On 2 May 1713, Larkin Chew received a patent for 4,020 acres of new land in the parish of St. Mary in Essex County, Virginia, for a consideration of 20 pounds and 5 shillings. The land was said to lie on (the watershed of) the South River of Rappahannock River, as the Rapidan River was then known. The land lay on a great swamp of the said river. We start the description of the metes and bounds at a white oak about four miles from the river.
The course runs west by northwest for 670 poles, crossing the main forks of the Mine Run, and ending at two white oaks. The second course was north by northwest for 960 poles, to a pine tree. The third leg was east by southeast for 670 poles, crossing the main run (of Mine Run), to a pine tree. The last leg ran for 960 poles in a south by southwest direction (incorrectly recorded as south by southeast), to the beginning. The main clue as to its location is Mine Run, but even this permits the tract to be moved around a little bit, say half a mile.
Today the location is in Orange County about a mile south and five miles west of Germanna. The closest modern landmark is the village of Burr Hill, which would lie in the midst of the tract.
The same month that Larkin Chew received a patent (original deed) to the land, he sold shares in the land to:
1) Earl of Orkney, a sixteenth, for fifteen pounds;
2) Alexander Spotswood, a quarter interest, for fifty pounds;
3) Christopher de Graffenried, a sixteenth, for fifteen pounds;
4) William Robertson, a sixteenth, for fifteen pounds;
5) Richard Buckner, a sixteenth, for fifteen pounds.
All of these were recorded on the same day. Orkney and Graffenried were not even present (and it is doubtful that Graffenried could spare fifteen pounds).
In the following month:
6) Gawin Corbin bought a three-sixteenths interest, for forty-five pounds; and
7) Jeremiah Clowder bought a sixteenth interest, for fifteen pounds; and, in February of the following year, he added another thirty-second, for seven pounds and ten shillings. This left Larkin Chew with a three-sixteenths interest in the tract.
With Orkney and Graffenried as purchasers, it looks as the hand of Spotswood is present. The role of Chew is uncertain, and perhaps he was only a front to disguise the true owners in the original patent. Perhaps, he did have a major role in the plan. We must remember that he was the captain of the militia that had been out with Graffenried on the Potomac exploration. Though Graffenried was on his way to England when his purchase was recorded, he seems to be well aware of it.
Graffenried, in his memoirs, refers to the land that
we
(referring to himself and Spotswood) had together not far from the place where minerals were found. He added also, that if there were not sufficient indications for a silver mine they (the German miners) were to look elsewhere, as there were iron and copper minerals. The 4020 acre tract above is the only land known to be owned in common between Graffenried and Spotswood. It is very consistent with the history that John Fontaine has written. This tract is very consistent with the choice of the site for Fort Germanna.
(03 Nov 01)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.