Many of the 1790 schedules had been lost or destroyed, including Virginia.
Potentially, there could have been Blackards in these places that we do not
know of as a result of these losses. . The 1790 census suffered district losses
of Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Virginia. . Virginia was reconstructed
from tax lists as well as some counties from North Carolina and Maryland. The
first US census of 1790 survives for the following states:
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The man who appears to have been the patriarch of our American Blackard family,
Charles Blackard I, was not recorded in the first US Census of 1790. Unless
he was living in Virginia, it appears that Charles had died sometime before
1790 in Warren or Franklin County. These counties were formed in 1779 from Bute
County where he had been recorded previously in tax lists. Charles was first
recorded in North Carolina in 1755-56 in Edgecombe County and the in the 1757
Granville tax lists before the formation of Bute County. We know from Willoughby
Blackard's Revolutionary War service records that he was born in 12 Aug 1758
in the part of Granville County, NC that was later to become Bute.
It appears that Charles I had at least 4 sons: William, Charles II, Willoughhby
and Job. Only two of the sons of Charles Blackard I were recorded as heads of
household recorded in the 1790 census. The 1790 Census enumeration of Orange
County, NC was lost so what survives is a reconstruction from tax lists and
does not give an enumeration of the household. The 1790 Orange tax list names
William Blackard in two different districts, Caswell and Orange, probably indicating
that he owned two different tracts of land.
William Blackard recorded in Orange County,
NC (s/o Charles Blackard I), and
Willibee Blackheart [Willoughby Blackard],
recorded in Rowan County, NC (s/o Charles Blackard I).
Job Blackard and Charles Blackard II were not recorded. Job Blackard did not
marry until 1792 so possibly he was living in the home of one of his brothers.
It is unknown why Charles II was not recorded in Guilford County where he was
recorded in 1800. He disappeared from the Caswell County tax lists in 1786 indicating
that he had moved. His brothers appeared in Caswell tax lists after 1786.
The 1790 US Census lists Willibee Blackheart for Salisbury Distict, Rowan
County, NC. It reports Willilbee as head of household with 3 females. This is
probably a wife and 2 daughters. This suggests that Willoughby married Susan
Owen in 1789 when he left Caswell County after being recorded in the Caswell
tax list of 1787 and 1788.
The 1800 US Census survives for the following states. Notably the 1800 census
of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, did not survive. Potentially, there could
have been Blackards there that we do not have information on of as a result
of this loss.The official enumeration day of the 1800 census was 4 August 1800.
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There were 3 Blackard heads of household recorded in 1800. William is missing
from the census record for this year.
Charles Blachard (Blackard) in Guilford
NC (s/o Charles Blackard I),
Wil you be Blackart (Willoughby Blackard)
in Rockingham NC (s/o Charles Blackard I), and
Jean Blackard (w/o Job Blackard, s/o Charles
Blackard I) in Person County, NC.
Willoughby Blackard was recorded as "WilYouBe Blackart" on the 1800 Rockingham
county, NC census. listed as 26-45 with a wife and 6 children.
William and Job Blackard were both listed in the 1793 and 1795 tax lists of
Person County. However, William did not appear in the 1800 census there. Jean
Hargis Blackard, widow of Job Blackard, did appear in the 1800 Person County
Census and also the 1805 Person tax list. In later census enumerations, William
Blackard, son of William Blackard, indicated that he was born in 1805 in North
Carolina.
The 1810 US Census survives for all the following states offering more complete
national coverage than the previous 2 censuses. This year was the first surviving
US census of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. However, records for certain
counties may have been lost in the War of 1812. The official enumeration day
of the 1810 census was 6 August 1810.
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There were only 2 Blackard head of households recorded, however, Eli was recorded
in two places, if he is the same person:
Charles Blacard (Blackard) in Barren KY
(s/o Charles Blackard I),
Eli Blacard (Blackard) in Barren KY (s/o
Charles Blackard II), and
Eli Blackard (Blackard) also in Stewart
TN (s/o Charles Blackard II).
William and Willoughby were not recorded. This was the second census in a row
that omitted William Blackard. No reason is known; he appears to have been in
Tennessee whose census records survive.
Charles Blackard does not appear in the census after 1810.
Judging from the dates of his Grayson County land deeds, it is very likely
that Willoughby was in the process of relocating from NC to VA in 1810 and was
missed by the census for that reason.
The census enumeration was lost for about 20 eastern Tennessee counties. Some
of the schedules for these states have been re-created using tax lists and other
records. The official enumeration day of the 1820 census was 7 August 1820.
This was the last year that any of the sons of Charles Blackard I were recorded.
William was recorded in Sumner County, TN but died the next year in 1821. Willoughby
was living but not recorded, however, his wife Susannah and children were listed.
Charles II may have been living but was not recorded either.
There were 5 Blackard head of households recorded:
William Blackard in Sumner TN (s/o Charles
Blackard I),
Susannah Blackert (Blackard) (w/o Willoughy,
s/o Charles Blackard I) in Wythe VA,
Branch Blackard in Lawrence TN (s/o Charles
Blackard II),
Levi Blackard in Lawrence TN (s/o Charles
Blackard II), and
Eli Blackers (Blackard) in Stewart TN (s/o
Charles Blackard II).
Willoughby was not recorded. We know that Willoughby lived until 1838 so his
absence is a mystery.
William Blackard died in Sumner, TN in 1821 so only his widow and children
appear in the census after 1820.
After the treaty with the Chickasaw Indians, the lands of West Tennessee had
been opened for settlement. A land grant in the name of "Charles Black" in Lauderdale
County, NC suggests that Charles Blackard II may have relocated there in 1820-1827.
It could be that he was relocating in 1820 and missed by the census takers if
he was still living. He had been recorded on Wayne, KY property lists in 1814-15.
There are no state or district wide losses that would potentially include
Blackards, however, there were some countywide losses in Mississippi. The official
enumeration day of the 1830 census was 1 June 1830. None of the sons of Charles
Blackard I were included in the 1830 census. Willoughby was living but not recorded.
Charles II was 75 and may have been living but was not recorded either.
The 1830 census included several sons of William, Charles II and Willoughby
Blackard as well the widows of William and Branch. Notably Willoughby and wife
Susannah were not recorded in Wythe County, VA.
William Blackard had died in Sumner, TN in 1821 and in 1830 his widow, Eliza,
and 3 sons were recorded in White County, Illinois. Another son, Job, was found
in Sumner, TN.
These Blackard head of households were recorded:
William Blackard in Wythe VA (s/o Willoughby),
Thomas Blackard in Montgomery VA (s/o Willoughby),
Elizabeth Blackard in Lawrence TN (w/o Branch),
Eliza Blackard in White IL (w/o of William),
Thomas Blackard in White IL (s/o William),
William Blackard in White IL (s/o William),
Joshua Blackard in White IL (s/o William),
Job Blackard in Sumner TN (s/o William),
Eli and Levi were not recorded, however, Levi reappears in the 1840 Giles TN
census. Eli was never recorded anywhere again, though.
We know that Willoughby lived until 1838 so his continued absence from the census
is a mystery. Presumably he was living near his son William in Wythe County,
VA. Susannah is also absent from the 1830 census, however, Susannah (age 80-85)
appears to be living with Daniel Sutphin and Jane Blackard Sutphin in the 1840
Wythe Co census.