The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 provided for proportional representation among the counties. Counties with more population would be entitled to more representatives than counties with fewer inhabitants. But, then and now, the number of inhabitants is a moving target. Families grow, new people come and others leave. So the Pennsylvania Constitution provided that a census would be taken every seven years, a Septennial Census and the representation adjusted accordingly.
1793 was a Septennial year, and in Marple, farmer David Hall Jr. agreed to visit each household in the township and collect the necessary information. The 1793 census did not ask a lot of questions: just name and occupation. But a census is a primary source for historians to better understand how the people lived in that time.
The federal government had just done its first Decennial Census in 1790, so we know that the
population of Marple at that time was 468 people in 81 households. In 1793, David Hall found 93 “taxables,” people who paid county and state taxes on real estate that they owned. The 1793 census did not ask about women, children or slaves (none in Marple in 1790). That information
was reported in the federal census, but the sole purpose of the 1793 census was to count the taxpayers in Marple, and each other township, to determine how many representatives the county would have in the General Assembly.
The most interesting feature of that census is the occupations that are listed. It gives a snapshot of what jobs are needed in the farm communities of the late 18th century. It included 17 occupations, with six people for whom no occupation was listed. As expected in a farm community, the largest group consisted of 40 farmers and 11 “labourers,” constituting more than half of the taxables. The next largest groups were: eight weavers, five 
blacksmiths, three masons, three shoemakers, two carpenters and two coopers, two doctors (Dr. Jonathan Morris and Dr. Bernard Van Leer), two storekeepers, two tanners, two “taylors” and then one each of collier, hatter, joiner, millwright and schoolmaster (Benjamin Stevens). Four women were on the list, each with no occupation given. Though adding to the representation for purposes of voting, women were not entitled to vote. That would not come until 1920.
Do you recognize all of those occupations? I admit I had to look up “collier”: a person who produces or sells coal. Do all of those occupations exist today? Yes, people still need these types of goods and services, but other than doctors, storekeepers and schoolmasters, you won’t find many of the others in Marple Township in 2025.
For more on the history of Marple, visit the Marple Historical Society website and Facebook page, and join the Society to keep up to date on coming events: www.MarpleHistoricalSociety.org