Stafford County, VA Early Records

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

History
The First settlers on the area known as Stafford was the Brent family. They were a family of English nobles who converted to Catholicism. In order to escape anti-Catholic persecutions in Baltimore, they fled into Virginia and created a plantation near Aquia Creek.[citation needed]

Stafford County was established by the British colonial government of Virginia in 1664 from territory that was previously part of Westmoreland County, Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Prince William County, and thusly encompassed the majority of what is now considered Northern Virginia. The county is named for Staffordshire, England.

Pocahontas, the Indian princess, was kidnapped at Marlborough Point in the eastern part of the county and taken to a secondary English settlement known as Henricus (or Henrico Town). While there, she converted to Christianity and married an English settler named John Rolfe in April 1614. See also Kidnapping of Pocahontas Highway Marker or Pocahontas Highway Marker.

George Washington spent much of his childhood in the lower part of the county on his family's home, Ferry Farm, along the Rappahannock River across from the city of Fredericksburg. It was during this time that George supposedly cut down the legendary cherry tree. Colonial Forge High School was built on a tract of land owned by his father, Augustine Washington.[2]

George Mason also spent his formative years in Stafford.[3]

Aquia Church, a National Historic Landmark, was built in 1757 and remains open today [4].

During the Revolutionary War the Stafford iron works furnished arms for the American soldiers [5].

Aquia sandstone quarried from Stafford's Government Island was used to build the White House and the U.S. Capitol [6].

More than 100,000 troops occupied Stafford during the American Civil War for several years. The Battle of Aquia Creek took place in Stafford in the Aquia Harbour area.
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Submitted by Cindy Young

The Library of Virginia
Land Office Patents & Grants/Northern Neck Grants & Surveys : Catalog Card

Goin, Thomas 8 Dec 1708 Stafford County
653 acres on Potomack River side near the falls, beginning on the upper side the mouth of the Lower Spout Run by or near the land called Ousleys land.
Northern Neck Grants #3, 1703-1710, p. 204 (Reel 288)

Goin, William 23 Nov 1714 Stafford County
124 acres on both side of the main run of Jonathans Creek which said crrek issues out of the west or upper side of Occaquan River
Northern Neck Grants #5, 1713-1719, p. 8 (Reel 289)

Brechin, James 20 Dec 1716 Stafford County
795 acres about two miles below the falls of Potomack River adjoining Thomas Going.
Northern Neck Grants #5, 1713-1719, p. 44 (Reel 289)

Goin, William 28 Feb 1719 Stafford County
180 acres on the main run of Accotink Creek
Northern Neck Grants #5,, 1713-1719, p. 229 (Reel 289)

Goeing, Peter 7 Oct 1724 Stafford County
187 acres in King George and Stafford Counties, adjoining Alexander Clements and Skrines land.
Northern Neck Grants A, 1722-1726, p. 86, folio (Reel 290)
(This deed cancelled and land granted to John Mercer see Book B, p. 116)

Ford, Thomas 12 Feb 1725 Stafford County
282 acres on a branch of Occaquon known by the name of Popes Head adjoining land of William Gowin.
Northern Neck Grants A, 1722-1726, p. 200, folio (Reel 290)

Gowing, William 12 Nov 1725 Stafford County
112 acres on a branch issuing out of a run called Popes Head the said branch known by the name of Rattle Snake Branch.
Northern Neck Grants A, 1722-1726, p. 171 folio (Reel 290)

Going, James 4 Mar 1730 Stafford County
652 acres on Four Mile Run near Brandymore, adjoining the Chestnut lands of Thomas Pearson decd.
Northern Neck Grants C, 1729-1731, p. 118, folio (Reel 290)