A plaque in the Essex County courthouse states that Muscoe Garnett Junior was born on 1 January 1832 at Farmers Retreat, King and Queen County, Virginia.

1850 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia
Page 83B, Dwelling 302, Family 302
Garnett, Muscoe, 42, male, lawyer, $12,000 real estate, born in Virginia
Garnett, Sarah, 33, female, born in Virginia
Garnett, George, 20, male, born in Virginia
Garnett, Muscoe, 18, male, born in Virginia
Garnett, David, 15, male, born in Virginia, attended school
Garnett, Booker, 12, male, born in Virginia, attended school
Garnett, Kemp, 10, male, born in Virginia, attended school
Garnett, Frank, 7, male, born in Virginia
Garnett, Ella, 17, female, born in Virginia, attended school
Garnett, Sarah, 14, female, born in Virginia, attended school

1880 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia, Center Cross Precinct
Enumeration District 22, page 7
Dwelling 67, Family 68
Garnett, Muscoe, white, male, 48, married, farmer, born in Virginia, both parents born in Virginia
Garnett, Nannie, white, female, 37, wife, married, keeping house, born in Virginia, both parents born in Virginia
Garnett, Manie, white, female, 8, daughter, attended school, born in Virginia, both parents born in Virginia