Raw Data on Early Oil Creek Land Purchases

This is just raw information.

I don't understand much of what it means,

but I suspect it might be useful source material. -Donna G.

The Library of Virginia has some early land records on line. Searching for "Oil Creek" turned up the following records. You'll see the purchasers include settlers like William Duvall, Alexander Skinner, William and Alfred Posey and Charles Yancey. There are also speculators like Joshua Jackson and Gideon Camden.

This is a list of references to the detailed land patents. To get an idea of what the actual patents are like, see Alfred Posey and H.P. Haymond's reference at the bottom of the list. After it is a transcription of the patent to which it refers.

"How much land is that?" Each reference states the number of acres being purchased. I have translated acres to square miles. (There are 640 acres in a square mile.) It might be interesting to know also that "40 acres (of good farm land) & a horse” was thought enough to get a family going. That is, a "starter farm."

Oil Creek Land Purchases
Found in the Virginia Library On Line

Hedgman Triplett
~ 1 June 1785. Description: 431 acres on the right hand fork of Oil Creek waters of the Little Kenhawa. (Little over ½ square mile)

William Duvall
~ 1 November 1788. Description: 600 acres on Oil Creek a branch of the Little Kenhawa River adjoining below John P. Duvalls survey of 600 acres. (Just under 1 square mile)

Joshua Jackson
~ 19 January 1790. Description: 1000 acres on Oil Creek a branch of the Little Kenhawa River adjoining below his other survey of 1000 acres. (1.5 square miles)
~ 20 January 1790. Description: 800 acres on Oil Creek a branch of the Little Kenhawa River adjoining below a survey of William Deakins. (1.25 square miles)
~ 19 January 1790. Description: 467 acres on Oil Creek a branch of the Little Kenhawa River adjoining below a survey of William Duvals. (.73 square miles)
~ 20 January 1790 Description: 882 acres on the head of Oil Creek a branch of the Little Kenhawa River. (1.38 square miles)
~ 20 January 1790. Description: 1000 acres on Oil Creek a branch of the Little Kenhawa River adjoining below his survey of 467 acres. (1.5 Square miles)
~ 20 January 1790. Description: 600 acres on Oil Creek a branch of the Little Kenhawa River adjoining his survey of 800 acres. (.82 square miles) (total for Joshua Jackson: 7.18 square miles)

Camden, Gideon
~ 30 December 1842. 1200 acres on Oil Creek and waters thereof, Clover Fork, Three Lick Run and waters of the Big Right Hand Run and Second Big Run. (1.875 square miles.)

Posey, William
~ 31 December 1849. Description: 50 acres on Oil Creek. (.o78 square mile.)
~ 31 December 1849. Description: 70 acres on waters of Oil Creek, a north branch of Little Kanawha River. (.109 square mile.)

Charles Yancey
~ 1 July 1850. Description: 127 acres on waters of Oil Creek and waters of Little Kanawha River. (.19 square mile.)

Alexander Skinner
~ 2 January 1854. Description: 300 acres on Right hand fork of Salt Lick creek and on a head branch of Copen’s run. (2 ½ square miles)
~ 2 January 1854. Description: 1080 acres on Salt Lick Creek and Hyer’s run. (1.53 square miles)
~ 1 June 1854. Description: 141 acres on North East side of Little Kanawha. (.22 square miles)

Alfred Posey
~ 1 Oct 1862 Grantee(s): Haymond, M. P. & Posey, Alfred. Description: 90 acres. In Braxton County (.14 square mile) The text of the document this refers to is below.

Text of M.P, Haymond and Alfred Posey's

Land Patent Dated 1 Oct 1862

To the right is a xerox of the original document. Click on the document to enlarge it to read it. To the left I have copied the text of the document as best I could.

Pg 279
To all to whom these presents shall come- Greetings:
Know ye, That in conformith with a Survey made on the 4th day of July one thousand eight hundred and sixty by virtue of Land Office Treasury Warrant No. ??? 844 there is granted by the said Commonwealth, unto M.P. Haymond & Alfred Posey a certain Tract or Parcel of Land containing ninety acres lying in Braxton County, on the Road run, a branch of Oil Creek & bounded as follows to wit, beginning at a chestnut oak on the top of a point a survey made Martin Persinger & Alfred Posey thence running with the of one of their lines XX poles to a stake to a survey made for G. J. Arnold and with a line of ??? XX poles to a small chestnut & ??? thence 52 348 poles to a white oak on the top of a ridge XX poles to a white oak XX poles to a chestnut ?? XX poles to a chestnut oak corner to the Persinger & Posey survey, thence with the reverse of the line of ?? XX poles to the beginning with its appurtenances

To have and to hold the said Tract or Parcel of Land, with its appurtenances is the said M.P. Haymon & Alfred Posey and their heirs forever.
In witness thereof, the said John Letsher, Esquire, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, hath hereunto set his hand and caused the Lesser Seal of the said Commonwealth to be affixed, at Richmond, on the first day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty two, and of the Commonwealth the eighty seventh.
John Letcher