Land bounty certificates for French and Indian War service from the Virginia Land Office, 1774-1780

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Summary

Extent:
2.05 cu. ft. (5 boxes)
Creator:
Virginia. Land Office.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Certificates, 1774-1780, showing that proof of military service during the colonial wars was presented to and accepted by the issuing authority, either a county court or Lord Dunmore, the royal governor. Dated 1774, 1779, and 1780, the certificates include the name of the soldier; his rank, unit, and length of service; the county in which his service was proved, which was not necessarily his county of residence; and, on the reverse, the number assigned the certificate and any assignments which may have been made on the certificate up to the time the warrant was issued.

NOTE: Some of the certificates contain multiple names. This list is alphabetical and if the name was listed on someone else's certificate it references the name of the certificate in which the person was named [see Name]. It also lists the correct box and folder in which the referenced certificate is located. Several items were removed for conservation but whenever possible a copy of the document was made in the original's place.

Biographical / historical:

The French and Indian War ended officially with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in February 1763. Eight month later, England's King George III issued a proclamation whereby men who had served in military units in the colony between 1754 and 1763 until such units were disbanded were entitled to bounty land, the amount of land depending upon the rank held by the individual. Each field officer was entitled to 5000 acres, each captain 3000 acres, each subaltern or staff officer 2000 acres, each non-commissioned officer 200 acres and each private 50 acres. These benefits did not apply to persons who had served in various county militia organizations.

Other than declaring that each man must personally apply for his own bounty land, the proclamation did not establish the procedure to be followed in claiming the land. The same proclamation, by closing the territory inhabited by Native Americans, restricted the area in which land could be obtained. Once the grants were issued, which was not until 1779-1783, land involved was primarily in the western section of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Between 17 August 1779 and 18 June 1783, some 1400 warrants based on certificates obtained either from Lord Dunmore while he was colonial governor or from county courts after receipt of proof of service were issued by the Land Office.

Acquisition information:
Transferred in 1948 from the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Richmond, VA.
Arrangement:

This collection is arranged alphabetically by last name.