-00
Shearman, Pelick W-08, B-05
Shearman, Thomas W-03, B-02
Lawton, William W-10, B-04
Shearman, Joseph W-08, B-00
Sisel, Richard W-09, B-00
Sisel, George W-06, B-00
Fish, Prasuared W-06, B-00
Cook, Joseph W-01, B-02
Cook, Willam W-05, B-01
Sisel, James W-07, B-01
Cook, John W-05, B-03
Cornell, Gideon W-01, B-02
Hall, Pashans W-06, B-00
Taylor, Joan W-05, B-00
Thomas, George W-05 B-00
Hix, Thomas W-10 B-08
Sanford, Wm. W-06 B-01
Shearman, Abigail W- 05, B-00
Slocumb, John W-08, B-01
Cornell, George W-03, B-01
Lawton, Thomas W-06. B-00
Cornell, Willam W-06, B-02
Allen, Ralph w-06
Brown, William W-05, B-02
Freeborn, John W-04. B-02
Sanford, John W-06, B-01
Hunt, Adam W-02, B-03
Ward, Joseph W-05, B-02
Lawton, Adam W-05 – B-03
Earl, Joseph W-03, B-01
Lawton, Jeremiah W-04, B-00
Lawton, JeremiahJR W-09, B-00
Strang, James W-07, B-00
Albrow, John W-06, B-00
Shearman, John W-05, B-03
Lawton, Bengeman W-12, B-00
Wilbour, William W-8, B-00
Counsel, Joseph W-06. B-00
Tyler, William W-07, B-00
Lawton, George W-06, B-00
Brghtmon, William w-08, B-00
Lawton, Robert W-06, B-06
Cornell, Wator W-03, B-01
Cogshel, Joshey W-03, B-02
Martin, Joseph W-07, B-07
Lawton, John W-02, B-04
Sisel, John W-08. B-00
Anthony, John W-04, B-00
Andros, John W-03, B-00
Sodrick, Solomon W-05, B-00
Peteface, Samuel W-07, B-00
Shref, Caleb W-06, B-00
Lawton, Isaacs W-08, B-04
Braeton, Francis W-06, B-01
Hefland, Mary W-04, B-00
Cook, Thomas W-03, B-02
Springer, Bengeman W-XX B-00
Presen, Rabecker W-03, B-00
Mott, Jacpb W-03. B-00
Dexter, John W-08, B-02
Lawton, Job W-12, B-04
Albrow, Samuel W-06, B-00
Hall, Nathaniel W-10, B-03
Lawton, Marah W-06, B-02
Mott, Jacob Jr W-10, B-00
Cornell, George W-09, B-06
Fish, Daniel W-05, B-03
Tallman, Stephen w-06, B-03
Brownell, Stephen W-04, B-02
Brownell, Joseph W-02, B-03
Brigs, Eneck W-04, B-02
Lake, David W-08, B-00
Howland, Daniel W-04, B-03
Corey, Mikel W-05, B-00
Burenton, William W-02, B-01
Burenton, Roger W-06, B-01
Anthony, William W-09, B-01
Slocomb, Gils W-07, B-02
Arnald, Jesias W-04, B-01
Burden, Mary W-01. B-00
Anthony, Jacob W-09. B-00
Fish, Jothan W-05, B-00
Sref, John W-07, B-00
Coggeshel, William W-08, B-02
Wilcox, Joseph W-07, B-00

As twenty-first century residents of Portsmouth, it is hard for us to imagine how common slavery was in Colonial Portsmouth.

Sources:

This is a link to Christian McBurney’s blog which focuses on Rhode Island history.

South Kingstown’s Partial Census for 1730: Whites, Indians and Blacks

The 1730 Portsmouth census can be found in an article by Ruth W. Sherman, “1730 Census, Portsmouth, R.I.,” Rhode Island Roots, vol 7, no. 2 (June 1981), p.16.

Blaskowitz Map: Southern Part of Portsmouth at Pre-Revolutionary Times

April 16, 2021

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What does the Blaskowitz Map tell us about Portsmouth in the days before the War for Independence? We continue our exploration of the map south of Sprague Street.

What features are marked on the map?

Natural features:

There are two points labeled “Black Point.” One is in the Newtown area and the other is what we call “Black Point” today. “Sandy Point” is what our modern day McCorrie Point is labeled. “Little Sandy Pt.” is our Sandy Point beach area today. Coggeshall Point and Arnold’s Point are on the map. There are two Weaver’s Coves – one in Portsmouth and one at Middletown. The Cove in Portsmouth is by the entrance to Lawton’s Valley.

Man-made features:

There is a Tavern around East Main and Dexter Street. The 1700 Quaker Meeting House is on the map. During the Occupation it was used to house British troops and ammunition was stored in the basement. A fulling mill (to wash and dress wool) was located off of Union Street in the Lawton area. Fogland Ferry is off of Glen Road and heads across to Tiverton. A grist mill (to grind grain) is located within the Glen. Butts Hill is not labeled, but there seems to be troops located there. The orderly rows of dots around the Butts Hill area and to the south of what would be McCorrie Lane today suggest Patriot reinforcements. Blaskowitz’s text mentions that he has included works and batteries raised by the Americans. The location between McCorrie Lane and Glen Road would be a defense against invasion from across the narrow strait of Fogland Ferry. We know that Hessian troops were encamped around there during the Occupation.

Quaker Meeting House circa 1700

Roads: These are listed with the modern names because Blaskowitz did not label the roads.

Dexter Street, Power St. (heading to “Black Point”), Hedley Street, Freeborn Street, Church Lane, Middle Road, Mill Lane, Stub Toe, School House, Locust Avenue, East Main, West Main, Braman’s Lane, Mitchell’s Lane, Union Street, Jepson Lane, part of Sandy Point Ave.

Neighborhoods: Where are the homes distributed?

Newtown area on East side, West Main Road has clusters, South Portsmouth (Wapping Road area) has a number of homes. East Main Road from Quaker hill to Union has dwellings as does Union Street itself.