Land Grant to William Happer

Name/Title

Land Grant to William Happer

Entry/Object ID

2023.5

Description

Land grant, typed and written on paper with iron gall ink, to William Happer for 300 acres in Norfolk County, Virginia. Signed by Patrick Henry on January 11, 1786. Original wax seal.

Collection

Patrick & Dorothea Henry Collection

Dimensions

Width

18-1/4 in

Length

14-1/2 in

Provenance

Notes

Owner: Henry, Patrick Norfolk County, Virginia, was formed in 1691 from Lower Norfolk County in the southeastern corner of the colony. This land grant deeded 300 acres in the county to William Happer and was signed by Patrick Henry, then serving his fifth term as Virginia state governor, on January 11, 1786. Over time, the county gradually decreased in size as the county's cities became independent. The county seat of Portsmouth, founded in 1752, separated from county government in 1858 and others, like Chesapeake, followed in the twentieth century. Norfolk County was officially abolished in 1963 when the last of its land became city property. The PHMF purchased this land grant through the Alex Cooper Auction in Towson, Maryland, on November 8, 2021. Prior to that, it belonged to a private collector in Annapolis, Maryland.