AT A

General Assembly,

BEGUN AND HOLDEN AT

The Capitol, in the City of Williamsburg, on the second day of November, in the seventh year of the reign of our sovereign lord George the first, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, defender of the faith, &c.; and in the year of our lord, 1720.

Alex: Spotswood, Esq. Governor.

CHAP. I.

An act for erecting the Counties of Spotsylvania and [From BeBrunswick; and granting certain exemptions and benefits to the inhabitants thereof.

PREMA

REAMBLE, That the frontiers towards the high mountains are exposed to danger from the Indians, and the late settlements of the French to the westward of the said mountains.

verley's abridgement, pa. 255.]

Enacted, Spotsylvania County bounds upon Snow Spotsylvania Creek up to the Mill, thence by a south-west line to County estathe river North-Anna, thence up the said river as far blished. as convenient, and thence by a line to be run over the high mountains to the river on the north-west side thereof, so as to include the northern passage thro' the said mountains, thence down the said river until it comes against the head of Rappahanock, thence by a line to the head of Rappahanock river; and down that river to the mouth of Snow Creek; which tract of land from the first of May, 1721, shall become a county, by the name of Spotsylvania county.

Brunswick county, begins on the south side the river Roanoke, at the place where the line lately run for ascertaining the uncontroverted bounds of this colony towards North Carolina, intersects the said river Roanoke, and to be bounded by the direction of the governour with consent of council, so as to include the southern pass; which land from and after the time that it

Brunswick.

Public build

ings.

Arms, &c.

Privileges of

shall be laid off and bounded, shall become a county by the name of Brunswick county.

That fifteen hundred pounds, current money of Virginia, be paid by the treasurer, to the governour, to these uses, viz.

Five hundred pounds for a church, court house, prison, pillory and stocks, where the governour shall appoint them in the county of Spotsylvania, and the governour to imploy workmen, provide materials, &c.

One thousand pounds, to be distributed in arms and ammunition, among such persons as shall hereafter go to seat the said counties, that is, to each christian titheable, one firelock, musket, one socket, bayonet fitted thereto, one cartouch box, eight pounds bullet, two pounds powder, until the whole one thousand pounds be laid out. The account whereof is to be desired to be laid before the general assembly.

Those arms are appropriated to the defence of the said counties, and the land as well as personal estate of the parties that take them, is made liable to see them forthcoming in good order.

The arms to be stamped with the name of the county, and liable to the seizure of any militia officer, if found within the bounds.

That five hundred pounds more be paid by the treasurer to Nathaniel Harrison, esq. Jonathan Allen, Henry Harrison, & William Edwards, gentlemen, or the survivors of them, or in case of their refusal, to such others as the governour shall name, to make up the like number, to be by them laid out for a church, courthouse, prison, pillory and stocks, where they shall think fit, in the county of Brunswick, and are required to account to the general assembly.

Inhabitants of the said counties are made free of inhabitants. publick levies for ten years, from the first of May,

Foreign Protestants.

1721.

The whole county of Spotsylvania made one parish, by the name of St. George; and that of Brunswick one, by the name of St. Andrew.

Because foreign Protestants may not understand English readily, if any such shall entertain a minister of their own, they and their titheables shall be free for ten years, from the said first of May, 1721.

Until the governour shall settle a court in Spotsylvania, the justices of the several counties of Essex,

King and Queen, and King William, take power over them by their warrants, and the clerks of the said courts by their process returnable to their said courts, in the same manner as before the said county was comstituted, directing the process always to the sheriff. And the court of Prince George county has the same power in Brunswick: But the sheriff of Prince George to have double fees.

Court-day of Spotsylvania is the first Tuesday of the Court-days. month, and Brunswick the first Thursday.

CHAP. II.

[From Bev

An act for the better discovery and securing of his Ma- erley's abr.] jesty's quit-rents.

VERY Sheriff, at November Court, yearly, is to divide his county into precincts, appoint and publickly certify one place in each precinct, which shall not exceed ten miles in distance from the house of any inhabitant of that precinct, and set the times of his attendance there before the 20th February, annually.

ed.

To these places the people are to bring their quit- Quit-rents, rents, either in current money, or tobacco, at one pen- how collectny per pound. If the sheriff don't do the people justice by these appointments, the county courts are to direct and order others. And if the people fail, the sheriff makes distress and sale for satisfaction of the quit

rents.

Proviso, The people may pay the sheriff or receiver general, in money, at any time or place before the said 30th of February, yearly.

Proviso, Where the frontier settlements are too thin, they must carry their tobacco into the next district.

The sheriff or collector to be answerable for all quit- When sheriff' rents, if sufficient distress can be had upon the lands liable. liable, & to pay the sweet-scented tobacco in hogsheads of seven hundred nett, and the Aranoka six hundred nett. Pay the money to the receiver general before the 25th of April, and the tobacco after that time upon demand.

If the tobacco shall not be demanded before the last of June, the sheriff or collector may make tender there

Where no

be had.

of, in such manner as tenders of tobacco debts are by law to be made.

If the sheriff returns that no distress can be had in distress can his county, and that the proprietor lives not in his county, but some other, the officers of the revenue shall certify the same to the sheriff or collector of that other county where such proprietor shall dwell, who shall demand the same with the arrears, and may make distress accordingly.

Penalty for

If the proprietor lives out of the colony, and no distress is to be had, the sheriff or collector is to notify this to his attorney, if any known; if none, then to publish notice at the court house of the county wherein the lands lie, five several county court-days, and the officers of the revenue shall cause notice to the effect aforesaid, by affixing the same at the usual place within the general courthouse, during three general courts. And if after such notice, the quit-rents shall be in arrear and unpaid, such land shall pay double quit-rents for all the time they shall be in arrear and unpaid, which may also be levied by distress.

All persons who, after the commencement of this concealing. act, shall conceal any part of the land, shall pay dou ble quit-rents for all land so concealed.

For better discovery of such persons, the moiety of such double quit-rents is given to the person discovering such concealment. Which may be recovered with costs, by action of debt, bill, plaint, or information, &c.

Distress,how Upon distress, the goods to be kept eight days, undisposed of less the person distrained give security to produce the same at the sale, which shall be at the eight days end, unless the quit-rents and charges of distress shall in that time be paid.

Suspending clause.

Notice of such distress and sale shall be given on the day of the distress, and affixed at the place of the intended sale, and on the door of the nearest church or chappel to the place of distress, and then upon sale, the officers to pay themselves all arrears, charges, &c.

After the commencement of this act, no lands to be forfeited for non-payment of quit-rents, notwithstandiug a proviso in the patent, or any other law whatso

ever.

Proviso, The execution of this act suspended until his Majesty's pleasure be known therein.

CHAP. III.

An act explaining, and further declaring, what shall [From edit. be accounted a sufficient seating and improvement to 1733, p.306.] save lands from lapsing; and for the better recovery of lands lapsed from persons living out of the conntry.

I.

HEREAS, by an act made at a general as- (See ch. 3. sembly, begun at the capitol, the twenty- 1713.) second day of October, in the eleventh year of the reign of our late sovereign lady Queen Anne; and thence continued, by several prorogations, to the fifth day of November in the twelfth year of her said Majesty's reign, It is declared, what shall be accounted a sufficient seating, planting, cultivating, and improving of lands, for the grantees of lands to comply with, the condition of cultivation and improvement mentioned in their grants. And forasmuch, as divers other sorts of cultivation and improvement of lands may be made, equally beneficial with those mentioned in the said act.

save land

II. Be it therefore enacted, by the Lieutenant-Gover- Pasturage nor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General inclosed,may Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of from lapsing. the same, That if the patentee of any land or lands not yet seated and planted, shall clear and fence any quantity of ground for pasturage, for every three acres of such land well cleared and fenced, which shall be kept and used for a pasture, during the term of three years, such patentee shall save fifty acres of such land.

III. And be it further enacted, by the authority afore- Buildings. said, That if the patentee or proprietor of any lands not yet seated and planted, shall lay out and expend any sum or sums of money or tobacco, in building houses, water-mills, or other works, or in planting of trees and quick-set hedges, or making other improvements on the said lands, not mentioned in the before recited act, every such patentee or proprietor shall, for every ten pounds current money, or the value thereof in tobacco, so laid out and expended, save fifty acres of the said lands from lapsing; and so proportionably, for a greater or lesser sum so expended.

IV. And, for preventing any controversy which may How imhereafter arise touching the value of the buildings, works provements or other improvements, hereby intended to save lands valued.

L-Vol. 4.