census

Abercrombies in the 1790 United States Census

There were only 13 states in the Union in 1790, but the first federal census was taken in an area constituting 17 present-day states. Schedules survive for 11 of these states -- Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Vermont. The schedules for Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Tennessee and Virginia were destroyed when the British burned Washington during the War of 1812. The 1790 schedules for Virginia were reconstructed from state enumerations. A 1790 census for Georgia has been constructed using wills, deeds, tax records, court minutes, voter lists, newspapers, etc. It may contain duplications.

The 1790 census recorded the name of the head-of-household and listed the number of individuals in the household for the following categories:

1. Free white males 16 years and upward, including head-of-household

2. Free white males under 16

3. Free white females, including head-of-household

4. All other free persons

5. Slaves

There were a total of 11 Abercrombie-Abercromby households recorded in the surviving 1790 census schedules accounting for 85 individuals. Four of these households accounting for 44 individuals were in Laurens County, South Carolina. Three or four more Abercrombies were found in the "constructed" census for Georgia.

Abercrombie-Abercromby Households in 1790

0 - Connecticut

3-4? - Georgia

Greene County: Charles Abercrombie/Abercromby, Robert Abercrombie

Washington County: Charles Abercrombie

Wilkes County: Chapman Abercrumbie

0 - Maine

0 - Maryland

3 - Massachusetts

Pelham Town, Hampshire County:

Andrew Abercrombie 2-1-4-0-0

James Abercrombie 1-2-4-0-0

Isaac Abercrombie 1-0-1-0-0

1 - New Hampshire

Keene Town, Cheshire County:

Robert Abercrombie 1-1-4-0-0

0 - New York

1 - North Carolina

Anson County, Fayette District:

Isaac Abercromby 1-3-2-0-0

2 - Pennsylvania

Allegheny County:

Jno. Abercomby 1-0-0-0-0

Philadelphia:

James Abercromby (merchant, Miller & Abercromby Store) 1-0-8-3-0

0 - Rhode Island

4 - South Carolina

Laurens County, Ninety-six District:

John Abercrombie 2-2-1-0-0

Colvil Abercrombie 1-1-3-0-0

James Abercrombie 2-2-7-0-15

James Abercrombie 1-2-5-0-0

0 - Vermont

0 - Virginia

Among Abercrombies found in the 1790 census, those in Massachusetts and New Hampshire were probably descendants of Rev. Robert Abercrombie (1712-1786), a Presbyterian minister at Pelham, Massachusetts.

James in Pennsylvania was certainly the son of the Philadelphia sea captain, James Abercrombie (1717-1760). Jno. [John] in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania may have been the son of Robert Abercrombie (?-1784) of Baltimore County, Maryland.

Those in North and South Carolina were, according to family tradition, descendants of three immigrant brothers, William Abercromby (1710-?), John Abercromby (1711-?) and James Abercromby (1713-?), who were the youngest of at least ten sons of Sir James Abercromby (1668-1734), 2nd baronet of Birkenbog, and Mary Gordon (1671-1742). These three immigrant brothers were first cousins to James Abercromby (1708-1775), who served as attorney general of South Carolina from 1730 to 1744 and who acquired a lot on Church Street in Georgetown and 6,980 acres of land, most of it on the Big Peedee River, in South Carolina between 1735 and 1739. In 1739 the attorney general's sister, Helen Abercromby (1713-1791), married her first cousin, Sir Robert Abercromby (1705-1787), 3rd baronet of Birkenbog, older brother to the three traditional immigrants, William, John and James.

Although other records place John Joseph Abercromby in or near Charleston, South Carolina around 1790, the census takers must have missed him.

The Abercrombies in the 1790 "constructed" census for Georgia were probably descendants of Robert Abercrombie (1715?-1779) of Orange County, North Carolina.

Other Abercrombies immigrated to the United States after 1790, including the family of David Thomas Abercrombie (1867-1931), founder of the Abercrombie & Fitch store, whose grandparents immigrated to America in 1847 from Falkirk Parish, Scotland, living first in New York for a year, then settling in Baltimore, Maryland.

Revised 14 July 2002, 26 July 2003