Land Grant to Francis & William Drakins

Letter

Patrick Henry's Red Hill

Name/Title

Entry/Object ID

04.24

Description

A land grant to Francis and William Drakins signed by Patrick Henry. The grant is an official printed form with spaces for handwritten information. It gives the date and Treasury Office Warrant for the piece of land. It also gives the exact boundaries of the surveyed land. The document concludes by granting ownership to Francis and William Drakins and their heirs forever. It is signed by Patrick Henry and dated December 2, 1785. The grant has obviously been folded and shows crease marks. A piece about one inch square is missing from the top left side of the grant and partially obscures the writing in this area. A red wax seal is visible showing through the paper from the outside at the bottom of the document.

Collection

Patrick & Dorothea Henry Collection

Dimensions

Width

13-1/2 in

Length

16-1/2 in

Provenance

Notes

This land grant was one of the official documents issued by Patrick Henry during his fifth term as Governor of Virginia. This document illustrates how Virginia's vacant lands were distributed during the interim period between independence and the ratification of the Constitution. The prospective buyer paid the state treasurer a fee per acre and was given a receipt, which he then presented to the state auditor. The auditor then issued a certificat,e which was taken to the Land Office. The register at the Land Office would issue a numbered "Treasury Warrant." The county surveyor would then survey this piece of land. The warrant and survey were filed with the Land Office for six months, allowing any rival claimants to challenge the survey. After this period, an official land grant signed by the governor was given to the buyer. This process is identifiable in this land grant signed by Patrick Henry. The grant names Michael Ryan as the original purchaser of the warrant in 1783 and gives the official warrant number. Michael Ryan transferred his rights to Frances and William Drakins. The land was officially surveyed on July 1, 1784. The results of this survey are detailed in the land grant. Patrick Henry signed the final document on December 2, 1785. Betty Casey donated this land grant to the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation on June 22, 2004.