Land Grant to William Jennings

Letter

Patrick Henry's Red Hill

Name/Title

Land Grant to William Jennings

Entry/Object ID

09.3

Description

A land grant of 32 acres in Amelia County, Virginia to William Jennings, signed by Patrick Henry, dated June 1, 1785. The grant is an official printed form with spaces for specific information to be filled in by hand. Printed scrolling adorns the top center top of the document. It begins by outlining the parties involved and the money paid by William Jennings to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The middle section contains a hand written description of the exact boundaries of the property. Decorative scrolling has been added by hand to fill the additional space in the form. The grant concludes with the date and official signature of Governor Patrick Henry, authorizing the transaction. Dark creases from folding are evident. The edges of these creases are tattered and have a few small holes which have been repaired with Japanese tissue paper. A large round tear in the lower left corner indicates the place where a wax seal once was placed and then removed. An address direction or label written on the opposite side is visible bleeding through along the middle crease towards the bottom of the document. Patrick Henry's signature is written in the lower right corner.

Collection

Patrick & Dorothea Henry Collection

Transcription

Patrick Henry, Esq; Governor of the commonwealth of Virginia, to all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting: KNOW YE, that in consideration of the ancient Composition of five Shillings Sterling paid by William Jennings Jun.r into the Treasury of This Commonwealth there is granted by the said Commonwealth, unto the said William Jennings Jun.r assee. of William Quin a certain Tract or parcel of Land, Containing Thirty two acres by Survey bearing date the fifteenth day of February one Thousand, Seven Hundred and fifty Seven lying and being in the County of Amelia and bounded as followeth To wit, Beginning at Maslin Greens Corner Turky oak. Thence along his line West Thirty eight poles to a white oak. Thence along Ellins line South Eight degrees East Eighty poles to a Spanish oak. North Eight Six degrees East one hundred and Two poles to a Spanish oak. North forty Six and a half degrees West one hundred and four poles to the Beginning with its Appurtenances; to have and to hold the said Tract or Parcel of Land with its Appurtenances, to the Said William Jennings Junr and his Heirs for ever. IN WITNESS whereof, the said Patrick Henry Esquire Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, hath hereunto set his Hand, and caused the lesser ["seal" is missing] of the said Commonwealth to be ["affixed" is obliterated], at Richmond, on the first day of June in the Year of our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty five and of the Commonwealth the Ninth. P. Henry [Reverse] William Jennings Jun.r 32 Acres Amelia County En.d [?] Recorded and En.d [At right angle to the above print] William Jennings Jun.r is Intitled to the Within mentioned Tract of Land John Harris[?] Ra. S. Off[?]

Language

English

Dimensions

Width

15 in

Length

18-3/4 in

Provenance

Notes

This land grant of 32 acres in Amelia County to William Jennings was signed by Patrick Henry on June 1, 1785 during his fifth and last term as Governor of Virginia. Presumably this document was originally in the possession of the Jennings family. At some unknown time this land grant came into the possession of Sarah Buchanan Preston Dean (1873-1949), wife of Alvin Henry Dean. Mrs. Dean was the great-great grand niece of Patrick Henry through his sister Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell. In 1943 Mrs. Dean gave the land grant to her friend Mrs. Hudson. Mrs. Hudson passed the land grant to her son Colin M. Hudson. In April 2009 Colin Hudson visited Red Hill and brought the land grant to show Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation staff. Although not interested in selling it or donating it at that time, several days later he contacted the Foundation about the steps necessary for a donation. After having the grant properly appraised, Mr. Hudson formally donated the grant to the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation in May 2009.