Using Landmarks

Land surveys have been made since 1621 in the colony of Virginia.  Geographic landmarks were utilized to help locate and describe each survey. [patent]  Rivers, streams, creeks, swamps, points, bays, and many other items were often included.  Understanding the location and utilization of these geographic items can be the help needed to get around some of those brick walls.

A method used for this process is shown below.  Using an index in Volume I, Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623 - 66, by Nugent was used to outline the names of rivers, streams, creeks, swamps, etc., as they appear alphabetically in the index.

From left to right, it shows the names of rivers as they are indexed, with the page number that they are recorded falling below.  Dates were then placed along the left hand margin as they appear in the surveys.   This gives a rough chronology of the "rivers" as they become involved with a survey.  For example, the river named "Wiccocomocco" does not appear until 1635. [p.27]  The river "Nansamund" is involved in a survey before 1632. [p.17]  If an ancestor uses these rivers as landmarks for their patent, you can place these ancestors in an appropriate chronology.  Often, two to three years difference may break one of those brick walls.

Early Landmarks

Time travel has its difficulties.  Names, places, locations, streams, creeks, and all sorts of geography can change.  This often generates a great deal of confusion when reading wills, deeds, surveys, land grants, and historic records from the time period that you are traveling...or wish to travel.  Finding early maps that give this information can be very helpful in breaking down some of those brick walls.

The following is an example of an early map of Kentucky.  It was published 1784 and presents the major landmarks, settlements, roads, and waterways into this "dark and bloody ground".

The picture is focused around my own area of interest. [Written a book on Walker Daniel and the naming of Danville, KY]  Here the path of the "Wilderness Road" is given as it approaches the geographical center.  Kentucky's first Constitution was framed and adopted here.

Col. Shelby's station is clearly shown on the map. [Issac Shelby was the first governor of Kentucky.]
I can go to his cemetery today and see this geographic location.  It is essentially a landmark in time.  I know that standing here, I am located in time upon this map.   I  have a physical location from which to work.  A present landmark found on a map more than 200 years old!  Which way to one of my brick walls?  I have a place to start...an early landmark.

Getting the Poynt

Landmarks are important aspects in examining the history of an area. Especially if you are trying to establish the location of ancestors. Getting around certain brick walls may depend upon identifying and placing certain landmarks in the correct location recorded in deeds and surveys.

History often gives the stories behind these landmarks. Sting Ray point (poynt) is such a case. John Smith in his own writings give the following account:

"...vpon the riuer of Rapahanock, by many called Tappahanock, but our bote by reafon of the ebbe, chanfing to grownd vpon a many fhoules lying in the entrances, we ipyed many fifhes lurking in the reedes;..." [spelling as written 18 June 1608, f = s]. Thus, on low tide, the boat was grounded near the shore.

"...our Captaine fporting himself by nayling them to the ground with his sword..." [Interesting way to fish!]

"But it chanfed our Captaine taking a fifh from his sword (not knowing her condition) being much of the fafhion of a Thornback, but a long tayle like a ryding rodde, whereon the middft is a moft poysoned fting, of tow or three inches long, bearded like a faw on each side, which the ftrucke into the wreft of his arme neere an inch and halfe:..." [Take that Captain John Smith for sticking your sword into me...!]

"no bloud nor wound was feens, but a little blew fpot, but the torment was inftantly fo extreame..."

The tracing above is the mouth of Rappahannock River. The south landmark is Sting Ray point. The north landmark is Musketo Point. It was from these landmarks that the survey crews would begin their survey. The drawing shows 1 mile makers as they would be counted from these landmarks. Thus, "eight miles up" would be from these geographic points.

Certainly, Captain John Smith got the point!

Taken from: The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and Summer Ifles: with the names of the Adventuresr, Planter, and Governours from their firft beginning. An: 1584 to this present 1624. London, Printed by I.D. and I.H. for Michael Sparkes, 1624. p.58-59.