The terminology and the process for obtaining title to land often causes
  confusions for people who are using early Virginia records for the first
  time.

  Further clarifying, immigrants of the 17th Century came here with the law of England firmly in place in their minds. Therein, a grant was an act by the King to a subject, thus land that belonged to the Crown, as in VA, was "granted".  The subjects of such grants early was said to be any land that could not be transferred by livery of seizen.  That is, there was no possessor and owner who could personally hand you a clod, twig, etc., as symbols of turning over possession.     

  Very soon, the terms "grant" and "patent" became generic and, even though early defined here as a grant by a public authority of public land to a private individual, it came to include all transfers of real property, including those that resulted from legal action.

  So, as Mr. Tarter said, there was much confusion.  Still, a "land warrant", then and now, was that writing, often from a land office, that demonstrated the eligibility of anyone, including such as VA veterans, to a certain described quantity of public lands, after which and following survey and meeting whatever conditions were applicable at that date,  the holder of the warrant could surrender that document and receive a conveyance - grant or patent - of that certain tract. Those warrants also often were sold, traded, passed by death, and given as gifts.

  Paul

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