The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-19
HISTORIC TREASURES.
yALUABIE RECORDS JNPR0THCI-
sDIN THE LAND OFFJcE.
Superintendent fpes Urges that The b"i'"-
ing be Made tirc-Proof an" th"' '"o
Once be Provided with Koi er fiie'

received a reyort from Hon sydney T.
l.pes as TO the needs IN the me OF re-
pairs 10 the public grounds ana ''ii"I ms,
The committee cot lists OF senators wa
Hams IcCdtO ana Mcclure, ana us re-
port 10 the Senate, containing recon-
nepdations VIII be made up largely rom
abe rtIort Of Mr. Epes. The 'atter' III ms
r,port. does not refer TO the many IN
prt ,meuts which he has cailleu ou'
sim. he has taken charge OF ms oinSet
tuf they speak for themselves, ana are
lishlv aopreciated py the lawmakers.
Among tho suggestions made by Mr..
lpes in the line OF needed Improvement
A. a very important subject, as TO maklt
the rooms occupied hs The Land Once
fire proof in this connection the report
OF MIR Fpes contains tho followiag'
..The repeated warnings which the peo-
ple of Nir,dnia have received from Inv
salamitons Visitations 81 hre resulting ~
the destruction OF material Mhlch N"l'
never be replaced. ought 10 inspire il, III
resolve 10 rrescrVe what remains by
.,c,,. rcaeonabl, prccaution. The loss Of
The greater part Of the Library oil lhe
University was a serious blow NO mat
Ter wha, the Legislature may do' por-
tons OF the material there destroyed can
never be res. ored.
AN ounce Of prevention is worth
,osnd of cure just q little cure Just
a lntle urccaution iuft a little money VIII
often save the expenditure Of thousands
OF dollars.
A NINE OF WEALTH.
~rernaps there are but few persons VII
know that there remains IN the basement
Of the old Capitol a. perfect mine OF
wealth As not an the gold of all The
world could replace these treasures il
tbcv were once destroyed, so they may
lie considered as more precious tnin tle
precious meals. And yet 10 the tyef OF
The casual spectator. they may seem as
unlike the precious metals as possioi'.
They appear 10 he only l3ns rows OF
heavy record books AMI iusiy iapers'
which 10 not SPARKLE and glitter ana
pssh And vet they are treasures all
The same. wiohtut price. They are the
accumulated labJrs OF Centuri . "A SEN
oral mine OF historic mlteiial which, un-
Ike any ordinary deposit cannot DO Ill
minishcd by the drafts ma ie upon H. nut
grows more valuable rs It's contents are
made use 81 careful examination OF
those contents gives the following result
IT. Land Grants composed of lst Old
series from 1920 10 l119-i3 record books,
-. Alphabet Series. fr0m 100 10 liHb-24
hooks. st. New Series. from 1870 10 The
present. UNIV 81 'N'NNf ~ '''
books
III. Northern Neck Land Grants, from
1000 10 fsA composed of lst old SERIES
books: %. Alphabet Series, a. TO f. and
a 10 +. 80 books. n all, 30 record
books.
iii Surveys. from 1779 to the present
dav. composed e lst-Figure Ieries, ln9
10 lslO-5i books 2d-Alphahet Series, from
1910 TO 1861 A. TO r. and a. to y 2--S6
books: and 3d-four books from 1861 to the
present day: in al, ~ books.
CIV Military Certificate Books. com
posed Of ist. one book containing warrants
for land granted the soldiers OF the
Tren,h and Indian War O75O and three
books Of warrants for land granted the
soldiers OF the Revolution; in, all four
hooIs
". Abstracts Of Grants Of Land in
each county, beginning with, James
CITY county I'm 1920. in all forty books.
"VI. Original Papers. beginning in 1'19,
consisting Of two kinds, lst-'Plats and
Certificates on which the land grants
were Issued. and 2d-"Vouchers for Mill
tary Warrants for Revolutionary SER
vices.
"The total number OF record books
as above. with about five index books, is
35s. and there are many hundred bundles
THEIR SIGNIFICANCE.
"The Significance OF these records is
In brief as follows.
The list class. called Land Grants" be-
ginning in 1920, dispose of unoccupied
lands throughout the State. They in fact
give the original title to nearly every
foot OF soil in the Commonwealth Be
ginning with almost the settlement at
jamestown, effected in 1907, they show
The spread of population along the rivers
up to the falls, and then to the rest Of
the mountains. They are invaluable his
toricaliy.
ut was rule of our colonial govern
ment to give fifty acres OF land 10 every
immigrant who came over at his own
exDerse. Tn ,se who brought over immi-
grants got the fifty acres for their out
lay. So that the majority of the old
patents not only mention the ,ocation Of
the grant. bat the names OF all imported
by the grantees or imported by others
and assigned TO them The fullest census
Of the inhabitants of Colonial Virginia
can be obtained from ,hcse hooks. Nor
Is this all. The books abound IN matters
Of genealOgic. social. economic and poliu-
cal value. In splendid order pass before
us the succession OF Governors from Sir.
George Yardly TO Charles r. OFerrall.
Neck Land Granls-are very similar IN
their general character TO the LIST class
being grants issued by the proprietOrs Of
the Northern Neck. Lord Culp6per and
Lord Fairfax. and continued under that
name, II appears. down to 1851. IL will be
remembered that the part Of Virginia
called "Thc Northern Neck between the
Potomac and the Rappahannock. was
granted by Charles ]. to Lord Culpeper
whose title finally vested In Lord Fairfax.
These noble gentlemen parcelled out the
land 10 settlers, just as the State ala,
reserVing a rent. called quit-rent payable
annually.
"The 81 class. called Surveys are, az
their name indicates the hooks in which
the surveys accompanying the grants
were recorded.
"The 4th class, Military Certificate
Books-eivc the names Of all the soldiers
who received grants OF land for services
during the French and Indian Wars and
the Revolution. These books are Of the
greatest value The kcenest interest Is
now felt by thousands On preserving The
rosters Of the troops furnished by Nir-
glnla In the late war, and plans are being
devised 10 obtain correct copies Of the re-
cords I'm the departments at Washington.
Certainly TO Nirgnians. the part PLAYED
by the State IN the Revolutionary War
ought not TO be less important. The
Military Certificates" are immensely
valuable IN making the correct estimates
OF our troons. Owing 10 this work being
not yet done the contribution OF Virginia
20 the American Revolution has been
frequently underestmated. In fact in
some quarters every EFFORT has heen made
10 despoii her Of the honor which justly
belongs 20 her.
THE 5th class. Abstracts OF Grants Of