The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-16
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that portion OF the tract granted required
by law.
PATENTED BY WOODWARD.
About the time os Stegge's aeath the
property to the east OF Shockoe Creek
was patented by one Willianl Woodward.
This was on October 20, 1910. This grant
was later assigned to the first William
Byrd, who LOCK out !. paten., 10
large measure covering this same terri
terry. on October ~. 1916.
These patent rights seem TO have lapsed
or been given up, either because of fail
sure to pay taxes or failure to cultivate
4 specified number of acres.
Il was not until April 70. 1GSf, tnas the
patent was made out TO William Byrd.
which really became the title to the pro-
perty on the banks of the James. The
fact that this title deed is the parent re-
cord of all similar documents lereabouts
is Illustrated by the fact that within tho
past week attorneys interested in the
suit between the local electrical power
companies over their respective riparian
rights have carried their studies and in
vesugations back to the rights and privl-
lcges granted by this original patent to
the first William Byrd.
THE PATENT TO BYRD.
Tic following is the text of this docu-
ment:
From the Commonwealth to Col. Wm.
Byrd
Patent recorded in office of Register OF
Land Office, Book l. page 5iS.
To all. &c. Whereas, &c., KNOW Se
that /, the said Frances, Lord Howard.
Governor General do with the consent
and advice OF the Council of State, ac-
cordinSly give and grant unto the Hon
orsbIc William Byrd Esq, a Tract Of
Land containing Nine hundred and Fifty
six acres. situate and lying on the north
side of James River in Henrico County
and bounding as follows, viz:
BEGINNING at the mouth of Shoccoe
Creek and running down James RiVer
aforesaid according to the meandefS ana
wndings of the same two hundred ana
twenty poles to q. gum standing on TIE
Run called Cillies Run. being the dividing
line between this land and the land be-
longing to Gilly Grooma Marin, thence
North % 81 degrees, west one hundred
and forty poles to RlckmokY ttoad;
thence north eight degrees west one nun
sred and forty poles to the head OF a
valley, thence north thirty five degrees
.;est one hundred and twenty poles 70
Shoccoe Creek thence down the creek
according to the windings thereof three
hundred and fifty poles TO the place
il began, five hundred acres of this land
being formerly included in patent
granted to the Honorable Thomas Stegg
Es,,. and from him devised to the afore-
said Colonel William Byrd and the resi-
due thereof adjoining to the heads was
with it included within these bounds ana
due by and for the transportation OF ten
persons into this colony whose names
are in the records mentioned under lhls
patent.
To have and to hold &c. TO be held
&C. yielding e paying &c, Provided &c,
Dated this 1ath of April lAnno Domini
1851 kath Witclleli, James Sands, Welsh
Davy, Walter Squire, William Gold,
James Darlow, Gale, DIANA Mary &
Bess. negroes. (Names of transports)
This; property remained in the posses
sion Of the ByrdS as an up-coultry piah-
tat-,1l whose oVerseer reported at stated
periods to the masters of Westover for
inst fiftv wears. Not until 1851 was q
town of twenty-eiSht squares laid of for
the second William Byrd by Major VIII
liam Mayo. This original survey exactly
corresponds to that portion Of Richmond
now bounded by Eighteenth and Twenty
fifth Streets and by Broad and Cary
The addition to Seventeenth Street
formed the first annexation.
The squares were laid off as they are
to-dav-26l by $50 feet-and the streets
sixty-six feet wide. From the original
deeds the lots seem to have sold Cor about
Sd or SO edCn. III ltlculilcHu real estate
mars of to-day they receive The numbers
given them by William Byrd.
Not until May, 17i2,s was an act of in
corporation passed by the House of Bur
gesses at williamsburg.
Many of the lots have interesting his
tories The two reserved for ''the
church form the southern half Of st
Johns churchyaro. The northern half
passed after 4 time from the Adams
family. to the city, which is now the
owner 4 hundred years ago Or more
the city entered into an agreement III
perpetuity to maintain the st. Johns
ward wall and care for the square. The
church stands on the southern half of
the square, the portion originally re-
served for a church.
The square which afterwards formed
the Van Lew property was reserved by
William Byrd. His purpose was to build
a handsome house in the town, but it
was never carried out.