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FIVE STEPS: VIRGINIA – KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS

FIVE STEPS: VIRGINIA – KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS.

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FIVE STEPS: VIRGINIA – KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS

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  1. FIVE STEPS: VIRGINIA – KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS • Warrant Issued. The Warrant is a document that authorizes a land survey. There were different types of Warrants issued – Military, Preemption, Certificates of Settlement, Treasury and others. However, most of Kentucky’s early land distribution was through Treasury Warrants. The Warrant included the reason for issuance (the type of warrant), date of issuance, name of purchaser or recipient, and how much land was to be included. The Warrant did not include a location. Warrants could be sold, traded or reassigned in whole or in part at any time and this information may be recorded on the backside of the warrant. • Surveyor’s Entry Book. This Entry represented only a reservation of a particular tract of land for a Patent. The filing was made in the appropriate County Surveyor’s Entry Book. Marginal notations were made indicating the date of entry, name, type of warrant, location of land including nearest watercourse and sometimes other information like heirs, etc. Entries protected the applicants’ claims until the survey bounded the tract. These entries were not binding and could be altered or withdrawn if desired by the individual submitting this intention to file for a patent. Donald L Williams

  2. FIVE STEPS: VIRGINIA – KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS • Survey Completed Book, The County Surveyor also kept a Survey Book with entries for each completed survey. Sometimes it took years for an entry to become a survey because of the problems of hostile Indians. Virginia and Kentucky were at war with the Indians from 1776 to about 1795. • Survey. The Deputy County Surveyors, at the direction of the County Surveyor, then proceeded to complete a metes and bounds survey of the land. Along with the boundary description the Survey included a drawing (plat) of the tract, name of person requesting the survey, County, closest watercourse, type of warrant & warrant number(s), any prior assignments, date of survey and signature of the surveyor. Some of this information or additional info may be on the back of the Survey. Many of the surveys also listed adjoining property owners and references to roads, towns and other geographic features. • Grant (Patent) Issued. The land grant was issued and signed by the Governor of Virginia and later Kentucky. To allow for objections this did not occur until at least six months after the Survey date. The original was given to the land recipient and a copy entered into the Virginia Land Office Grant Book. The Patent included the name of the recipient, other assignees, type of warrant, warrant date and number, acreage, date of survey, County, location (usually nearest watercourse), metes & bounds description, date issued (recorded) and the Governor’s signature. Donald L Williams

  3. A FEW SALT RIVER GRANTS – SOUTH SIDE Donald L Williams

  4. LAND GRANT ASSIGNEES • 7 Nov 1779, Warrants #1579, 1601, 1637, 1641 James Slaughter assignee of George Slaughter • 28 Mar 1780, John Baker & Henry Higgins assignee of Andrew Hunlick [sp?] • 13 Aug 1783, John Macker [Macher] assignee of Joel Rees [Reese] • 16 Jul 1782, Benjamin Stevens assignee of William May • 29 Feb 1780, John Edward King assignee of John ?, assignee of Cuthbert Combs • 22 Jan 1780, Robert Daniel, heir at law to Walker Daniel dec’d, assignee of James Francis Moore Donald L Williams

  5. CONFLICTING BOUNDARIES • Anyone that has dealt with early Virginia and Kentucky land grants and their metes and bounds surveys learns very quickly that discrepancies between adjoining surveys were commonplace. The skills of the surveyors varied, their instruments were not always the best and most of the areas they were surveying were forested with steep creek banks. Under these conditions it is not surprising that there were overlapping surveys. That said, this area had multiple overlapping claims and gaps between what were common boundaries for adjoining tracts. • Compounding this, land speculation by Virginia gentry individually and their land companies collectively began soon after the opening of the west territory. The first occurred in 1775 when a land company formed by North Carolina gentry under Richard Henderson attempted to claim a section of Kentucky south of the Kentucky River – it failed but not before Henderson had brought in settlers. These folks finally received their land after the passage of the Virginia Land Act in 1778. After Henderson, east coast gentry and their businesses filed claims for thousands of acres in areas where settlers thought they had earned the right to their farm by marking their tract and improving their land. Donald L Williams

  6. WHERE TO FIND VA-KY GRANT DOCUMENTS • Indexes to Grants: “Brookes-Smith” Master Index VA Surveys & Grants & Old KY Surveys & Grants are much better than the often recommended “Jilson” Index; also better “Hammon” Early KY Land Records • Virginia Grants can be obtained on-line at The Library of Virginia http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/ • On the “What We Have” page click on “Land Records”; • then click “Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants / Northern Neck Grants and Surveys” • On the “Basic Search” page you can enter the name of the Grantee if you have it or you can go to the “…Advanced Search” page and search for a combination of words such as Stream, County, Date as well as Name. • The site has the original Grant documents for Kentucky on line, up to 1792 statehood; they are adding the Survey documents but Kentucky County Survey originals have yet to be added Donald L Williams

  7. FINDING A GRANT AT LIB of VA WEBSITE Donald L Williams

  8. FINDING A GRANT AT LIB of VA WEBSITE Donald L Williams

  9. FINDING A GRANT AT LIB of VA WEBSITE Donald L Williams

  10. FINDING A GRANT AT LIB of VA WEBSITE Donald L Williams

  11. FINDING A GRANT AT LIB of VA WEBSITE Donald L Williams

  12. WHERE TO FIND KENTUCKY GRANT DOCUMENTS • Kentucky Grants can be obtained on-line at Kentucky Sec. of State website http://sos.ky.gov • On the “Home” page click on “Kentucky Land Office”; • From there you have several choices including introductory and reference information. To search for a grant click on “Database Search” on the left • There are a series of searchable databases presented, with a short explanation of each: Kentucky Cities, Revolutionary War Warrants, West of Tennessee River Military Patents, Certificates of Settlement and Preemption Warrants, Virginia Treasury Warrants, Lincoln Entries, County Order Patents & Jackson Purchase • The search routines generally allow grant numbers or names & watercourse. Don’t miss the “Advanced Search” on the County Order Patents Donald L Williams

  13. FINDING A GRANT AT KY LAND OFFICE WEBSITE Donald L Williams

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