This is the place I have chosen to place Virginia miscellany that I feel may be relevant.
TK Cartmell (Shendoah Valley Pioneers) researches in great depth and very thouroughly the early development of VA and in particular the early migrations. I have found no other source as thorough, accurate or completely researched as his account of the early history.
He documents very well the first forays into what was until then, Indian Territory. John VanMeter is the only white person of whom there is any well founded evidence of entering the forbidden country prior to 1725. VanMeter accompanied the Delawares through the Lower Valley in quest of big game ; they met the Catawbas coming from the South. Both tribes disputed the right of entry; a terrific battle occurred, the Delawares suffering a crushing loss. Van Meter barely escaped and the whole tribe would have been annihilated, had it not been for the return of the Shawanees from their big annual hunt on the South Branch of the Potomac. They encountered the Catawbas on Cedar Creek and overwhelmed them with such slaughter, as to gratify the remnant of the Delaware band; and John Van Meter's traditionary history of the battles and his venture, has been carefully preserved and handed down through succeeding generations. Van Meter saw nor heard of any white people on this trip.
Yost Hite brought 16 families with him to VA. Some of the first recordings were in Spotsylvania from which Orange Co was created in 1734. Hite speaks of his son-in-law Paul Froman, George Bowman and Jacob Chrisman.
There were leases and grants in effect from Lord Thomas' predecssors and representatives upon the arrival of these immigrants circa 1730. William Fairfax (and others) was and had been the agent of Lord Thomas and made some of thes leases and grants. Some leases were for 20 years and others for 100 years.
From TK Cartmell reserach as follows: Joist Hite has had the credit given him by other writers, of being the first white man to settle in the Lower Valley, which was then known as Spottsylvania. In 1734, Orange was formed from Spottsylvania. In 1738, an Act of the House of Burgesses directed two new counties to be form- ed, one to be Frederick and the other Augusta, and taken from Orange, as was stated in the opening of these sketches. Hite also has the credit of bringing sixteen families with him; but since no court was organized until Nov. 11, 1743, we have no record of the minor grants referred to in the records of Frederick County prior to the first court. Many were recorded in old Spottsylvania and also in Orange. We will for the present, treat this as the first immigration, and endeavor to name them all and locate them in the sections of the County where they began their work as pioneers. It must be borne in mind, that so soon as they crossed the Potomac at what is Harpers Ferry, or at some point West of the Blue Ridge, they entered the country to be known as Old Frederick County. We must not forget that these first pioneers had entered the proprietary of the Colepepper grant, which at this coming had descended to the Fairfax, who was to bring contention and confusion to many whom our Lord Thomas found, as he thought, squatters in his realm. So having this understood, we will start with the Hite settlers. Some of the sixteen families were Joist Hite's immediate family, for he had several sons of full age and three married daughters. Thus we have four out of the sixteen within his own circle, which enabled him to assert a right to rule and direct the movement of his new colony. His sons inter-married with the other families.
While Hoge, Allen, Wilson, White and others, represent in part the English contingent, and a Van Swearingen, Van Meter and others, represented sent the sturdy Dutch, Germans, Swedes and Hollanders, a more extended notice will be given in this work of all the families referred to and their descendants, in a chapter on schools and a churches. Our attention at present must be (given to the location of the sixteen families, and what they had in their hands to give them a legal right to enter at will the new country, and possess the land and build a log cabin. So, as it has been previously stated, William Penn had pointed the way. Heit and the good John Fenwick, who had secured from the English rulers the minor grants referred to; and when they started out for their new home, Joist Hite carried with him the "parchments," granting rights to such families as could find suitable location; then to survey their homestead, describing accurately and erecting monuments of boundaries, so that it could be shown the king who the actual settler was and his name. And the crown recognized these in treating with Lord Thomas Fairfax. (Hen. Statutes, 174B, p. 19B).
As has been intimated, many of these grants gave Fairfax much trouble later on, and annoyance to the settlers. Many ejectment suits were instituted by his Lordship, availing him nothing, however, in any claim against the settler, where he had fully complied with the provisions of the grant. But where he failed to set out fully his boundaries, so that his lines could be fully established, then he suffered loss. Many of the ejectment suits of Fairfax against the settlers in the Valley and elsewhere, grew out of the leases that had been made by William Fairfax as the agent of the actual heir and owner of the Colepepper grant, so far as it applied to the Northern Neck. Many such leases had been made by him and other agents previous to the time of vesting the title in our Lord Thomas. And be it remembered, the latter emanating from the Fairfax family, were only temporary leases to run for a term of years, mostly twenty years, yielding to the proprietor "On each recurring Lady's Day one Pepper Corn." The lessee to use his tract as he saw, to his own interest: the object being to encourage settlement and offer inducements for substantial development of much of the trackless waste. Some of these short leases were renewed by Fairfax when he landed at the Greenway Court and took control in 1750; the other leases mentioned were the stumbling blocks to the new Proprietor; for when he, with his youthful surveyor, began to make surveys for tracts to persons to whom he was making leases for a term of one hundred years, and to be renewable under certain complied conditions, he found other claimants who had long before become actual settlers and standing on their "Clearing" beside their own "Log Cabins," as they exhibited their leases bearing unmistakable evidence of authority, not only from the Colonial authorities, but with the stamp and approval of the reigning Monarch of England. Fairfax could not have been unaware of the legality of the last-named leases for in his inheritance of the Northern Neck, he took what his mother, Catharine Colepepper, had under the great Colepepper grant, with its provisions: the King reserving the right to make grants within the territory to settlers, requiring in each case that proof should be given the government that such person had settled on his great tract with so many families, and that the tract had been subdivided, and surveys of the subdivisions actually made and conveyance made to an actual settler on his part. Such grants were to be perpetual, and not to be interferred with by Fairfax or his heirs. The original plan of the King, "ordained for the purpose of planting colonies in America," worked well, and was the cause of large development of many sections of Virginia. So this condition of the settlement should not have surprised Fairfax; but it apparently did; for he treated such as squatters on his soil, who must yield to him a rental and take his lease, and be subject to his demand or vacate. This meant much to these families who had felled the forest for the good homes they had planted, with virtually the rifle in hand, to protect the settlement from title powerful tribes of Indians, who were disputing every effort to make white settlements. We find when this demand was made by Fairfax through his agents, he met opposition. He was confronted by men who knew they were right; who, in full faith in their claims, had not only built their homes and reared sturdy families, but had organized churches and schools, which at that period were flourishing. Many things occurred to mar the peace of his Lordship. He soon found litigation on his hands. In his surveys to lessees, he found monuments marking boundaries of large and extensive areas, such as were claimed by Joist Hite and his settlers, and those of Van Meter, Russell and Carter; the latter resulting in the most famous legal battles fought to a conclusion in the early history of the Virginia Colony.
........Hite had underestimated the strength of his contestants. And when he found his position, the wily old chief used his diplomacy and held his ground. Referring again to Hite and the Van Meter grants, we will state here that Hite obtained by purchase forty thousnd acres of the Van Meter grant, and immediately began to make deeds for tracts of land to the many settlers who were now, in 1734, seeking homes; and having located many who had come subsequent to the arrival of his colony, thus showing his good intentions to carry out his agreement to locate at least forty families. Then he turned his attention to the Hite grant, as it has been called, to have it renewed, so as to protect those of the sixteen families he had located before Fairfax raised his point for ejectment. Many suits followed, as has already been stated; and Fairfax prevailed in some of the cases of the latter class; so that some of the sixteen will not appear in the list of those who owned their own land. Lest there be confusion in regard to the holdings of Hite, the author deems it best to give a condensed statement at this point. Hite, through the influence of Governor Penn, received a conditional grant from the Virginia Council in 1730, for one hundred thousand acres of the land, to be located West of the Great Mountains, not therefore granted, upon which he was told locate forty families, within a certain time. This number was reduced to twenty families and not sixteen, as has been so often stated by tradition. Finding the Van Meter grant in his way, he purchased from them, and proceeded to comply with the conditions, which required the Van Meters to locate one hundred families. This seemed a prodigious undertaking; and he went to the Governor's Council for an extension of time. This he obtained. He now had virtually about two hundred thousand acres of land. ...........
.......Hite was not required to locate his surveys and families in one tract of forty thousand or one hundred thousand acres, but allowed to make selections from Cohongoruta on the North, southward through the Shenandoah Valley. There were large intervening tracts, left as ungranted land, afterwards granted by Lord Fairfax to other immigrants, after 1744. We now approach an interesting period in the history of the early settlers, for when Hite entered upon the subdivision of his grant of one hundred thousand acres of land, to be entered by actual settlers on tracts not heretofore granted , in the special grants already mentioned, for be it remembered, Hite held no such grants as has often been stated by persons not fully informed, "that he had a grant of one hundred and fifty thousand acres in one body, and this had as its southern boundary the Shenandoah river." This is mere fallacy; yet many believe it. He found obstacles that were almost as troublesome to the pioneer as the Indian. He found "blazed, trees," planted monuments, and other marks, in the forests and along rivers and creeks, which indicated to him at once, that some surveyor had been on the ground before his entry. This was appalling to Hite and his people, but he was equal to the occasion; and as stated in the early part of this subject of Hite and his grants, we find him diligently at work repairing his fortune. He soon found from other immigrants coming in, who had run these strange lines; for these new people carried with them deeds from Isaac Van Meter, for tracts of land to be measured out of his grant. Hite at once saw from recitals in these deeds, that some one had the prior right; and when he saw that Isaac Van Meter was the man to deal with, he knew what course to pursue. He had known Van Meter back in old Salem, New Jersey, where Isaac was a prominent resident. How, when, or where Hite had his first interview with Van Meter as to what was apparent to him: (A dispute over their titles), is not known. Sufficient for our purpose, however, we can assert they had an interview in some way. As evidence of that we find a compromise settlement in 1731, by which Hite became the purchaser of the celebrated Grants. svp/kh/p10
The records of the two grants of forty thousand acres each, to John and Isaac Van Meter, as will be seen in this Chapter in the original grants to both are dated 17th June, 1730, and are of record on page 363 of the Mss. Journal of the Governor and Council of Virginia, 1721-1734. Isaac Van Meter at this time lived in Old Salem, New Jersey, (as heretofore stated), while his brother, John Van Meter, was living on a tract of two hundred acres granted him by Lord Baltimore, November 3rd, 1726, which he located at or near what is now Monocacy Junction, near Frederick, Maryland. Lord Fairfax's grant from the crown ante-dated these and all other grants; but at that date it was supposed that the great Colepepper Grant, which had been curtailed to the Northern Neck, then Fairfax's grant, did not extend beyond the Blue Mountains, and that the PotomacRiver was wholly East of these mountains; and it was not until about 1736-7, that Lord Fairfax, the father of our Lord Thomas through his agents, discovered by survey that his grant covered an empire, more than he supposed. This will be better understood by a study of his map made at that time, a photocopy of which the writer has and hopes to have appear later on. From a careful study of this question, the writer has no doubt but that the Van Meters well knew what Lord Fairfax and Governor and Council of Virginia did not know at that time, as to what was the extent of the Fairfax Grant; hence Van Meter resorted to what would be called today "sharp practice," by transferring his entire grant into the possession of an innocent third purchaser, Joist Hite, and then to become holders of such portion as they desired for themselves by transfer and purchase from Hite. This became later, as Van Meter no doubt anticipated, a subject of litigation, and it was not finally settled until after principals and their children had been dead many years. The courts sustained Van Meter, and confirmed title to all assigns for interest in the Van Meter grants purchased from "Jost Hiet," the legal battles were fought to a finish.
[This compiler (kh) also must wonder if some of the setllers didn't engage in this practice also as illustrated in the following:]
Jonathan Seamon [b.c. 1703] was living on Thomas Anderson's north half of the 542-acre patent land (Tract 144B, Map 4) by December 1737. [Orange County, VA Deed Book 2, pp. 55,56]. Jonathan was deceased by 11 November 1743 when his wife Elizabeth was appointed Administratrix of his estate, [Frederick Co., VA Court Book 1, p.2] leaving two sons as orphans: Jonas and Jonathan, and two daughters: Phebe and Elizabeth [Frederick County, VA Will Book 1, p.3]. On 6 May 1745, Jonathan (b.1730) purchased the northern half (271 1/2 acres where his father had lived, 8 May 1738) of Thomas Anderson's 1735 patent land containing 542 acres for 20 pounds. His mother, Elizabeth Mitchell, the wife of William Mitchell, released her right of dower as widow of Jonathan Seamon, deceased. [Frederick County, VA Deed Book 1, p.212]
At the request by Jonas Seamon, [son of Jonathan Seaman, Sr], a warrant was issued by the Clerk of the Proprietors Office on 2 August 1750 for a survey of 205-plus acres "where he lives within a survey made for Noah Hampton (Tract 176, Map 4) (60 acres) and bought of Colbert Anderson" adjacent Peter McCain (formerly William Mitchell's) [Joyner, Abstracts Northern Neck Warrants and Surveys, Frederick County, p.138]. The survey was completed on 9 April 1754. He received two Fairfax grants out of the "Hampton Survey": one for the above 205 acres on 6 June 1760 (Tract 176A, Map 4), and the other for 389 acres on 9 June 1760 (Tract 176B).
The location of this 389 acres and adjoining parcel are found in the following recording: "Jonas Seaman of Frederick Co. 389 A. in said Co. between Mill Cr. and Middle Cr. of Opeckon adj. Bartholomew Fryatt, Thomas Anderson dec'd. 9 June 1760." nnvlg/p119/VII
Jonah's (Jonas) will, written on 10 February 1780 and proved 21 October 1783, ... Jonas' sons John, Jonathan and Jacomick paid Colbert Anderson (grandson of Thomas, son of Colbert and his wife Ann) 900 pounds on 9 September 1780 [Frederick County, VA Deed Book 5, p.418] for the land their father had bought from Colbert's father and for which he had received Fairfax grants in 1760. [Jonas bought the property, but didn't pay for it until 1780? Did they strike some kind of bargin and await resolution of litigation or made some sort arrangement?]
A great grandfather, Andrew Lilburn, son of Francis and Mary Lilburn, was born in Berkeley Co. in 1755. Mary was the widow of Colbert Anderson, and is thought by some to have been the daughter of Jonah Seaman.
Jonathan Seamon on August 8, 1771 witnesses the will of John Hayton (Haton). Hayton in his will gives land to John Haton of Cumberland, England, "son of my Uncle Thomas." The land is identified as 900 acres in four tracts in Hampshire County, purchased from John McCullogh, who in turn had purchased from Noah Hampton.
Pages 390-392. 8 Dec. 1737. Thomas Anderson of Orange County, blacksmith, to Colvert Anderson of same, farmer. Lease and release for 1 year; for 5 shillings. 271 acres, one-half of 542 acres mentioned in patent of 12 Nov. 1735, on the west side of Opeckon Creek and on a branch of the said creek called Mill Creek aboty three quarters of a mile velow opposite to the mouth of a run issuing from a spring on the south side the said Mill Creek called the great spring .... by the south side of Mill Brandh ... corner of Jonathan Seaman .... north side of Mill Branch opposite to a steep piny hill .... together with one half of the grist mill ... Tho. Anderson Wit: Jonathan Seaman, Jos Mounts, Morgan-an. 22 June 1738. Acknowledged by Thomas Anderson
[A lease for one year? All of this living on parcel and surveying parcels and assigning portions of parcels, etc.? Creating a holder in due course for legal protections and/or unjust or unfair hardships, etc.? - kh]
.........."The names of the grantees from Hite, as has been stated, were familiar in that day, and are given to show who composed the twenty families. No record was ever made by Hite, who his colonists were, except by such conveyances mentioned; and we have sufficient of these to prove that he had more families on the ground as settlers in 1736 than his grant required, most of them taking their deeds through the Van Meter Grant, the conveyances to Christian Blank and Hendery Hunt were dated and admitted to record in February, 1739. These conveyances disclose to us some interesting facts. Several writers on the subject of the coming of Joist Hite and as they stated it, "with his sixteen families, fixed his settlement on the Opequon in the vicinity of Bartonsville and Kernstown; and this seemed reasonable enough. As we have already shown, Hite and many of the people coming to the Valley about that period, settled on land along the Opecquon Creek principally towards its source. This, then, would embrace the Cartmell and Glass family with their large grants of land lying on either side of the stream, beginning at the head and following its course eastward to the Bartonsville neighborhood, where Hite had chosen his home. But we can- not claim that Hite settled the two last named families in 1738, the emigrant, Samuel Glass and his family coming direct from the North of Ireland and Nathaniel Cartmell and his large family coming from Westmoreland County, England, who at once entered upon their lands and were entirely independent of the Hite emigration. But it must be admitted that they followed in the wake of Hite. Glass secured a minor grant through Hite ...for nine hundred acres of land at the head springs of Opecquon Creek; Cartmell relied upon his entry, and was never disturbed but once by suit of ejectment by Fairfax, and then won the case. The conveyances referred to show where the families were located, extending from the junction of the North and South branches of the Shenandoah; near the present site of Front Royal, westward towards the Little North Mountain and along the Opecquon towards its mouth near Shepherdstown. This indicates that the twenty families were not settled in close proximity for mutual protection from attacks from Indians, but they were locating in good sections on good lands, and willing to take their chances with the denizens of the virgin forests, whether wild animal or Redskin. It is fair to claim, however, that the first conveyances made by Hite in March, 1736, and recorded in the old Orange court, were made to his colonists, who comprised his twenty families; and for this reason the names of the grantees have been given. We will give the names of the grantees at this point who subsequently received deeds for their tracts, as their surveys had been reported to the Governor and Council; they having made their selections and reported that they "were seated." All of the following deeds were recorded in the Orange Court prior to the holding of the first term of court in Frederick County, and are from Joist Hite:"
"The first deed from Hite referred to, was to one of his German friends, Stephen Hansonbella (afterwards written in the Frederick County Records, Hotsinpeller) and four hundred and fifty acres near head of Opecquon Creek, next to Christian Nisswanger, four hundred and thirty five acres to Thomas Wilson for one hundred and sixty-seven acres on Opekon Run to John Van Meter for four hundred and seventy-five acres, being the lowermost part of that tract whereon John Lilburn resided on Operkon Creek, part of the Van Meter Grant; to Thomas Chester one hundred acres on North side of North River; to Louis Stuffey for three hundred and thirty-nine acres on West side of Sherando River near head of Crooked Run to Robt. Desarfe for three hundred acres near place called Long Meadows adjoining Isaac Hite, son of Joist Hite, to Christian Blank, for sixty acres on North side of North branch of Sherando River, "being within the bounds of ten thousand acres granted to John Van Metreon June 6th, 1730, and sold to Hite, Oct., 1734;" from Hite to Hendery Hunt for one hundred and twenty acres on West side of Sherando River "being part of the forty thousand acre grant purchased by Hite from John Van Meter, (Note: part of the sixteen families and Hite's six families and the full number of sixteen is obtained.). This brief mention of the conveyances by Hite at that period, is given here for two reasons: it settles one point, that Hite actually purchased to the Van Meter grant which ante-dated his and that he also found it necessary to use the same to give title to his fellow colonists.
"We will give the names of the grantees at this point who subsequently received deeds for their tracts, as their surveys had been reported to the Governor and Council; they having made their selections and reported that they "were seated." All of the following deeds were recorded in the Orange Court prior to the holding of the first term of court in Frederick County, and are from Joist Hite:"
"Oct. 26th, 1737, to John Seaman [Jonathan? same as later with Noah? - kh] for one thousand acres adjoining Benj. Borden - James Wood April 25th, 1738, for one hundred acres on West side of "Opequon run." William Williams, April 27th, 1738, for two hundred and twenty-five acres on "Opequon run." Louis Stevens, April 28th, 1738, for three hundred and thirty-nine acre'- Crooked run. Peter Writtenhouse, May 21, 1740, for four hundred and fifty acres adjoining Long Meadow. Jacob Christman, May 14, 1740, for seven hundred and fifty acres. John Hite, May 21, 1740, for five hundred and sixty-eight acres, part of Hite's grant and also one hundred acres adjoining, purchased by Joist from Richard Pendall on "Opequon." William Reed, May 14, 1740, for two hundred and ten acres on southwest side of "Opequon run," part of Hite's grant -1734. John McCormick, May 26, 1740, for three hundred and ninety-five acres adjoining the Borden, Griffith and Hampton, etc. tract of eleven hundred and twenty-two acres - this grant was for land north of the point where White Hall village stands. Samuel Walker, May 21, 1740, for one hundred acres on "west side of Sherrando river." Chas. McDowel, July 20, 1740, for six hundred acres. James Burns, May 24. 1741, for one hundred and twenty-eight acres on "west side of Sherando." Robert Allen, May 21, 1742, for six hundred and eighty-five acres on "south side of Opequon run." This tract was west from the Bartonsville section. John Harrow, May 19, 1742, for two hundred and ninety acres on "north side of Opequon run." Abram Wiseman, June 23, 1734 for one hundred and seventy-two acres on "west side of Opequon run" - part of the five thousand and eighteen acres Hite Grant. It will be seen that some of the descriptions fix the North, South and West side of Opecquon. It must be remembered the Opecquon flows nearly due East from its source for about four miles, and along this course lie the tracts described as on the North and South side; then the general course is North and this accounts for certain tracts mentioned that lie on the East, North and West sides of the Opecquon. "James Vance, June 25, 1742, for two hundred and fifty acres on both sides of small meadow near Opequon Presbyterian meeting house." Peter Make, June 23, 1742, for one hundred and sixty-eight acres on "Opequon run." David Vance, May 20, 1742, for one hundred acres on both sides of the "Opequon run." James Hoge, May 26, 1742, for seven hundred and sixty acres. This was near the present site of Kernstown, lying West and was part of Joist Hite's grant for thirty-three hundred and ninety-five acres, known as the Springdale Settlement, where Col. John Hite lived. Jacob Hite, October 20, 1742, for twenty-six hundred and sixty-eight acres on "south side of Opequon." John Pentz, Oct. 20, 1742, for one hundred and eighty-nine acres on "north side of Sherando river." Thomas Brown, Oct. 20, 1742, for eight hundred and eighty-two acres on west side of Sherando river. Samuel Glass, Nov. 26, 1742, for nine hundred acres on the head of Opequon on west side of said creek, meaning south at that point. David Logan, Nov. 26, 1742, for eight hundred and sixty acres on "west side of Buffow Meadow"- known for years as Buffalo Marsh. Paul Froman, Nov. 22, 1742, for one hundred and twenty acres on North fork of Sherando river, adjoining Thomas Chester. Emanuel Grubb, Aug. 26, 1742, for two hundred and fifty acres on north side of Shenandoah river. John Grubb, Aug. 26, 1743, recorded same day, for two hundred and sixty-five acres on "north side of S. river." Thomas Ashby, Feb. 1, 1742, for two hundred acres on north side of Shenandoah river . Robert McKay, from Just Hite, William Duff and Robert Green, June 28, 1744. for five hundred acres on Linvell's Creek, being part of a grant to Robert McKay, Just Hite, William Duff, and Robt. Green for seven thousand and nine acres, dated March, 1736." svp/kh/p15+
Isaac and John Vanmetre Land Grant assignees, 1730/1734 Frederick Co., VA USGenWeb ____________________ Land Grant from William Gooch, Lieutenant Governour and Commander in Chief of Virginia Colony, to Isaac and John Vanmetre dated 17 June 1730. Assignees of 42,289 acres in 1734 to: 21 August 1734 John Smith, 420 acres. Reas Smith, 250 Acres. Henry Willis, 2,030 acres. 3 October 1734 Jost Hite, 228 acres. Thomas Shepherd, 222 acres. Jost Hite, 2,668 acres. Samuel Taylor, 200 acres. Thomas Johnson, 150 acres. William Jasper, 62 acres. Jost Hite, 120 acres. Neil Thompson, 139 acres. Samuel Taylor, 125 acres. Jost Hite, 668 acres. Isaac Pennington, 500 acres. Jost Hite, 300 acres. Richard Pendall, 300 acres. Jost Hite, 280 acres. Stephen Hollingsworth, 472 acres. John Wilton, 442 acres. Israel Frend, 300 acres. Robert McKay Junr., 828 acres. Peter Woolf, 600 acres. Jost Hite, 2,931 acres. Samuel Morris, 378 acres. David Perkins, 519 acres. William Jay, 100 acres. Richard Morgan, 210 acres. Richard Morgan, 290 acres. Thomas Johnson, 290 acres. Jost Hite, 395 acres. John Vanmetre, 885 acres. George Williams, 489 acres. Jost Hite, 700 acres. Daniel Burnett, 490 acres. Josiah Jones, 164 acres. Benjamin Bordin, 3,143 acres. John Vanmetre, 1,786 acres. Benjamin Bordin, 1,122 acres. Jost Hite, 2,168 acres. Jost Hite, 3,393 acres. Thomas Branson Jr., 1,370 acres. William Vestal, 275 acres. Morgan Bryant, 1,250 acres. Paul Williams, 270 acres. Abraham Pennington, 600 acres. Isaac Garrison, 200 acres. Peter Stephen, 674 acres. John Branson, 1,000 acres. George Bowman, 1,000 acres. Richard Paulson &c., 834 acres. Robert Worthington, 3,000 acres. Jost Hite, 5,018 acres. (Fairfax Land Suit, page 174). ______________________ Submitted by Gwen Hurst
"This makes it appear that part of this grant was located in the lower and western part of Rockingham County, before the Augusta line was established. The larger part of this grant embraced the vicinity of Front Royal. The grant made as late as 1739, was peculiar in its provisions, in that this company had a grant for land wherever they could locate a survey on land not theretofore located. Several other small tracts were afterwards surveyed and conveyed by the company to purchasers; but it does not appear that the company ever fully complied with the terms, which were, that as they found unsettled lands and a settler to take tracts, to report the survey to the Council, and then the Company to make deeds; until they thus used up the seven thousand and nine acres, for which the order was made. A number of minor grants were issued to the Shepherd, Morgan, Swearingen, Stephen, Boyd, Dark, Harper, Porterfield, and other families, as early settlers, on the South side of Cohongoroota River, now embraced in the Counties of Berkley and Jefferson, while Joliffe, Lupton, and others, in the north end of Frederick; Helm, Calmes and others, along the Shenandoah; Wood, Rutherford and others near Winchester, had their experience with the "Minor Grants," and as the first settlers will receive fuller notice in this volume." ............ svp/kh/p15+
Hites Grant vs. Van Meter vs Fairfax ….... "he must allow them to make selection for their habitations such parcels of land not theretofore granted to actual settlers, and then convey to them, out of his grant, good title for their home. When some of these selections were made and reported to the Council at Williamsburg for approval, Hite was informed that his grant could not embrace many of these tracts, as they were either within the Van Meter grants already surveyed, or they were parts of tracts leased by agents of the Fairfax estate. These leases were to run twenty years in most cases; and just at that point began the question of who was owner. Some of the colonists preferred to take their chances with the Fairfax claim; and held on to their selection, and became what was known after as squatters; and they and their descendants were at law with Lord Fairfax after his arrival in 1749. Many of these suits were pending in our courts after Lord Fairfax's death, many of them losing their homes." svp/kh/p15 ................
There would appear to be several possibilities for Noah's immigration to VA in the Opequon Creek area. (1) He was there prior to 1730 under a Fairfax arrangement or as a "squatter." (2) He came in with Hite's first group of "sixteen" families, but did not receive title (3) He was part of the original Vanmeter Grant group which Hite purchased, but did not receive title (4) He was part of the subsequent Hite group(s), but did not receive title. (5) He was one of the ejectment cases and lost his land. Whichever be the case, we know that Noah ordered a survey (referenced in the Seaman property circa 1750), but never reveived a Grant for the land. This leads one to the conclusion that Noah was one of those that had a title problem or conflict with the Grant/Claim of another. Could it have been the Anderson Family or the Seaman Family? Noah's first property and location of his mill on the
South Branch, circa 1743 was located on Hampton's Run, the middle branch of Anderson's Run. Could this be the same Anderson family as the Anderson/Seaman/Hampton confusion on the Opequon? The Jonathan Seaman family apparently arrived circa 1737. [Jonathan Seamon [b.c.1703] was living on Thomas Anderson's north half of the 542 acre patent land (Tract 144B, Map 4) by December 1737]. Who was the John Seaman that arrived and received a Grant for 1000 acres? [Oct. 26th, 1737, to John Seaman for one thousand acres adjoining Benj. Borden]
......The Sherrando Deeds are in Book 15. Benjamin Borden, a wealthy Quaker, purchased in both of these tracts then in 1739 developed his own in that part of Augusta County that is now Rockingham. It was called the Borden Grant and was near another large grant called the Beverly Grant. There are some Quakers who purchased land from Jost Hite in the Sherrando Tract who are reflected among the later records of Hopewell Meeting as well as witnessing wills of other Quakers. The Hollingsworths were a prominent Quaker family at Hopewell, yet Abraham, Henry, and Zebulon's deeds are not reflected in either tract. The Hite family spread further south and west. The Sherrando deeds are as follows:
Neil Thompson 139 Samuel Morris 378 David Perkins 519 William Jay Thomas Johnson Richard Morgan 280 Richard Pendal 300 William Jasper 62 Peter Woolf 600 Robert McKay Junior 828 Jacob (?) Josiah(?) Frend 300 Daniel Burnett 430 Samuel Taylor 125 Peter Stephens 674 Robert Worthington 1020 Abraham Pennington 600 acres Isaac Pennington 500 Paul Williams 270 George Williams 489 Isaac Garrison 200 Thomas Shepherd 228 William (?)___ stall Benjamin Borden 3143 Benjamin Borden, with Andrew Hampton and Davis or David Griffith 1122 Josiah Jones 164 John Branson 1000 Thomas Branson Jr. 1370 Morgan Bryant 1250 (Morgan Bryan??)
Bryan, Morgan. (1681-1763) In the Valley of Virginia by 1748, Morgan Bryan's wife was deceased the same year as the will of his partner Alexander Ross, and by 1749 Morgan and his ten children show in North Carolina in the Yadkin Valley area. This is about the same time Col Andrew Hampton shows up in NC.
Borden, Benjamin. (1692-1743), a Friend from a Freehold, New Jersey, was an ambitious businessman. When King Carter died in 1732, Borden sailed to England and applied to Lord Fairfax to succeed Carter as Fairfax' land agent. When Borden did not get the job, he promptly returned to Freehold, moved his family to Virginia and in 1736, got a patent of 99,129 acres.
Griffith, David. ?? No Record?
On the 14th of October John Reid, who had hitherto kept the book, resigned it in consequence of leaving the place; going to Monmouth County, doubtless, to settle on the tract on the Hope River which was granted him for services in drawing maps for the proprietors. (Whitehead's Contributions, p.45) Benjamin Griffith was appointed to fill the vacancy. Whitehead mentions this man as arriving at Perth Amboy in 1687, and subsequently, in 1696, becoming a Commissioner of the Minor Court; and yet on the 17th of August, 1689, a meeting is appointed at his house "in Woodbridge." From these facts we infer that Griffith moved to Woodbridge somewhere about 1689. His penmanship is of an elaborate description, and easily read.
Solomon Hedges Born: 1710 In: New Castle County, Delaware
Died: December 1801 In: Wheeling, Virginia (Now West Virginia)
Married: 1735 In: Monocacy, Prince George County, Maryland
Spouce: Rebecca Marie Van Meter
Father: Joseph Hrdges Mother: Mary Fettleplace. Children of Solomon and Rebecca (Van Meter) Hedges; Silas Hedges, December 3, 1736 - Josiah Hedges, Abt 1738 - Joshua Hedges, Abt 1744 - Joseph Hedges, Abt 1744 - Rachael Hedges, Abt 1745 - Catharine Hedges, Abt 1748 - Rebecca Hedges, Abt 1750
Deed Problems on the Monocacy "Forebears of the Four Dunbars" by Carl and Lorene Dunbar -Land speculators in the Monocacy Valley tried to interfere with the surveys of the settlers. In 1732 Joseph Hedges received a letter from on speculator demanding satisfaction for the land on which Hedges live, the speculator claiming all of the land on the Monocacy and its branches. In 1735 John Van Metre Sr. and his wife Margaret whose daughter, Rebecca, had married Solomon Hedges, eldest son of Joseph, sold all of his farm animals and removed himself into Virginia.
John Van Metre Sr., his sons and daughters, built their.... homes on "Meadow" which had been surveyed for John November 17, 1725. "Meadow" consisted of the land along Carroll Creek that is now the southeastern part of Frederickstown at the intersection of South Market and South Streets, thru a part of the fair grounds.
Joseph Hedges' son, Solomon. Solomon Hedges had 192 acres surveyed March 13, 1733 on Tuscarcra Creek a little northeast of present-day Yellow Springs, which he called Hedges Delight. His father, Joseph, had previously - July 1, 1730 - had 258 acres surveyed, which he called "Hedge Hogg"
Larry D. White, Fort Wayne Indiana, LDS tape 1307587. US/Can 929.273 A1 No. 3544. On April 10, 1738, Solomon Hedges bought 275 acres from James Davies of Orange County, Va. This was later Frederick Co. Va. He was later in what is now Berkely Co. Va. in 1754. In 1760, Solomon and his wife Rebecca, sold Peter Stienbergen, 320 acres on Now (New?) Creek, Hampshire County, Va. He was one of the first settlers in Hardy County, Va. By April 6, 1778 Solomon was in Ohio County, Va. and was suerty for David Shepard, High Sheriff.
Solomon acted as judge in the court of Hampshire, On June, 1778 Solomon took his oath as Justice of Peace in Ohio.
In 1789, Solomon Hedges of Ohio Co. Va. sold to Tomas Dean of Hampshire Co. Va. 250 acres on New Creek. Solomon Hedges, Lot , survey on Patterson Creek Manor, directed 4-7-1761, by Thomas Lord Fairfax. Report by Joseph Niville, Sept. 7, 1793 Deed Book A, Page 136.
Larry D. White, Fort Wayne Indiana, LDS tape 1307857, item 4. Us/Can 929.273 A1, No 3544.
Joseph Hedges, the founder of the family came from England to America in the early part of 1700 and landed on the Delaware River and settled in Chester County, Pa., later removed to Maryland. (Colonial Families of the United States, by McKensie) In 1722, Joseph Hedges was a taxable in New Garden township, Chester County, Pa. in 1726 in New London township. (History of Chester County, Pa.) .
Book: " Pioneers Of Old Monocacy, The Early Settlement of Frederick County Maryland, 1721-1743" by Grace L. Tracey and John P Dern. Pages 106-114
Joseph Hedges: A number of the early settlers along the Monocacy came originally from the upper reaches of today's New Castle County, Delaware or from neighboring Chester County in Pennsylvania. Typically representative of these was the family of Joseph Hedges. Joseph Hedges was English, but notwithstanding elaborate family claims to the contrary no substantiated tie has ever been established to a marriage in England or to his antecedents there. He first appears in American records in a warrant dated September 8, 1702 and its certificate of survey of April 4, 1703 for 100 acres located on Red Clay Creek in Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle County. Some fifteen or twenty years later he and his wife Catherine moved to the London Tract in London Grove Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Then, although now well advance in years and with a family nearly grown, Joseph Hedges on April 22, 1730 sold his Pennsylvania land and moved on to Maryland. On July 1, 1730 Joseph Hedges had 258 acres surveyed in Maryland on the Monocancy River some five miles north of today's downtown Frederick. The land bordered the River, extending north and west from what was soon to be known as Biggs Ford. It also supposedly bordered the northeastern line of "Tasker's Chance". Hedges named his land "Hedge Hogg" and this has puzzled historians ever since. They are unable to ignore the notation that Hedges' first land in New Castle County was "at the head of a tract formerly taken up on new rent by George Hogg" or that when Hedges and his wife Katherine in Chester County sold the New Castle land on August 17, 1725, George Hogg was one of the witnesses to the deed. Even more mysterious is the question who or what encouraged Hedges to come to Maryland and why he settled where he did.
Although positive proof is lacking it would appear that Joseph Hedges was also bound out at a young age to a Swedish family in Christiana Hundred. His name first appears on Sept. 8, 1702 when the following entry appears on the minutes of the Pennsylvania Board of Property: Joseph Hedges of N.C. Coun. requests 100 acres at the head of the Tract formerly taken up by Geo. Hogg on new Rent, and now entred upon by some Dutch Men, Situate upon Redclay Creek, for which he agreed to pay L20 upon the Confirmation. Rent 1 Shelling per 100; 1st 11 mo.(Pa.Arch.2d ser., 19:323) Althought a patent for this land was issued in 1714, it had to be resurveyed March 17, 1714/15 because it was found to overlap the land of Charles Springer. On resurvey it was found to contain 108 acres.
** In contrast, we do find the name of Joseph Hedges periodically shown in the baptismal records of Holy Trintiy Church at Christina. On August 2, 1713 Joseph Hedges was present to be a co-sponser (with John and Brita Hendrickson) at the baptism of Samuel Hall's daughter Elisabeth (Holy Trintiy Church 2:22) Samuel Hall's wife was a daughter of Charles Springer.
** On May 15, 1715 Joseph Hedges returned to Holy Trinity for the baptism of his own son, Joshua. Baptism sponsors were the pastor Hesselius and his wife, Anders Cock (son of John Anderson Cock) and John Hendrickson's wife Brita (Holy Trintiy Church 2:53)
** Joseph Hedges, the founder of the family came from England to America in the early part of 1700 and landed on the Delaware River and settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania and later moved to Maryland. (Colonial Families of the United States by Mckensie)
** In 1722, Joseph Hedges was taxable in New Garden township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1726 in New London township. (History of Chester Co. Pennsylvania)
** By lease and release dated March 13-14, 1722/23, Joseph Hedges purchased 200 acres of land in London Grove township, Chester County, Pa. from Tobias Collet & Co. (Cope Collection, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, H:95)
** As of February 7, 1723/24, Joseph Hedges still owned his propery at Red Clay Creek as is shown by the following minute of the Pennsylvania Board of Property (Pa.Arch.2d Ser., 19:720):
Stephen Cornelius requests a small Vacancy between his Land, Joseph Hedges and Jos. Barker Land, at Redclay Creek. Stephen Cornelius has made over his right to his Land to Archebald McCallester, who is a Smith and dwells upon it, and is ready to pay the Proprietor for it. He desires a warrant to have it surveyed. It is a piece of broken land.
** By 1725, however, Joseph and Catherine Hedges had moved to London Grove township, Chester County, Pa. On August 17, 1725, they executed a deed, signed by their marks and witnessed by George Hogg and James Robinson, reciting that they were of London Grove township, Chester County and quit claiming for 500 bushels of wheat to Nicholas Bishop of Mill Creek Hundred their interest in the 100-acre tract patented April 10, 1714 (New Castle Deeds, G-1:524)
** On July 1, 1730, a tract of 258 acres (later to be known as "Hedge Hogg") was surveyed for Joseph Hedges on the Monocacy River in Prince Georges (later Frederick) County, Maryland. A patent for this land was issued August 25, 1732. (John P. Dern, Pioneers of Old Monocacy, p-106)
** Thirteen days later, on September 6, 1732, Joseph Hedges wrote his will, describing himself of "Manaquicy in Prince Georges County" (Prince Georges County Wills 20:468) and making the following instructions:
> I give and bequeath to my well beloved son, Executor of this my last will and testament, a certain tract of land computed to be 250 acres lying in Manaquickly Creek on the West side of said Creek.
> I give unto Charles Hedges and Joshua Hedges, my two sons, each of them, two hundred acres of land at Opeckon to be cleared and paid for out om my estate and effects.
> My will is that my Executors Solomon Hedges and Charles Hedges shall purchase four hundred acres of land at Opeckon which shall be equally divided between my two sons Jonas and Joseph Hedges.
> My Will is that my Executors above named do purchase one hundred and ninety acres on Monoquicy out of my estate and effects for my son Samuel Hedges ........
.......The will was signed by his mark. Witnesses were Childy Mathews (who proved the will on November 29, 1732), Thomas Hillard and John Hilliard. The inventory of his estate by Robert Jones and Henry Ballenger was signed by Thomas and Mary Douthitt as near of kin and showed personal property of L216.3.0, including two bonds L95, a note L8 and cash of L7.10.0 (Prince Georges Inventories, Hall of Records, 17:67-69)
William Hiett John Hiett is shown in Cecil Co records as the son in law of William Smith (William being John Smith's father). Source: Quaker Yeomen Vol 13 , Nov 1986, Page 9 A Quaker Will, Contributed by Dorothy Hardin Massey, Cecil County, MD Wills Liber AA folio 135.
Pages 78-82. 17-18 April 1737 Stephen Hollingsworth late of Orange County but now of Prince George's Co., Md. and Ann his wife to SimeonWoodrow of Orange County. Lease and release; for L7 current money of Pennsylvania. 500 acres on the westside of Sherrendo River and on Opeckon Creek and on the' south side thereof ...by Opeckon creek side. Stephen Hollingsworth, Ann Hollingsworth Wit: John Smith. John Littler. 26 June 1740. Simeon Woodrow petitioned the Court that a set of deeds formerly proved at a Court held 26 May 1737 by the affirmation of John Smith and John Littler might be recorded alledging that tho' they ought not to be recorded. being proved by two witnesses only" yet as the said Hollingsworth and Ann his wife were now dead and no further acknowledgment could be made to him. He would be satisfied with his right to the land and hold. the same according to the tenour of the deeds .
Pages 83 - 87. 17-18 April 1737. Stephen Hollingsworth late of orange County but now of Prince George's Co. Md., and Ann his wife to John Hiett of Lancaster Co. Pa. Lease and release; for L17 current money of Pennsylvania. 200 acres on the west side of Sherrendo River and on the head of a branch or Opeckon Creek part of 470 acres granted Stephen Ho Hollingsworth 03 Oct. 1734.. the lick spring ...
Stephen Hollingsworth Ann Hollingsworth Wit: John Smith. John Littler. 28, June 1740. John Hiett petitioned the Court [as above Hollingsworth to Woodrow].
Joist Hite. A native of Alsace, Germany, Hans Jost Heydt (also spelled Yost or Joist Hite) sailed from Strasburg to New York in 1710. Hite remained in Kingston, New York until 1715. By 1717, records indicate that he had settled on the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania. Hite enjoyed a prosperous life in Pennsylvania, establishing a mill in 1720 that came to be known as Pennypacker's Mills. ......Hite sold his Pennsylvania holdings in 1730 and traveled to the unsettled Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
In 1731, Hite bought forty thousand acres of land from John Van Meter. In October of that year, Hite teamed up with Robert McKay (McCoy/McKay) and obtained another one hundred thousand acres from Virginia Governor Gooch. In the spring of 1731, Hite settled the area of what is now Shepherdstown, West Virginia, naming it New Mechlenburg. Hite's eldest son, John, traveled further south down the Potomac River and settled on the Opequon Creek, calling his holdings Springdale. By the June of 1734, the council of Virginia declared that Jost Hite had settled his required number of families and was assigned the patents for his land.
In 1736, legal troubles began. Lord Fairfax arrived from England that same year to settle on his lands granted to him on Virginia's Northern Neck. Some of this land was within the boundary of Hite's land, which had not been patented. This led to petitions and lawsuits that went on for years, some say 154 years. Source: Jost Hite -Shenandoah Pioneer, Author: Jeannine Dugan - Published on: September 21, 2000
William Hoge, born in Scotland, came to America in 1682; married Barbara Hume, settled in New Jersey, moved to Delaware, and in 1735 moved to Frederick Co., VA, and settled near where Kernstown now is. Source: Pioneers of Old Frederick Co., Virginia Cecil O' Dell, 1995 Wallsworth Pub Co., of Marceline, MO. PP, 281-286
William emigrated before 1710 to Monmouth Co., New Jersey, the year he bought 1,000 acres for 5 shillings in Nottingham, Chester Co., PA, on Elk Creek. Was a tailor by occupation. In 1729 was on Opequon Creek, a branch of the Potomac River, Frederick Co., Va. where in 1735 had a patent of 401 acres along what is now U. S. Highway 11, Kernstown, south of Winchester. His will dated 17 April 1729 and proved 15, Nov 1749. His wife Barbara Hume also an immigrant from Scotland. He married (2) Mary?
-1735 Came from Elk River, Delaware to Opequon Creek, VA
McKay (McCoy), Robert. A "Friend" by the name of Robert McKay, Sr. secured 100,000 acres in the Valley on 21 October 1731, according to information shown in the book, "Hopewell Friends History 1734-1934", edited by John W. Wayland, 1936. McKay was originally from Freehold, New Jersey, then the Nottingham Meeting in Cecil County, before coming into the Valley as an associate of Joist Hite. .......Robert McKay, also a Nottingham Meeting Friend and his German partner, Yost Hite (Joist Hiatt, the spelling variations are many), went to Williamsburg a year later in October 1731. They obtained 100,000 acres to the south of Ross and Bryan's grant. They also bought 40,000 acres allotted to the Van Meter brothers north of present-day Front Royal.
McKay, Robert, et. al. 1730, 11 Day First Month (March) Joshua JOB, son of Andrew of Nottingham Twp., Chester Co., Province of Pennsylvania, and Margaret MacKay , daughter of Robert of Milford Hundred, Cecil Co., Province of Pennsylvania, were married on the 11 th day 1st month 1731 at Public meeting of Friends at Nottingham. Witnesses were: Joseph Elgar, Thomas Jacob, Jacob JOB, Messer Brown, Jno Littler, Caleb JOB, Elizabeth Gatchell, Simeon Taylor, Joseph Haines, John Gartrill, John Churchman, Jacob Beales, James Hogg, Jno Beals, Dinah Brown, Katherine Ross, Elizabeth Ross, Hannah Churchman, Elizabeth Hughes, Patience Job, Rachel Job, Abigail Gatchel, Esther Gatchel, Hannah McKay, Anne Brown, Garata Hogg, Robert McKay, Elizabeth JOB, Margaret McKay , Elizabeth Hollingsworth, Thomas JOB.
Alexander Ross. The wills of early Quakers in the Valley such as Alexander and son David Ross use the location "of Opeckon,"….in 1748 Frederick County, Virginia wills found in Will Book . Alexander Ross was a Quaker from Pennsylvania who first appeared before the Governor and Council in Williamsburg, Virginia on October 28, 1730, in his quest for land in the Shenandoah Valley. He and a partner Morgan Bryan obtained large tracts of land, and in compliance with the requirements of their Virginia grants, brought in some seventy families, short of the one hundred contracted for at a rate of one family from outside Virginia for each 1000 acres of land granted. In the 1748 will of Alexander Ross, named a wife Catherine, and sons David, John and George, daughters Mary Littler, Albana Thomas, Catherine Ross, and Lydia Day. In the same year of 1748, son David Ross left his estate "at Opeckon" to brothers and sisters excepting the sister Lydia Day, living still in Nottingham a Quaker community in the disputed area between Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland.
Earlier in Elizabethtown, New Jersey in 1717 [my research shows the date as May 16, 1722], the children of one George Ross elected James Hampton as their guardian. This James Hampton was probably the son of the 1683 immigrant to East Jersey, the Andrew Hampton with will of 1738.
Smith, John. Quaker Yeoman, Vol. 14, , Oct. 1987 page 2- 3 Several notes pertaining to early records of William Smith family and John Hiett family: Lived along the Elk River. - Conestoga Twnshp, Lancaster Co. Until the Mason Dixon line was completed in 1767 the northern part of Cecil Co., Maryland, was often considered to be part of Lancaster or Chester Co., Penn. William Smith was supposed to have been the person who erected the first mill at Head of Elk In Cecil Co, Maryland and William Smith's son, John, sold the mill after 1711. John Smith took up land in 1713 on the south side of a path leading from the head of Elk River to the town of New Castle. John Smith appears to have remained in the Cecil County area for several years. Smith's location is reported as the present day location of Elkton, MD. ……. In 1713, Smith who had been absent from the county for some years [about 3 years], returned and took up one hundred and seventy one acres of land, called Elk Plains, near the head of the Elk River, on the south side of the path leading from the Elk River to the town of New Castle.
John Smith and John Hampton Jr. covenanted to divide a patent, Hampton to get 150A, west end. Surveyed and patented by John Smith 21 Aug. 1734, 420A on Opeckon Creek at Turkey Spring. Hampton assigned his right to William Hiett and Simion Woodrow. 60A to Woodrow, 90A to Hiett. West side Shenando River and on Opeckon Creek at a place called Turkey Spring. Div. comes between Hiatt and Woodrow crossing Opeckon Creek to stone by a run coming from John Smith's mill. Wit: Samuel Brattan, Rees Smith, William Smith, John Smith ackn. 22 June 1738. Commission to Morgan Morgan, Benjamin Borden and William Russell to take acknow. of Jane, wife of John Smith, who is too sickly and impotant to travel to court. 5 Jan 1738/9 We certify that Jane Smith is dead. 22 Feb 1738/9 Returned signed by Benjamin Borden and Morgan Morgan. Jane Smith GCT from Chester MM, Pa. 26 of 5 Mo., 1736 to Hopewell. Quaker Yeoman, by James Bellarts, Vol 14, , Pct. 1987, pg. 3, Hiatt Notes: Contains several references to the Hiatt and Smith families; viz. John Hiett's brother in law, John Smith, had by 1711 married Jane Hinton, dau. of Rees Hinton. Records for John Smith were found in Lancaster Co., Penn. and Orange Co., VA. John Smith sold a part of the land he had inherited from his father to Henry Hollingsworth, son of Valentine Hollingsworth. It is a matter of record that Stephen Hollingsworth, son of Henry, moved to Orange Co., VA, from Cecil Co., Maryland about 1733. John Hiatt Jr. purchased land from Stephen Hollingsworth in 1737.
Van Meter, John & Isaac, Henry and Jacob V ANMETER John Vanmeter (b. 1683), with Isaac Vanmeter, Sarah Dubois of Salem County in the Western Division of New Jersey and Jacob Dubois of Ulster County, New York, purchased 3,000 acres of land on a branch of Prince Maurices River and the head of the main branch of Cohanzy in the County of Salem (Cumber land) from Daniel Coxe for
John Van Meter, born New York 1683, moved through NJ into Maryland in 1726. Per land grant , "is desirous of locating his family and friends living in New York - grant of 10,000 acres of land lying in the fork of the Shenado River including the places called Cedar Litch and Stony Lick running up between the branchs of said river....
John Van Metre Sr., his sons and daughters, built their.... homes on "Meadow" which had been surveyed for John November 17, 1725. "Meadow" consisted of the land along Carroll Creek that is now the southeastern part of Frederickstown at the intersection of South Market and South Streets, thru a part of the fair grounds.
Jacob Van Meter, who died in Hardin County November 16, 1798, was born in Somerset County, New Jersey in March 1723, a son of John Van Meter and his second wife Margaret Miller Mulinaur, grew up in Virginia where his father had settled in the Shenandoah Valley, and became a wealthy land owner and horse breeder. He drew up a lengthy will, (Will of John Van Meter, Winchester, Virginia September 3, 1745), in which Jacob Van Meter was called "my fourth and youngest son," by which he inherited an equal share of "all Staylen (stallions), geldings, mares, colts." He inherited land, but not the estate "Opequen" on which his father lived, since he was the youngest.
Issac Van Meter of the Province of West Jersey, ..... he the petitioner has been to view the lands in those parts ... for the purposes of settling 10 families including his own ... 10,000 acres between the lands surveyed for Ront. Carter, Esq. and the fork of the Shenado River and the River Opekon .......
Kegley's Virginia Frontier in describing the earliest history of Virginia, says: "The Van Meters cross the Powtomack (Potomac River). John and Isaac Van Meter were traders who knew the country about the Potomac and the Shenandoah as early as 1728. After 1721 Isaac lived in New Jersey, but John had moved westward toward the southwest part of Maryland. In 1730 their petitions for 10,000 acres each in the forks of the Sherando River and 20,000 more for other families were granted. This was not to interfere with the surveys of Carter and Page."...Jost Hite with Robert McKay began acquiring land in the Shenandoah Valley in 1731.. ...Hite acquired the Van Meter grants in 1732.
James L. Coburn, the progenitor of the Coburn families, who settled in what is now West Virginia, was one of the first settlers of the South Branch of the Potomac River. Raymond H. Coburn found no positive proof of his birth or to whom he was married, but it is generally believed that he was the son of William and Mary (Baker) Coburn of Chester County, Pennsylvania and that he was born about 1690. In the will of William Coebourn of "ye Township and County of Chester in ye province of Pennsylvania" made in 1733, his wife Sarah, his son James L. Coeburn and son in law John Mainard, are named as beneficiaries.
In doing research on the Coburn family, Howard L. Coburn of Santa Monica, California, who is a descendant of the Preston County branch, has furnished this information: "The first mention I have found is in the year 1721, which has James Coburn as a taxable person in West-Nottingham Township in the western part of Chester County, Pennsylvania. He is next on the tax records of Conestoga County Pennsylvania in 1725.Later, in 1735, James Coburn and his son Jonathan were granted land licenses along the Conogocheque River in what is now Franklin County, Pennsylvania.The Coburn's did not stay long along the Conogocheque River but are next found in Augusta County, Virginia. On one of the tax records of Conestoga County, James Coburn is listed as Jr." The Exact date that the Coburn's settled in the South Branch Valley is not certain, but has been placed as between 1734 and 1740. James Coburn, John Howard, James Walker and James Rutledge, are recorded as the first settlers.
The settlement was made on an "Indian old field" at the junction of the Seneca Trail and the McCullough Path, a few miles down the river from what is now Moorefield, Hardy County, West Virginia. The place was first known as Fort Pleasant, and later as Old Fields, West Virginia. It seems that a man by the name of Isaac Van Meter from New York, had already established a "Tomahawk claim" (Often hunters, traders or trappers would lay claim to a piece of land by marking the trees or cutting their initials on a tree near a spring. These marks were usually respected but if there were indications that the land would not be settled on, then it would be taken by another settler) to the land and when he returned later, found James Coburn living there. There seems to have been no quarrel between Coburn and Van Meter and the matter was agreeably settled, and Coburn moved up the river to another Indian old field near the present town of Petersburg.
The Van Meters became a prominent family in the valley. James Coburn was living near the present town of Petersburg when George Washington, at the age of 17 years, and his associates came to the South Branch Valley to do some surveying. Here is part of the account: "It was on March 21, 1743 [date correct? - kh], when they reached the South Branch near Colonel Cresap's home and soon crossed Peterson's Creek to Abraham Johnson's place, then traveled to Solomon Hedge's home and later reached the home of Henry Van Meter. They next went up the South Branch through Frosty Hollow and over Scott's Ridge to Looney's (Lunice) Creek and the present town of Petersburg, and continued up the North Fork to Meadows and the home of James Rutledge, and then to the James Coburn place near Petersburg, and the continued their journey by way of Masonville and across South Fork Mountain, and to Brake's Falls, and to Great Cacapon and Winchester." The Fairfax Line - Thomas Lewis' Journal of 1746, Thursday 9th.
Children of JAMES COBURN and MRS (COBURN) are:
i. MARY4 COBURN, d. Unknown.
ii. SARAH COBURN, d. Unknown. Married Kuykendall - see Col Andrew
4. iii. SAMUEL COBURN, d. Unknown.
iv. JOHN COBURN, b. Abt. 17185; d. Unknown.
v. JUDITH COBURN, b. Abt. 17185; m. JOHN CLEMENT; d. U
vi. JACOB COBURN, b. Abt. 17185; d. Unknown.
vii. ISAAC COBURN, b. Abt. 17185; d. Unknown.
5. viii. JONATHAN COBURN, b. Bet. 1720 - 1725, Chester County, Pennsylvania; d. Bet. 1776 - 1781.
Wolfe, Peter & Henry Hampton. Peter Wolfe was an associate of Joist Hite, and had come to the Valley in 1733 from New Jersey. Wolfe had a daughter Ann who was married to one Henry Hampton, named in the 1779 will of Wolfe in Frederick County, Virginia. The 1794 Frederick will of Henry Hampton shows him "very aged" and mentions legatees Sarah Phillips and Sarah Clark, a son Samuel Hampton, a grandson Henry son of James Hampton, and the son of William Beadle. The history of Hopewell Friends mentioned above cites on Henry Hampton, Joseph Roberts, Edward Tyler, Dennis Bond, James Henry, Thomas Howell, Benjamin Kelley and James Walsh as Quakers held by the local authorities in Winchester in jail for over one year around 1754.
Robert Worthington's liine above relates to his holding of 3000
> acres on Evitts Run, east of the Bullskin tract from andrwe hampton. Worthington illustrates the
> typical and extreme mobility of these early settlers. He was from Cheshire,
> England,
was married 1729 in Friends Meeting at Burlington, New Jersey
> before coming to the lower Valley of Virginia. He shows on Friends Records
> in Dublin Ireland, Philadelphia and Salem, New Jersey.
In 1730 Alexander Ross and Morgan Bryan (both with Quaker backgrounds and relations) appeared before the Governor and Council of Virginia and from them received a grant of 100,000 acres on the Opequon River in Frederick County, Virginia. This encouraged the move of many Quakers who followed them to the Virginia back country. Many of these people moved through the Monocacy area of Maryland. It is helpful and illustrative to list some who were named in the early Virginia State Land Office records and their origins. Thomas Curtis and his wife Mary Bryan, daughter of Morgan Bryan, came from Pennsylvania into today's Berkeley County, West Virginia. Isaac Perkins, likewise from Pennsylvania. Thomas Anderson built one of the first mills on Mill Creek in Virginia. John Mills, Sr. described himself in 1743 as a farmer from Prince George's County, Maryland. John Richards was born in England, was taxed in Chester County, Pennsylvania from 1720-1726 and then moved to Virginia, joining the Hopewell Quakers. Cornelius Cockerine likewise owned property in Chester County, then moved to the mouth of the Opequon. William Hogg was a taxable in East Nottingham Township of Chester County, Pennsylvania from 1718 to 1730 and appeared in the Hopewell Minutes sometimes as Hoge, sometimes as Hogue. John Littler was a business partner of James Wright. He kept a tavern in Chester County, Pennsylvania" 1729-1730, where his records in 1731 show "he is going away." His daughter married Alexander Ross. Thomas Branson in his will of November 21, 1744 identified himself as from Burlington County, New Jersey. He devised his land "on Shannandow River" to his sons who were then living on it. Evan Thomas was a Quaker minister who came from Wales in 1719. His son Evan Thomas, Jr. married the daughter of Alexander Ross. Abraham Hollingsworth according to the Minutes of the Nottingham (Pennsylvania) Monthly meeting in 1729 was "under dealings and absent from home." On November 23,1732 he received a survey for 582 acres "within the limits of an order of Council granted to Alexander Ross." John Wi1son, Nathaniel Thomas, John Haitt, Jr., John Peteate, George Robinson, Robert Luna, Luke Emelen, Francis Pincher, John Frost, George Hobson and John Calvert were other Quakers who moved through Maryland to Pennsylvania. Richard Beeson and his family moved from Chester County Pennsylvania in 1735 to settle on a branch of the Opequon near today's Martinsburg, West Virginia. Amos Janney from Bucks County in Pennsylvania, who in 1733 settled about ten miles south of the Potomac River near today's Waterford in Loudoun County Virginia. In the 1748 will of Alexandar Ross, he named a wife Catherine, and sons David, John and George, daughters Mary Littler, Albana Thomas, Catherine Ross, and Lydia Day. In the same year of 1748, son David Ross left his estate "at Opeckon" to brothers and sisters excepting the sister Lydia Day, living still in Nottingham a Quaker community in the disputed area between Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland.
Robert McKay, Sr. secured 100,000 acres in the Valley on 21 October 1731, according to information shown in the book, "Hopewell Friends History 1734-1934", edited by John W. Wayland, 1936. McKay was originally from Freehold, New Jersey, then the Nottingharn Meeting in Cecil County, before corning into the Valley as an associate of Joist Hite. Peter Wolfe was an associate of Joist Hite, and had come to the Valley in 1733 from New Jersey. Wolfe had a daughter Ann who was married to one Henry Hampton, named in the 1779 will of Wolfe in Frederick County, Virginia.
PA & MD circa 1730.
The first three counties established in PA were Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester. Lancaster County wasn't established until 1729 and other PA counties after that. Lancaster would also be a possible location, as the frontier had moved into that area during this time frame. Any one of these four (5 including MD) areas would be prime for logical migration of the New Jersey Hamptons, Jane Curtis Hampton Fitzrandolph moved to Burlington, NJ area and to Bucks Co, PA. Some of the later immigrants to VA & PA were from the Burlington area. It should be noted that part of the PA/MD area was in dispute (boundaries for counties and states) at the time. Records one might expect to be in one county, are in actuality in another county or state (some MD records in PA and some PA records in MD, etc.). It should also be remembered that the "frontier was 40-75 miles west of Philadelphia in the early 1700s and south in Maryland.
Small numbers of venturesome hunters, traders and settlers crossed the mountains, and commenced to establish themselves there, but the numbers were negligible prior to 1730 from what I have been able to find. In 1726, Morgan Morgan, founded the first permanent English settlement of record in West Virginia on Mill Creek near the present site of Bunker Hill in Berkeley County. In 1732, Joist Hite and 15 families cut their way through the wilderness from York, Pennsylvania, passed through present-day Berkeley County, and settled near present-day Winchester, Virginia. Sixteen families, from PA, headed by Joist HITE, composed this little colony. Source: History of the Early Settlement & Indian Wars of West Virginia by Wills De HASS, 1851.
In 1734 at the first court in Orange 23 justices .... Augustine Smith (of Shooter's Hill), Goodrich Lightfoot, John Taliaferro, Thomas Chew, Robert Slaughter, Abraham Field, Robert Green, James Barbour, John Finalson, Richard Mauldin, Samuel Ball, Francis Slaughter, Zachary Taylor, John Lightfoot, James Pollard, Robert Eastham, Benjamin Cave, Charles Curtis, Joist Hite, Morgan Morgan, Benjamin Borden, John Smith, and George Hobson. Some apparently lived in what became Madison County including John Smith.
1734 Orange County was Formed from Spotsylvania County which included present Orange, Greene, Madison, Culpeper, and Rappahannock Counties. Orange County was an early parent county for many of the western counties in Virginia . Madison County was part of Orange County from 1734 to 1748.
Hampshire County was formed in 1753, as Old Frederick County was broken down into smaller, geographic units.
A perch is 5 and 1/2 yards, according to the 1828 Webster dictionary. The dictionary says that it is the same as a rod.
Chronology Of Land Grants In The Shenandoah Valley
1729 Robert Carter granted 50,000 acres in the lower Valley (this section remained primarily English)
6/17/1730 John Van Meter granted 10,000 acres on the fork of the Shenandoah River and 20,000 acres "not already taken up by Robert Carter".
6/17/1730 Isaac Van Meter granted 10,000 acres between Carter's land, the River and Opequon Creek.
6/17/1730 Jacob Stover (a Swiss) granted 10,000 acres (5,000 at Massanutten, 5,000 in Rockingham County)
10/28/1730 Alexander Ross and Morgan Bryan granted 100,000 acres near present day Winchester (Quaker settlement)
6/10/1731 William Beverly et al. Granted 20,000 acres on the western side of the lower Valley
6/10/1731 John Fishback et al. Granted 50,000 acres between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River in present day Warren and Page Counties
10/21/1731 Robert McKay and Joist Hite granted 100,000 acres in the valley near Winchester)
5/5/1732 Francis Willis et al. granted 10,000 acres on both sides of the South Shenandoah (up to Stover's tract)
10/27/1732 William Russell granted 20,000 acres near present day Front Royal
10/28/1734 John Taylor et al. granted 60,000 acres adjoining Stover's northern tract.
1736 Benjamin Borden granted between 100,000 acres in present day Rockbridge and Augusta counties.
Borden, Benjamin. (1692-1743), a Friend from a Freehold, New Jersey
Solomon Hedges Born: 1710-1801 New Castle County, Delaware
Married: 1735 Monocacy, Prince George County, Maryland - Spouce: Rebecca Marie Van Meter
In 1735 John Van Metre Sr., Rebecca, had married Solomon Hedges
Solomon Hedges had 192 acres surveyed March 13, 1733 on Tuscarcra Creek a little northeast of present-day Yellow Springs, which he called Hedges Delight.
His father, Joseph, had previously - July 1, 1730 - had 258 acres surveyed
April 10, 1738, Solomon Hedges bought 275 acres from James Davies of Orange County, Va. .
Joseph Hedges, Delaware River and settled in Chester County, Pa., later removed to Maryland.
1722, Joseph Hedges a taxable in New Garden township, Chester Co, Pa.
1726 a taxable in New London township.
Joseph Hedges, survey April 4, 1703 Red Clay Creek in Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle Co. moved to the London Tract in London Grove Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Joseph Hedges April 22, 1730 sold PA land moved to Maryland.
July 1, 1730 Joseph Hedges surveyed in MD on Monocancy River 5 miles north Frederick MD Hedges in Chester County sold New Castle land August 17, 1725, George Hogg witness to deed
John Hiett,Cecil Co records as son in law of William Smith (William being John Smith's father)
John Hiett (now of) of Lancaster Co. Pa. Lease and release; for L17 current money of PA.
03 Oct. 1734.. the lick spring ... Wit: John Smith. John Littler. 28, June 1740. John Hiett
Joist Hite. New York in 1710. Kingston, New York until 1715. By
1717, Perkimon - Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania. 1730 and traveled to the unsettled Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
1731, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, naming it New Mechlenburg.
Hite's eldest son, John, settled on the Opequon Creek
June of 1734, the council of Virginia assigned the patents for his land.
In 1736, legal troubles began. Lord Fairfax arrived from England to settle on his lands
William Hoge, born in Scotland, came to America in 1682; married Barbara Hume, settled in New Jersey, moved to Delaware, and in 1735 moved to Frederick Co., VA, and settled near where Kernstown now is. Source: Pioneers of Old Frederick Co., Virginia Cecil O' Dell, 1995 Wallsworth Pub Co., of Marceline, MO. PP, 281-286
William emigrated before 1710 to Monmouth Co., New Jersey, the year he bought 1,000 acres for 5 shillings in Nottingham, Chester Co., PA, on Elk Creek. Was a tailor by occupation. In 1729 was on Opequon Creek, a branch of the Potomac River, Frederick Co., Va. where in 1735 had a patent of 401 acres along what is now U. S. Highway 11, Kernstown, south of Winchester. His will dated 17 April 1729 and proved 15, Nov 1749. His wife Barbara Hume also an immigrant from Scotland. He married (2) Mary?
-1735 Came from Elk River, Delaware to Opequon Creek, VA
McKay (McCoy), Robert.
secured 100,000 acres in the Valley on 21 October 1731
originally from Freehold, New Jersey, then the Nottingham Meeting in Cecil County,
went to Williamsburg a year later in October 1731. Robert of Milford Hundred, Cecil Co., Province of Pennsylvania,
11 th day 1st month 1731 at Public meeting of Friends at Nottingham.
Witnesses: Jno Littler, James Hogg, Robert McKay, Elizabeth Hollingsworth, Thomas JOB.
Alexander Ross. Quaker from Pennsylvania
Governor and Council in Williamsburg, Virginia on October 28, 1730,
partner Morgan Bryan obtained large tracts of land,
daughters Mary Littler, Albana Thomas, sister Lydia Day, living still in Nottingham a Quaker community in the disputed area between Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland. .
Smith, John.Elk River. - Conestoga Twnshp, Lancaster Co.
northern Cecil Co., Maryland, was often considered to be part of Lancaster or Chester Co., Penn. William Smith first mill at Head of Elk In Cecil Co,
John, sold the mill after 1711.
John Smith took up land in 1713 on path leading head of Elk River to the town of New Castle. Smith's location is reported as the present day location of Elkton, MD.
John Smith and John Hampton Jr. covenanted to divide a patent, Surveyed and patented by John Smith 21 Aug. 1734, 420A on Opeckon Creek at Turkey Hampton assigned his right to William Hiett and Simion Woodrow. 60A Woodrow, 90A to Hiett.
Wit: Samuel Brattan, Rees Smith, William Smith, John Smith ackn. 22 June 1738.
5 Jan 1738/9 We certify that Jane Smith is dead. 22 Feb 1738/9 Jane Smith GCT from Chester MM, Pa. 26 of 5 Mo., 1736 to Hopewell. Quaker Yeoman John Smith sold a part of the land to Henry Hollingsworth, son of Valentine Hollingsworth. Stephen Hollingsworth, son of Henry, moved Orange Co., VA, from Cecil Co., Maryland 1733. John Hiatt Jr. purchased land from Stephen Hollingsworth in 1737.
Van Meter, John & Isaac, Henry and Jacob John Van Meter, born New York 1683, moved through NJ into Maryland in 1726.
John Van Metre Sr., on "Meadow" which had been surveyed for John November 17, 1725. "Meadow" land along Carroll Creek - the southeastern part of Frederickstown
Jacob Van Meter, died Hardin Co November 16, 1798 Somerset Co, NJ March 1723 Will of John Van Meter, Winchester, Virginia Sept 3, 1745),
Issac Van Meter of the Province of West Jersey, ..... he the petitioner has been to view the lands in those parts ... ....
John and Isaac Van Meter were traders who knew the country Shenandoah as early as 1728.
After 1721 Isaac lived in New Jersey, 1730 their petitions for 10,000 acres each in the forks of the Sherando River and 20,000 more for Jost Hite with Robert McKay . ...Hite acquired the Van Meter grants in 1732.
James L. Coburn,
was one of the first settlers of the South Branch of the Potomac River.
son of William and Mary (Baker) Coburn of Chester County, Pennsylvania
will of William Coebourn of "ye Township and Co of Chester province of PA" made in 1733, his
1721, James Coburn taxable person in West-Nottingham Tnship western part of Chester C, PA.
next on the tax records of Conestoga County Pennsylvania in 1725.
1735, James Coburn son Jonathan land the Conogocheque River in Franklin Co, PA. The next found in Augusta County, Virginia. as between 1734 and 1740.
James Coburn, John Howard, James Walker and James Rutledge, are recorded as the first settlers.
JONATHAN COBURN, b. Bet. 1720 - 1725, Chester County, PA; d. Bet. 1776 - 1781.
Thomas Curtis came from Pennsylvania into today's Berkeley County, West Virginia. Isaac Perkins, likewise from Pennsylvania. Thomas Anderson built one of the first mills on Mill Creek in Virginia. John Mills, Sr. described himself in 1743 as a farmer from Prince George's County, Maryland. John Richards was born in England, taxed in Chester County, Pennsylvania from 1720-1726 Cornelius Cockerine likewise owned property in Chester County, moved to mouth of Opequon. William Hogg a taxable East Nottingham Township of Chester Co, PAfrom 1718 to 1730 and John Littler business partner of James Wright. tavern in Chester Co, PA"
1729-1730, where his records in 1731 show "he is going away." Thomas Branson will of November 21, 1744 identified as from Burlington Co, New Jersey. Abraham HollingsworthNottingham (Pennsylvania) 1729 was "under dealings and absent from home. November 23,1732 a survey for 582 acres John Wi1son, Nathaniel Thomas, John Haitt, Jr., John Peteate, George Robinson, Robert Luna, Luke Emelen, Francis Pincher, John Frost, George Hobson and John Calvert were other Quakers who moved through Maryland to Pennsylvania. Richard Beeson and his family moved from Chester County Pennsylvania in 1735 to settle on a 1748 will of Alexandar Ross and George, daughters Mary Littler, Albana Thomas, Catherine 1748, son David Ross left estate "at Opeckon" to sisters excepting Lydia Day, living still in Nottingham a Quaker community in the disputed area between Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland.
McKay was originally from Freehold, NJ, then the Nottingharn Meeting in Cecil County,
