Virginia Colonial Patents by Iveys

Bob’s Genealogy Filing Cabinet II

Virginia Colonial Patents by Iveys

Revised on March 04, 2004 | Copyright © 2001-2003 Robert W. Baird, All Rights Reserved

The following table is a list of all colonial patents I’ve found to persons named Ivey or Ivy, arranged in chronological sequence. The present-day county in which the land was located is noted in the “Comments” line, as is other useful information. I have also noted the lineage of each patentee, to the extent I can determine it.

Some helpful information:

1. In most cases, I have plotted the patents (using a program called Deed Mapper) and placed them onto USGS maps in order to identify the precise location of the land. Using patents by neighbors and Deed Mapper libraries of patents plotted by others, these patents can usually be fairly precisely located.

2. All grants prior to 1699 were “headright grants”, with 50 acres allowed per importee. Note that the claiming of a headright does not mean that the grantee was also the importer. The right to utilize headrights could be bought and sold like any other property. All grants after 1699 are “treasury right” grants unless otherwise noted. These patents were granted on the basis of 5 shillings per 50 acres.

3. In general, it’s safe to assume that the patentees occupied the land for a few years prior to the patent date. The date given is the recording of the patent, which typically lagged the claim and survey by a few years.

4. One requirement of a patent was that the land be “seated” within three years. Although this requirement was redefined several times, it basically meant that one either had to build a house and keep stock on the land or one had to cultivate at least one acre. Since the land was technically owned by the Crown, an annual rent was also required. Both requirements were routinely ignored, but land which became unseated could be repatented by others.

5. “Book:Page” refers to the numbered Virginia Patent Book and the page on which the patent begins. (An image of these patents can be downloaded from the Library of Virginia website)

6. “Ref. No.” assigns each patent a number so that I can refer to it in the “Comments” section. (go to Bob’s website to get this information that is in a table)

Land was in present-day Greensville County about six miles southeast of the cluster of patents #7 through #13, and about 1½ miles north of the North Carolina border. It was in the triangle formed by the north side of Fountain’s Creek and the south side of “Great Swamp” (now Mill Swamp).

Land was in present-day Southampton County on the north bank of Flatt Swamp, just east of the Greensville border. It was about 6 miles northeast of #16 and about 12 miles southeast of the cluster of patents #7 through #13.

Land was in present-day Norfolk County, in the western precinct, adjacent to “the said Ivy’s plantation”. (Son of John Ivey of Lower Norfolk.)

Land was in present-day Brunswick County in the western part of the county. (Possibly the son of John Ivey of Patents #6 and #14.)

The exact location is uncertain, somewhere on the south bank of Three Creeks in present-day Southampton, just south of Ploughman’s Creek. (Son of John Ivey of Patents #6 and #14?)

Land was in present Sussex County, bordering Patent #14 to the north. (Son of Henry Ivey of Patent #10)