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The document records land acquired under Virginia Treasury warrants and includes a detailed manuscript survey describing the tract by natural landmarks, adjoining landowners, compass bearings, and boundary trees. Such patents represent the final legal conveyance of public land from the Commonwealth and are among the most important surviving records of Virginia's westward settlement.
The grant bears the bold autograph signature of Governor John Page, a close associate of Thomas Jefferson, Revolutionary War officer, member of the First United States Congress, and Governor of Virginia from 1802 to 1805. It also retains its original embossed paper seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a desirable feature often missing from comparable documents.
Details
- Date: January 24, 1805
- Governor: John Page
- Grantee: Hugh Erwin
- Location: Rockbridge County, Virginia
- Watercourse: Collier's Creek
- Approximate acreage: 150 acres
- Original autograph signature
- Original embossed Commonwealth paper seal
- Printed and manuscript land patent
- Reverse recording and ownership endorsements
- Condition: Good to Very Good with expected folds, moderate toning, water staining, and edge wear.
An authentic and highly collectible Virginia land patent from the early Republic, combining an original gubernatorial signature, an intact Commonwealth seal, and an important record of settlement in the Shenandoah Valley.
The property is located in Rockbridge County, Virginia, on the waters of Collier's Creek, adjoining lands of John Standiford and the heirs of William Neely. The document contains a lengthy metes-and-bounds survey describing the tract by trees, ridges, creeks, and compass bearings.
The patent recites that the land was obtained under a Treasury Warrant, referencing surveys dating from 1799 and warrants issued in 1804 before the final patent was granted on January 24, 1805.
The lower right bears the large autograph signature of Governor John Page, a Revolutionary War officer, member of the First United States Congress, close friend of Thomas Jefferson, and Governor of Virginia from 1802 to 1805.
The original embossed paper seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia remains attached in the lower left corner. Although worn, it is intact and original. The reverse contains period ownership and recording notations referencing Hugh Erwin.
Condition
Good to Very Good.
- Original folds throughout
- Moderate age toning
- Some water staining, primarily on the reverse
- Small edge losses and corner wear
- Governor's signature remains bold and attractive
- Original embossed paper seal present
- No major text loss affecting the grant
While showing more wear than many surviving Virginia patents, it remains an attractive early nineteenth-century state document.
