Celebrating Memorial
Day - Early Veterans
For Memorial Day, we have decided to highlight land patent research
for VA-KY Revolutionary War Veterans. Land patent and bounty research of our
ancestors is a great way to show their contribution and war service.
Background
Kentucky,separated from VA, was admitted as the 15th state, 1 Jun 1792. So early researchers may find their VA - KY Revolutionary War ancestor’s
land warrants on the Kentucky Secretary of State website: Revolutionary
War Warrants Database.
“Patents
issued for service in the Revolutionary War are filed with the Virginia Patent
Series (VA), Old Kentucky Patent Series (OK) and the West of the Tennessee
River Military Patent Series (WTRM).”
Step 1. Where to
begin?
Visit the Kentucky Secretary of State website. We have had
wonderful success on the Virginia and Old Kentucky Patent Series, where researchers can access patent
images using a “name” database. There’s
also the Index forVirginia Surveys and Grants posted by the Kentucky Historical Society
online.
Step 2: Tracing Deeds.
Tracing the deeds may be possible using online databases as
that in Edmonson County, KY where images of the deeds are available. At a3Genealogy,
if needed we use Deed Mapper to help us identify and track land descriptions. But even with metes and bounds
and the lack of official surveys and platted land maps, you can uncover the
general area of your war veteran and ancestors’ Kentucky early settlements. Visit here for Metes and Bounds Primer for Genealogists.
Step 3: Ready to Walk
Ancestor’s Land?
Once researchers have traced the early land patent to the
current owners, we have found that the local Property Valuation Administrator
(PVA) office is the best resource to mapping current day location. In Edmonson
County, KY the Property Valuation Administrator
(PVA) office aerial maps were used for outlining the original land patent
of a recent client. However, for a “forensic genealogy” case in the same area,
we used a property title search company / attorney with a surveyor to verify
our findings and certify land boundaries for a court case. This however, is an
expensive solution for genealogical research.
Edmonson County Aerial Map - Ancestor Land Identified |
Top 3 Roadblocks
1) Deeds
may not be readily available on line. More than once we have had to use our a3Genealogy
Kentucky deed experts to ferret original patents and trace the deeds. However, our Revolutionary War patent projects
have thus far been 100%. To trace these patents to current day, however,
requires research in wills, probates and minute books.
2) You
may wish to not have an aerial map (birds-eye) view. For these clients we use Google Maps, but in
some rural areas, exact locations may not be discernable on the map. Yet, an overlay
from historical maps using Google Maps is an acceptable tool.
3) From
the original patent to current day the watercourses have shifted and the
descriptions vary from one owner to the next. It’s not exact. Be sure to widen
your deed trace to include neighbors. Few have paid for official surveys.
However, this is changing due to boundary disputes.
As we celebrate our war veterans, have a safe Memorial Day. And let’s not forget our
Revolutionary War soldiers laid to rest in the most remote locations.
Kathleen Brandt
a3genealogy.com
Accurate, accessible answers
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