1790 Census (Part 1)

Something I've been wanting to do for some time is to (re)analyze the 1790 Census and attempt to identify individuals found thereon.

The 1790 US Census has sixteen (16) Cagle heads of household in North Carolina, all of which are traditionally identified as descendants of Leonhardt Kegel. Of these heads of household, there are ten in Moore County, four in Mecklenburg County, and two in Montgomery County.

As follows are the heads of household and the number of MALES in the home (I have purposefully not included females):

*Henry Cagle 1730

                              Peter Cagle 1772

                              Henry Cagle 1770

                              John Cagle 1774

                              Jacob Cagle 1776

                              Martin Cagle1789

                              George Cagle1782

               *Christian Cagle 1761

                              -???

               *William Cagle 1754

                              Henry Cagle 1780

*Leonard Cagle 1729

                              William Cagle 1770

                              Charles Cagle 1779

                              Henry Cagle 1780

                              Robert Cagle 1783

                              John Cagle 1784

                              Paul Cagle 1785

                              Simon Cagle 1790

               *David Cagle

               *Roger Cagle

Conrad Cagle (Roger’s other sons, Roger Jr. and Leonard, are often seen with birthdates of “1780”. I think this to be incorrect and that Roger Sr’s only living son in 1790 was Conrad).

               *George Cagle

*John "Dutchman" Cagle 1726

                              Jacob Cagle 1766

                              Henry Cagle 1770

                              William Cagle 1788

               *George Cagle 1757

                              Isaac 1780

                              Jacob 1790

(Johan Theobald “David” Cagle) 1728 (deceased by 1790)

               *John Cagle 1740s

                              Leonard Cagle 1780

                              Sampson Cagle 1782

                              John Cagle 1767

*Jacob Cagle 1755

                              Jacob Cagle 1773

                              Charles Cagle 1780

                              Henry Pinkney Cagle 1790

               *Valentine Cagle 1753

                              George Cagle 1776

                              Jacob Cagle 1778

                              Valentine Cagle 1787

               *George Cagle 1750

                              Benjamin Franklin Cagle 1774

                              John M. Cagle 1780

                              Charles Robert Cagle 1786

               *Henry Cagle 1759

                              Henry Cagle 1780

                              George Cagle 1782

                              David Cagle 1783

                              -???

*Charles Cagle 1740s

                              Jacob 1766         

                              Leonard 1770

                              John 1782

George 1789

               *Charles Cagle 1770s                    

-???

A few quick notes before we move on...

First, a big shout-out to Leonard and Henry, who not only left wills naming their children, but whose families also work out perfectly when compared to the census. Thanks guys. You make a genealogist proud.

Second, I myself do not think the family attributions above are entirely correct. I plan to address my doubts in future blogs. However, researchers familiar with the first three generations should be able to get their bearings using the above.

Welcome!

Hello! And welcome to the site!

I began my genealogical journey in 1992 on a trip to the local library. It was by chance, really, but I was addicted from the first census page I saw. I've learned a LOT over the years, but still have a LOT to learn.

I have researched all lines of my tree, but it is my surname "Cagle" that has always been my drive.

John G. Cagle of Littlerock was the grandfather of Cagle surname research. He passed many years ago...his old type-written, photocopied books and newsletters now hard to come by. Others have contributed. Some names I'm familiar with are Lee Cagle, Ashley Cagle, Cindy Mears, and Mary Jane Balmer.

Like many amateur genealogists, I subscribe to Ancestry.com. It's pricey, I know, but those of us who remember clunking along for hours with old reels of microfilm genuinely appreciate what the internet has brought to the game.

Unfortunately, along with the blessings of punching buttons and getting information at light speed, comes the vomitorium of millions of pages of lazy research. Almost daily, I look at a Cagle tree on Ancestry and wonder where the poor person came by their information. Mostly, I assume, they mindlessly cut and pasted. Or, perhaps they misunderstood a census or book.

Now, don't think that I myself am above a little cut-and-paste work. I've done my fair share. But, one day, as I clicked through endless trees of Cagles, none in agreement with another, I thought to myself: "I wonder if these people are even REAL PEOPLE, much less whether their parents are correctly attributed! Why am I even bothering with this!?"

This self-examination led me to make a revolutionary change in my Cagle research: I vowed to begin, not at the bottom, but at the top. I would start my tree with Leonhardt Kegel and work DOWN. The great majority of problems with Cagle research is found within the first three generations. This shouldn't be a surprise. You know, record keeping and all... . But, I strongly feel that if we can come to some general consensus on the first three generations, everything else will work itself out.

How will we do this? Well, quite simply, evidence. Evidence can be a lot of things. Public records, books, family Bibles and oral traditions, DNA tests... . We have tools and resources that John G. Cagle never dreamed of. Let's make them work!