These tax lists are transcribed from two booklets, which are located in the T.O.H.P.Burnham Public Library, Essex, Mass. Both booklets are in very good condition.

On September 27, 1780 the Massachusetts state legislature passed a resolve requiring the towns of Massachusetts to provide beef, or equivalent money, for the purpose of supporting the army. Ipswich was required to give 31,800 lbs of beef. The resolve also calls on the towns to convene a town meeting for this purpose within one month of the resolve's passing.(Resolves 1780, Chap. 205). The Beef Tax list is based on the Town tax of August 1780. There are several differences between the two lists in that the beef list has a few additional names, and the number of polls is different in a couple cases.

In the tax lists of 1780, surnames are grouped alphabetically by the first letter of the surname. In the Town Tax, residents are taxed for each poll, on house & land, and on stock & faculty. A poll is a male of 21 years or older, who is eligible to vote. Non-residents who owned land in Chebacco are listed with a property tax, but no poll tax. The tax is expressed in pounds (�), shillings (S), and pence (D). The pence column is blank in all cases, and is not included here.

1780 Chebacco Town Tax

1780 Chebacco Beef Tax