Today I found a very interesting deed from my 5th great-grandfather, Benjamin Mason of Loudoun County, Virginia, to John Randolph of Prince William County. Benjamin Mason was born in 1724 in Stafford County. It is imperative to know the formation of counties when looking back through older records of your ancestors – if in doubt look up online! Although Benjamin was born in Stafford, part of the county was taken to form Prince William in 1730; area taken from Prince William to form Fairfax in 1742; and area taken from Fairfax to form Loudoun County in 1757 – where Benjamin Mason died in 1795. It is vital to search all counties where you ancestors might have lived.

A bit of background information first. According to the following, very difficult to decipher deed, William Thompson of Stafford County, sold 130 acres of land to Anne Mason February 27, 1737. On August 23, 1754, Anne sold this land to her son George Mason, who also bought 50 acres of land from John Wigginton, his uncle, brother to mother Ann Wigginton Mason, making a total of 180 acres. George Mason sold the land to John Hogan, who sold it to Matthew Thompson (son of the original owner William Thompson). Matthew Thompson sold the land to Benjamin Drummond and John Wigginton, who sold the land to my ancestor Benjamin Mason, who, in the following indenture, sells the land to John Randolph. So this property was originally in Stafford, which became Prince William when the new county was formed.

The following deed was written in 1767 in Prince William County. Benjamin Mason sells to John Randolph 180 acres of land.

Deed Book Q, 1763-1768, Prince William County, Virginia

Page 499

This indenture made the third day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty seven between Benjamin Mason of Cameron Parish in Loudoun County, of the one part, and John Randolph, of the Parish and County of Prince William of the other part.  Witnesseth that the said Benjamin Mason, for and in consideration of the sum of five shillings sterling to him in hand paid by the said John Randolph at or before the sealing and delivery of these presents, the receipt whereof the said Benjamin Mason doth hereby acknowledge, hath bargained and sold and by these presents doth baring and sell

unto the said John Randolph a certain tract or parcel of land situated and being in the parish and county aforesaid, containing one hundred and eighty acres, part whereof being the plantation whereon Benjamin Drummond lived and John Wigginton, being part of a greater tract formerly purchased by Matthew Thompson, late of Stafford County, deceased, from John Hogans, the part hereby granted having been sold by William Thompson, late of Prince William County, son of the said Matthew Thompson, to the said Ann Mason by deeds of Lease and Release, bearing date the 27^th day of February 1737 and the above mentioned Ann Mason sold to George Mason by deeds of Lease and Release bearing date the 23 day of August 1754, one hundred and thirty acres, fifty acres the said George Mason purchased from John Wigginton.  Beginning at a white oak, the beginning of Hogan’s patent on the east side a small branch then by a line of marked trees N28 ½ E135 to B, a dead red oak corner then by another line of marked trees s13 w191 to G, a corner white oak near a road side to be a division between this land and Hogan’s patent, then down the road and married trees by D. E. F. G. H. a marked white walnut near Cedar Run, then down the meanders of the same to J, the mouth of Fletcher’s Spring branch, then S88 E marking a line of trees to P a box oak and hickory in the line ran for Ann Mason, then N to O a marked yew tree on the bank of the said Cedar Run, then partly north east to a noted white oak on the east side of a small branch near Cedar Run of Hogan’s beginning, containing one hundred eighty acres, together with all houses, edifices, buildings, yards, gardens, orchards, woods, underwoods, ways, waters, watercourses, easements, profits, commodities and appurtenances whatsoever to the same belonging o in anyways appertaining, to have and to hold the said tract or parcel of land with the appurtenances unto the said John Randolph, his heirs and assigns, from the date hereof for and during and unto the full end and term of one whole year from thence next ensuing and fully to be complete and ended, yielding and paying

unto the said Benjamin Mason upon the feast of St. Michael the Archangel the rent of one pepper corn if the same may be lawfully demanded to and that by virtue of these presents and of the statute for transferring uses into possession the said John Randolph may be in the actual possession of the premises and be thereby enabled to accept and take a grant and release of the revision and inheritance thereof to him and his heirs forever.  In witness whereof the said Benjamin Mason hath hereunto set his hand and seal the day and year first above written.  Sealed and delivered in the presence of George Madden, Francis Jackson

Benjamin Mason