Source: Virginia Land Office Grants R, 1785, p. 176

Granted to John Kirk on June 20, 1785

[In "Geographical Sketch of the Meek Neighborhood, 1772-1839" p. 23, publication Series II, No. 10 and 11, September 1973, The Historical Society of Washington County, VA, the tract sketch is labeled with the following: John Kirk, 300A - 1772 - 1806, Joseph Meek, Jr. 1806 - 1839. A stone house (Kirk's home) was located on this tract. In the same publication, in the article entitled "The Meeks and their Neighbors," - "Across The Great Road (from the Cunningham tract), sometimes called the Wilderness Road or Great Stage Road, lived John Kirk, who proved his settlement of 300 acres in 1772. In 1787 he sold this tract to Robert Craig, who devised it to David Craig, who sold it to Joseph Meek, Jr. in 1806 for one thousand dollars." and "The 300 acres Joseph Meek, Jr. bought is known to the present times as the Kirk Place. In front of the stone house located on the place is a big spring. In his will, probated in 1839, he devised his land saying: 'My plantation on which I now live called the Kirk Place or stone house, including the land I purchased of John Snodgrass, and also including as much of the land of the old Meek Place as will be sufficient to make a road or lane, as the lane now runs from Lewis Smith's corner east of the Spring, or at least two rods wide, to the Main Stage Road, shall be one plantation and legacy.' " This information helps to locate the Main Road, which appears to closely parallel US highway 11 at this location. My map of the tracts may need to be adjusted, moving the tract boundaries about 15 poles (250 feet) west so that the old Meek tract (Cunningham's) aligns with the dirt road on the topographic map (assuming the dirt road provided on the topographic map is the same as the one described in the will). On my drawing of the tracts overlaid on the topographic map, the dirt road crosses the northeast corner of James Thompson's tract. And I believe this portion of Thompson's old tract belonged to his son-in-law, Captain Lewis Smith, at the time Meek's will was written. Note that the description of the road (lane) "...now runs from Lewis Smith's corner east of the Spring...", which suggests that the road came close to this corner of Thompson's old tract, but not across it. In other words, I suggest that the road to the stone house crossed the tract boundary segment "S 58° W 14 poles to 2 white oaks James Thompsons corner to his old survey"]

300 acres in Washington County, VA on both sides of Bakers Creek a branch of Holsten River

Certificate in Right of Settlement

Survey Date: February 11, 1783

Beginning at a poplar
a corner to his former survey
and also a corner to Jacob Hices survey
and with said lines
S 61° E 57 poles [matches Thomas Bates's line, who acquired land of Jacob Hice]
to between 3 white oaks
a fixed corner between Hice and Kirk
N 70° E 280 poles [matches Thomas Bates's line]
being a fixed boundary line and running
to 2 sourwoods and locust sapling
S 12° W 75 poles [angle matches Aaron Lewis's line, his line 117 poles, the excess 42 poles of Lewis's line is north of Kirk's tract, but is apparently not shared with another tract]
to 2 red oaks
N 81° W 50 poles [matches Aaron Lewis's line]
to a red oak and white oak
S 31° W 64 poles [matches Aaron Lewis's line]
to a red oak
on a ridge
S 24° W 38 poles [matches Aaron Lewis's line]
to a white oak
in George Hices line
and with his lines
S 73° W 19 poles [angle matches Jonathan Cunningham's line, his line 100 poles, the remaining 81 poles of Cunningham's line shared with Aaron Lewis's line - also note that George Hice owned Cunningham tract previous to Cunningham]
to a parcel of white oaks
S 15° W 52 poles [matches Jonathan Cunningham's line]
to a red oak
S 58° W 14 poles [matches Jonathan Cunningham's line - the lane from the Main Road to Kirk's stone house may have crossed this boundary segment]
to 2 white oaks
James Thompsons corner to his old survey
and with a line thereof
S 71° W 206 poles [line shared with James Thompson, I don't have survey data of Thompson's tract]
to a large walnut
a corner to Philip Grevers survey
and with his line and by his corner
N 34° W 104 poles [angle matches Philip Grever's line, his line 86 poles, remaining 18 poles apparently not shared with another tract, at NW end of 104 poles is located John Bates (Batie) corner - see also John Hotton grant - have not been able to find grant to John Bates yet]
to 3 white oaks
Bates corner and also said Kirks former corner
and with a line of his former survey running
N 38° E 176 poles [matches John Hotton's line]
to the beginning

[text in brackets added by J. La Favre, 2008]

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Jeffrey La Favre - jlafavre@gmail.com