Quite usually in VA, though not always, a grant was issued by a political subdivision - government, colony, state, etc. - then a survey was ordered and brought about defining the boundaries of the tract the settler proposed to claim under his grant, following which that owner of the grant entered upon the land and "developed" or "seated" it, following which a patent was issued to that individual.

The process usually took at least one and more often two years or more. Caveat; those with influence - "pull" - often could accomplish the whole of it with shortcuts. 

  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joanne Kartak 

  Subject: Survey, patent, grant, deed


  Friends,

  In compiled records of land patents, grants, and deeds there are lists of
  grants that include entries like these taken from Augusta Co. records:

   1754, Thomas Rowland--on Branch of Looney's--survey, 74 acres.
   1757, Robert Mills-- at Timber Ridge--Grant, 160 acres.

  I understand that "grant" refers to a land transaction from the
  Commonwealth to an individual, but what did "survey" mean in this context?

  Besides wanting to learn more, I'm also wondering if I'm correct in
  believing the only Thomas Rowland anywhere in that area was only 13 yrs.
  old in 1754.  This presents lots of questions, but maybe they'll be
  answered by knowing what was meant by "survey".

  Joanne

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