Today I want to share with you some very old records I found in Stafford County, Virginia.  My Linton-Barton-Hancock-Green-Scarlett family lines are there, some more noticeably than others according to their transactions within the court.  I primarily speak of the dates 1660-1700.

William Green is my 8th great-grandfather. His wife was Ann, I do not know her maiden name. After William’s death ,about 1685, Ann married Martin Scarlett.

The first example is William Green receiving 1,150 acres of land from the Governor, William Berkeley, for transporting 23 people to the colony.  Each person transported meant 50 acres of land to the person who paid for transportation.  How I wish there had been some note of which ship brought those 23 individuals to Stafford County!  However, we do know the land William received was located upon the north, northwest side of the Potomac River at the northeast side of Pohick Creek.  The description talks about a ‘deep valley’ marked by a chestnut and oak. 

To all to whom those parts shall come, I, Sir William Berkeley, King’s Governor, Gentleman of Virginia, send greetings and to our Lord God everlasting, and know ye and accordingly give and grant unto William Green eleven hundred and fifty acres of land in ye County of Stanford, upon ye NNW side of Pottomack River, beginning at the NE point of Pohick Creek, expanding along the Pottomack River ENE 320 poles to a marked chestnut and oak standing by a deep valley from thence NS 612 poles to a red oak standing on ye SE side of a small creek and north into the Pohick Creek, from thence SW point of the small creek, finally SE down the Pohick Creek, to ye back line into the point it began at.  The land belonging to William Green and for the transportation of 23 persons into this colony whose names are on ye records mentioned and this thy patent, to have and to hold yielding and paying and provided and giveth at James City and my hand and seal of ye colony ship fine and have unto ye seventh day of October in the seventh year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King Charles Second.

William Berkeley

Recorded 9^th December 1686, Stafford County Court

In the next section of the court records William Green sells his 1,150 acres to Sampson Dorrell for 4,500 lbs. of tobacco in cask.  I looked at a map – which today’s map is not exactly what the land looked like in 1686, but it didn’t look like the best of land so perhaps William Green did best by selling it! 

And after much searching what did I find?  The list of twenty-three individuals who William Green brought into the colony dated twenty-fifth day of October 1669.  Yes, you read that date correctly – 1669! 

I read that in the House of Commons in England, Parliament argued that ‘the death rate in Virginia is still such that a constant influx of colonists is required to maintain a viable settlement.’  It’s a wonder that as many lived long enough to produce children as did. 

The following names were difficult to read.  If you have a better idea of what the names are please let me know!

Jacob Markleton, John Samuel, Peter Baker, M. Brooksby, Lynn Sampson, James Dearisk, Jon Montfor, Ralph Eversey, John Scalter, Elliot ?  James Conasse, Hama Holoyd, William Warden, Ben Peter, Edward Huller, Thomas Lapper, William Groom, John Read, James Harris, Thomas Melvoy, Lynn Enbort, Samuel Land, Rey Smith.