Dear Subscribers,

I would like to discuss with other interested persons
the locations of some patents (and the patentees and
subsequent families who resided on many of these
patent lands) in Prince George (Charles City in the
17th century) and Henrico Counties.

My immediate interest is in the MAYS/MAYES family that
was founded on the south side of the Appomattox River
by WILLIAM MAIES when he bought 125A from EDWARD
TUNSTALL, who patented land on both side of the
Appomattox ca. 1636-1645. An identical adjoining 125A
acres was bought from Tunstall by THOMAS LEDBETTER,
perhaps at the same time as the Tunstall-Maies
transaction. Maies' and Ledbetter's sons - JOHN MAIES
and HENRY LEDBETTER - re-patented their fathers'
tracts in consecutive patents on April 29, 1668, each
adding additional land.

I have recently located the MAIES and LEDBETTER tracts
(the Maies tract being the "lower tract" - i.e.,
downriver of the two tracts), the northwestern corner
of the Maies tract being anchored at the point where
Highway 144 meets the southern/eastern shore of the
Appomattox. From this anchor, I am in the process of
locating many other tracts in the area, but could use
the assistance of some interested person/s who have
intimate knowledge of the county.

I am also interested in locating the former JOHN
PETERSON MILL, which stood ca. 1670-1725 near the
sharp curve in Swift Creek in Henrco County. This is
down the creek from the Randolph Mill adjacent to US
Highway 301 at the Chesterfield County/Chester City
line. These two mills were actually on the same tract
of land, which appears to have been titled to Henry
Randolph I. However, in 1693 there was a division of
416A involving John Peterson II, Henry Randolph II
(who died before the division judgment was entered and
his share passed to Henry III, about 4 years old) and
Peter Field "in right of his wife Judith (Soane)
Randolph Field," who was the widow of Henry I. John
Peterson II received 1/2 (208A including the Peterson
Mill). Henry Randolph III and Pete Field "in right of
his wife" got 1/4 each (104A). From this, it was firs
concluded more than 50 years ago that the wife of John
Peterson I was Elizabeth Soane, sister of Judith
Soane. I recently reinforced this case in an article
appearing in the May/June 2003 issue of "Tidewater
Virginia Families." This conclusion has also been
accepted by well-known, credible Randolph and
Soane/Field researchers. I would like to identify the
mill site and visit it, if at all possible.

Thanks.

Joseph Barron Chandler Jr.
Alexandria, VA
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