Wow!!! This does look very interesting!!!! Tom Bannister, where are you now that we need you!!!!! I think I recall that poles and chains in early Virginia had different lengths as time went by.... 16 1/2 feet sticks in my mind as one length of a pole. I think that the acre has stayed constant over time (43,560 square feet), and I have used that in one or two cases of a regularly shaped polygon to "back into" the number of feet represented in a pole. I am guessing that the compass points are probably 1/64 of a circle (5.62 degrees), but that is a real SWAG. Randy Cabell Netti Schreiner-Yantis wrote: > > Ahoy there! > > Are there any sailors-or anyone who can read compasses-who can interpret an early Virginia patent > for me? > > I have the computer program called DEEP MAPPER and the developer mentions in the manual that "In > certain sections of the country, headings were described in terms of compass points and parts > thereof." The metes and bounds of a patent in Henrico County are obviously so based. I can read > some of the description-at least I think so-but am having trouble putting it on DEEP MAPPER. Would > really appreciate it if someone could convert the points of the compass description to degrees. I > am including the whole patent. > > PATENT FOR WORLD'S END (Richard Perrin's) 740 acres, 1 rood, 24 poles - Va Patent Bk 6, p. 445. 4 > Mar 1672. > > Four hundred seventy-four acres called "World's End": from [James] River above John Burton's house > into ye woods ENE 150 chains / SE by S the breadths at ye head [what does this mean?] of the > aforesaid land 92 chain ½ [ is this 92 ½ chain?], the River winding four points to ye North [ how > do I enter this in degrees?] / thence from a marked tree below John Burton's house down ye River 12 > feet below Cornelius Creek, 109 chains ,the River winding from SE to E by N [ does this mean a total > of 109 chains with the line following the river within this description?], being five points [ what > is this in degrees?] from ye lower side of the creek / NE by N 52 chains into ye woods / thence ENE > 35 chains / the said land being land granted Capt. Mathew Edlow 2 Oct 1656 and sold to said Perrin. > (also) > Two hundred sixty-five acres, 1 rood, 24 poles, the residue hereof, lying at ye head [how does one > tell the head from the foot/tail?] and bounded as followeth: beginning at ye West corner of ____ > old pattent and running ENE the course of the old path? [patent?] 103 poles over a small branch of > Cornelius Run on ye East side to a small pine marked four ways / SE by E ½ E [what in degrees?] 76 > poles to a slash / then SE along ye Piney Slash 104 poles to a white oak / SW by W 40 poles / WSW > 196 poles / NW by N 248 poles to place aforementioned. By virtue of five headrights. > > I will sincerely appreciate any help that is provided! > > Netti Schreiner-Yantis > [log in to unmask] > > PS. In the event that anyone has DEED MAPPER, here is how I entered the 474 acres-and it doesn't > work. Where did I go wrong? > > Pt A - Beg James River above John Burton's house > Ln ENE;150c; into the woods > Pt B - > Ln SExS;92.5c; > pt C - > ln ;; [winding 4 points to the north] > Pt D - marked tree below John Burton's house down ye River 12 feet below Cornelius Cr > ln SE;109c; winding down the river > pt E - [being 5 points from ye lower side of creek] > ln NExN;52c; into the woods > pt F - > ln ENE; 35c; > end > > 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