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27 February 1693 and 28 February 1693. To clear the title, John Wright, sole
heir to Francis Wright and Anne Washington, released the 450 acres to Thomas
Asbury and Henry Asbury Jr. on 26 September 1711. James Hambleton purchased
his 100 acres from Henry Asbury Jr. for 3500 pounds of tobacco. The land,
“Lying and being in Washington Parish,” was described as follows:
Beginning at a Small red Oak Corner tree Land of Thomas Robins
Extending North along his Ninety two pole to a marked Red oak a
Corner tree for the Land of the Said Robins & the Land of Goofe
from thence Extending North along the Line of the said Goofe
fifty two pole to a marked Red oak from thence East one hundred
& Eleven pole to the Line that divides this Land from the Land
of Thomas Asbury being part of the aforesaid four hundred &
fifty acres from thence South along Asbury’s Line one hundred
forty four pole to the Land of Thomas Marshalls from thence West
along Marshals Line one hundred & Eleven pole and five Lincks to
the place it began.
The land measured 144 poles (rods) north-south by 111 poles east-west
(actually 111.2 along the southern boundary). One pole, or rod, equals 16.5
feet (one-quarter chain). This works out to 99.99 acres. The original grant
is shown on a map in the “Historical Atlas of Westmoreland County, Virginia,”
page 60, which indicates that the 1200 acres were originally patented on
4 September 1661 to John Washington and Thomas Pope. Most of this land was
in King George County. I was able to determine the precise location of James
Hambleton’s land from a Warranty Deed dated 1699 (Recorded in Westmoreland
County Deeds and Wills, Book 2, Page 188a), wherein Thomas Robins sold his
land along what became James Hambleton’s western boundary line. His land
amounted to 75.25 acres. Its eastern line measured 92 poles, with red oak
trees at either end (matching the description in James Hambleton’s deed).
Its northern and southern lines measured 140 poles, and its western line
measured 80 poles. Most importantly, its southern and western lines are
identified as being along the original patent lines. This fixes James
Hambleton’s southwestern corner. It was on the patent line, 140 poles
(2310 feet) east of the southwestern corner of the original 1200-acre patent.
I spent two afternoons exploring James Hambleton’s land. It is most easily
accessed by a county dirt road, no longer maintained, called Sawmill Road.
There are many fallen trees across the road, which leads all the way to
Mattox Creek. James Hambleton’s land did not extend to Mattox Creek, but was
intersected by branches of the creek on its northwestern and southeastern
corners. These branches, and the “runs” that feed them, have deeply
dissected the land, carving steep gorges into the heavily forested terrain.
The high ground is fairly flat, affording so many desirable building sites
that I was unable to find any remnants of the old homestead.
I was not trespassing. Under Virginia Law (Title 57, Chapter 3, Article 1,
Section 57-27.1), owners of private property “shall have a duty to allow
ingress and egress” to “family members and descendants of deceased persons
buried there.” Moreover, the access route, although no longer maintained,
is still a public road. James and Grace Hambleton died in 1726 and 1727
(see below), at a time when there were no public cemeteries in the area.
They are buried on this land.
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