The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-04-04
DISCOVERY or ANCIENT PARCHMENT
pipEikS

PAPERS.
Some months since, we alluded to copy
Of the original grant by George the Second
to VIM Beverly and others, of Beverly Man,
or, which was produced il Court, in a case
involving the title to certain parcel Of land
near Stanton. It was then believed that
the original paper Of conveyance had been
burned or destroyed in Richmond nearly a
hundred years ago Numerous letters have
been received by different parties here, from
persons in distant States, asking for infsrma-
ton as to certain grants Of land in colonial
times, made in the then county Or district Of
Augusta, which reached to almost inde6ui:e
limits, and taking ia what is now parts Of
States The present clerks Of county and
circuit courts could give no Information that
would throw light on the subjects of inquiry
never having seen or heard OF the original
papers, aud not supposlng for an instant that
they were anywh, re within their jurisdiction.
Recently, however, 1T. n Ryan, clerk Of
tho circuit court Of Augusta county, has been
oyerhauling all the papers in his office, rear
ranging aud re-latelng them, and in doing
so has come across hundreds Of parchment
documents, the original grants Of lands how
constituting counties and States. Among
them is the grant OF George the Second, by
the Grace Of God, Of Great Britain, France
and Ireland, King Defender Of the Faith"
to William Beverly, Of the county of Essex.
gentleman; Sir John Randolph, Of the city
Of Williamsburgh. Knight; Richard Ban
dolph, Of the county Of Henreo gestleman,
aud John Robinson, of the county Of King
and Queen, gentleman, one certain tract or
parcel Of land called the Manor Of Beverly,
containing one hundred anl eighteen thous-
and, four hundred and nnety-oDe acres, and
being in the county Of Orange, beyoad the
Great Mountains, on the River Sherando'
Then follows the boundaries, which would
occupy page Of our paper to rapublish.-
This conveyance is signed by :. I'm. Gooch,
our trusty and well beloved ''I4ieutcnant
Governor and Commander in Chief of the
Colony and Dominion of Virginia" It en-
braces all the woods. underwood, swamps
meadows marshes, low grounds, fordngs,
and the cone share Of all the coin mines,
md quarrcs, as we'll discovered. as undisaov-
cred. within the bounds aforesaid" together
with tho privileges Of hunting, shooting, fish
ing. fowling and all other profits conditions
and hered;faments whatsoever. The condi-
tons Of the grant are one shilling yearly for
each fifty acres, to be paid ''upon the Feast
of Saint Michael the Arch-Angel' and also
cutivating three acres Of the fifty. In the
event Of three years Averages existing, then
the grant to revert to the grantor The pat
emf is dated the 9th dav Of September, 1876,
in the 4th year of the Kings reign.
Among the ancient documents, SO acciden-
ally discovered there are land grants issued
by Patrick Henry Governor Of the Common
wealth of Virginia. in 1886, and the 10th
year of the Commonwealth to John Barker,
assignee of Thomas l4aw|ey. assignee Of Reed
& Ford, for nine thousand acres of land. lying
and being in the county of Monongalia and
on the big Sand Run: 10 John Kyle and
John Sterling. four hundred acres. in the
county Of Ohio. on the waters of EVhening.
Greek; by Henry Lee, in 1892 toJohn Pres
ton ir.. for two hundred acres, lying in
Washington county on both sides Of the
North fork Of Cinch River; by James
Monroe. in 1900. two thousand acres to A..
Larew. and I.amherd F4arew. devisee of Isaac
Larew, dec'a, lying in Ohio county. on the
Ohio River, Gu both sides Of Middle Island
These long lost documents may be Of in
ca!culable advantage to some persons and
they may also be the means Of setting aside
many titles which are now considered settled
and uaimpeachable. Mr.. Ryan informs us
that he has received letters. since he has
been in Office, from Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky
and other States, asking for information,
which, doubtless. is contained in some of
these papers We give the discovery this
gratui,ious advertisement, which may be the
means Of causing Mr.. Ryan deal Of annoy
anee from correspondents. We shall advise
him to fix paying fees TO every examination.
That would estop the curious Those really
interested could afford to pay them
When and how these documents found
their w into the Circuit Clerks Office, and
into the hidden recesses where they were
found is not known. No one witt, whom We
have conversed seemed to know Of their cxis
tcpce. In the instance ofthe Manor Of Bev
erly patent, it was believed the parchmen
| document was burned. They are all writer
in very legible letters on heavy parchment
and the chirography is almost as distinct as
when they were first issned
! Bishop Atkinson. of the Protestant Ep1sco
pal Church Of North Carolina will deliver tt
Baccalaureate Sermon at Washington and lie
University, on the occasion Of the commence
mant exercises. @