I wish it were an easy answer.
Problem 1: the way it worked v the way it was supposed to work
Problem 2: Insufficient documentation--i.e., the records we could use to
study this were in large part destroyed
We can make the following definitive statements.
1-Being listed as a headright for someone in a land patent did not mean
that that person paid the passage.
2-There may or may not be any connection between who used the headright
for a patent, where the patent was issued and who the headright was.
3-The date of the patent tells us nothing except that the headright was
here a minimum of six months prior to the issuance of the patent
4-A better, though not perfect source, is the claim made in the local
county court--at least here you have a statement made on oath that
person a had a right to claim a headright.
5-There were abuses; authorities disagree on how widespread this was.
6-The rules changed over time.
7- Reading the following will be helpful
Slatten, Richard W. “Interpreting Headrights in Colonial-Virginia
Patents: Uses and Abuses,” National Genealogical Society Quarterly, 75
(September 1987): 169–179.
Wilson, Ron. “Importations.” Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, 37 (May
1999): 134–6. Provides examples of individuals whose departure date from
England, date of claim for headright in the county court and date of
land patent purchased with the headright can be documented.
8-Following the changing laws in Hening's Statutes can be helpful.
Barbara Vines Little, CG
Dominion Research Services
PO Box 1273
Orange, VA 22960
540-832-3473 (7-10 p.m.; all day Sunday)
[log in to unmask]
CG, Certified Genealogist, is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under
license by board certified genealogists after periodic evaluation, and the board name is registered in the
US Patent & Trademark Office.
Sunshine49 wrote:
> Perhaps someone here could clear up something for me. When a colonist
> in early Virginia paid to transport new colonists (I'm not talking
> about indentured servants), did the person paying the passage get the
> 50 acres per transportee, did the new colonist get 50 acres, or did
> they each get 50 acres? I have read sources that indicated they both
> did, but then there has been a source or two that indicates only the
> new arrival was given 50 acres, but the person who paid passage often
> took it or was given it. But if that was the case, other than
> transporting people to work for them, or bringing over family
> members, I see little advantage in a settled colonists paying to
> bring over other people. My own ancestor got 550 acres for
> transporting 11 colonists, land that was centered in what is now Nine
> Mile Road and Masonic Lane in Richmond.
>
> Were these transportees usually family and/or neighbors from back in
> England?
>
> thanks,
>
> Nancy
> -------
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>
>
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
|
