~ From the 1790 U.S. Census ~
(Click thumbnail for larger image)
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Here is a page from the 1790 United States
Census, Plainfield Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
The three columns of numbers show: 1) All males 16 and older,
including head of house, 2) All males under 16, and 3) All
females. The very last name at the bottom of the page is Francis Claywell. This appears to be Franz Clewell's son, Franz, Jr., based upon the age of Franz, Jr.'s child and the approximate date when the Census was taken. |
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At the very top of this page is the name John Claywell (#1). Since both Franz and George each had a son named John, it is uncertain who is John's father. To add to the "mystery," who is the second adult male referred to in the first column of numbers? Franz and George were alive when the Census was taken. Were John's parents living at his home at this time? | ||
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Sixteen names from the top, you'll come to John Claywell (#2) (or is it Claywelh?). Again, whether this is Franz's or George's son, remains uncertain. | ||
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Below the set of double-lines, there are three Claywells
listed: George, Nathaniel, and Daniel. George and
Daniel are brothers and are sons of George. Nathaniel is a son
of Franz. If you look closely, it appears that the Enumerator
spelled our surname as Clayweld. Is the last letter an
"l" or a "d"? There are several Clavelts in our genealogy;
Clavelt is a variant spelling of Clavell and Clewell. Notice also that the township listed is Nazareth Township (the previous images were from Plainfield Township). |
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| Further Explanation: When
the Census was taken, a resident pronounced his name, and the Enumerator
(the person recording the information) wrote the name as he/she
heard it. Because there were exceedingly few rules and
conventions of spelling, some very peculiar variants resulted. Since the Enumerator spelled their surname as "Claywell," it is very likely that our earliest ancestors pronounced it as CLAY-vell. Because of the strong influence of German (or Pennsylvania Dutch) in the region in which they settled, most likely, the "w" was pronounced as a "v". |
