Actually they were protecting their assets from bankruptcy. The  
Virginia constitution was re-written after the Civil War in the  
1870s. I don't have the exact date handy at the moment (1873?). One  
of the clauses of that constitution made it legal for Virginians to  
declare certain assets exempt from bankruptcy proceedings. You can  
imagine that this came in handy during Reconstruction when many  
people faced economic difficulties. Consequently, you will find  
"homestead" deeds with extensive lists of real and personal property.  
The "grantor" of such a deed, if we can use that term, is really  
exempting that property from his creditors. I have a "homestead" deed  
for one of my ancestors that I believe was recorded in 1874.

_________________
Donald W. Moore, CG(sm)
Antecedents(r) LLC
http://www.antecedents.com

Certified Genealogist and CG are service marks of the Board for  
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