I have an ancestor whose name appears in a deed as being one with adjoining
land to a deed transaction between two other parties, A and B. The actual
term used is that he is "off binding" to the property. A new term for me in
the description of boundaries and parameters.  Anyway, I have never found a
land grant, gift, inheritance, a deed of purchase, or deed of sale by this
ancestor for this particular piece of property that was "off binding" to the
property in the sale between A and B. I believe it quite possible that he was
either squatting on or renting this land. This was in mid 1750's in Lunenburg
Co. And they have very good records. A few years later he did  purchase
property that was part of the property that was transferred by A to B. So it
looks as if he was in the area (by squatting or lease) and then bought
property  next door that did show up as a deed.

There was  method of selling a survey and/ or land grant to another person by
doing the tranaction on that piece of paper and not the normal deed mehod. So
folks could sometimes come into and go out of a piece of property by that
method and it is not found in the deed books. For example, several of the
Surveys in survey books  Halifax and Pittsylvania Cos. show that method of
transfer of land. I have not found that to be the case as yet in the example
of my ancestor above. But may be worth exploring in your case.
BTW,  Thomas Cooper appears in Henry Co in conjunction on documents, as
co-witness, etc,  along with my ancestor Ambrose Jones.
This was Beaver Creek area of Henry Co.

Jim Self

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