Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-07-22
FOR the SPECTATOR.
10 the Supervisors Of Augusta County.

|
r.
7 GENTLEMEN:-I beg to call your atten
tion to matter of much interest to ever.
citizen of Augusta county, inasmuch as i
affects the safety of the evidence of title t.
many of the most valuable tracts of lane
in the county
the present county of Augusta was frs
settled, it was embraced within the limits
| Of the county of Orange. In 1716 Gov
| opotswood first crossed ths Blue Ridge ant
| discovered that the Valley was d beautiful
and fertile country, offering many induce
ments to settlers. Within few years
thereafter, many hardy and adventurous
pioneers explored the county, and made
settlements and erected cabins for them.
selves and families, and commenced clear.
ing and cultivating the lands around them.
These settlers were mere "squatters, " hav-
ing no legal title even to the lands on which
these homesteads were located
In 1875 William Beverley and his associ-
ates obtained a patent for something over
110, 600 acres, and in ! 739 Beniafnin Borden
obtained patent for 92, 900 acres. Bever-
ley's Patent embraced lands in what is
now the county of Augusta, and Borden's,
gusts and Rockbridge.
These patentees compromised with the
actual settlers on liberal terms, and con-
veyed to them the tracts on which they had
''squatted,' and they also sold to other
parties many other tracts, which were
within the boundaries of their respective
patents. AS all this territory was then
within the limits of Orange county, these
n do IoI a..
ange. The county of Augusta was legally
established in 1913. but it was not actually
organized until 1745, when the first Court
was held
All deeds, therefore, that were executed
between 1913 and 1745 (and there were
several hundred sueh) for lands in the
county of Augusta were recorded in Or
ange county. Persons holding lands en-
braced in the deeds of Beverley and Bor-
den, executed between the years 1913 and
l745, will seek in vain among the records
OF Augusta county for a perfect chain of
title from the original patentees of King
George. They will be obliged to examine
the Clerks office of Orange to find the de-
ficient links-the deeds from Beverley and
Borden.
This condition of things ought not to be
war the Clerks office of Orange county
had been burned, Or if hereafter the records
of that county should, from any cause, be
destroyed, many of the most important
muniments of title would be irrecoverably
lost. Augusta county has wisely built
fire-proof repositories Of her archives, in
Guiding her deed books from 1745 to the
present date. But what will this expendi-
t11P hn do of
date, which are essential to perfect title
to so many of our most valuable lands, are
allowed to remain in distant county, sub
ject to casualties by fire and other means
of destruction?
1t seems to the writer that it is the i'm
perative duty of the Supervisors to take
prompt measures to avoid such catastro-
phe. They should, at an early day, pro-
ceed to have all the deeds for and wills dis
posing of lands lying in Augusta, between
1888 and 1745, whether executed by Bever-
ley or Borden, or their vendees or devisees,
copied into books similar to those in use at
the present day, and have them deposited
with our other permanent records of title.
The cost would be very inconsiderable COM
pared with the benefits and sense of secu-
witty which would result from it. Then we
would have in our own county complete
register of every deed ever executed for
lands lying in Augusta county, and every
one disposed to buy or sell real estate in
the county would have the means to trace
the title back to the British Crown.
While | am on this subject, | will take
the liberty of referring to another matter
Of kindred character, which needs cOrrec-
ton
Most people suppose that our county
Office contains a full record of all the deeds
which have been executed for lands situate
in Augusta since 1745. But such is not
the fact. For some years during the latter
part of the last century, it was lawful to
record deeds in the Clerks office of the
District Courts, and many were so recorded
There are two Deed Books of this charac-
ter now in the Office of the Circuit Court of
Augusta, which was the legal successor of
the old District Court. And it has often
happened, and may often happen in the
future, that this fact may lead to much
confusion and embarrassment. A person
desirous of tracing a title to land would
naturally suppose he would find all the
conveyances in the county office, and fail
ing to find them there, he would take it for
granted that no such deed existed and act
accordingly. This might lead to great
complications, and possibly to litigation
and heavy pecuniary losses.
Every one admits the propriety and ne
cessity Of having a complete registry and
record of every deed relating to land. The
same reasons which require such registry
would seem to demand that the record
should be complete and that it should be
found in one office. think would hazard
little in saying that there are hardly twenty
men in Augusta, who are not members of
the bar, or clerks OF surveyors, who know
of the existence of these two Deed Books
in the office Of the Circuit Court of Au-
gusta county.
Under these circumstances, venture to
recommend that a copy of these Deed
Books be made and deposited in the office
Of the County Court.
If these two suggestions be adopted and
carried into effect, the Office of the County
Court of Augusta will contain full record
of every deed and will that was ever exc
cuted in relation to lands in the county. Is
not this matter which commends itself to
the favorable consideration of every pru-
dent man? AN OLD CITIZEN.