I found my first clues to the connections that I am exploring here in the old Entry Record Book for Lunenburg and Halifax Counties, Virginia. It has been republished by Marina Dodson Chiarito and is an invaluable source on this area. At that time, land was acquired by first making an "entry" in the book of the county surveyor. The surveyor then came and surveyed the property. With the survey and payment of fees (called Treasury rights, reflecing the practice of allowing claimants to pay money to obtain what used to be headrights for importation of colonists), the claimant obtained a warrant. He could then submit the warrant and survey to the Land Office and receive letters patent for the land. After the Land Office reopened during the Revolution (it closed when the Royal government was driven out and did not reopen for several years), patents came to be called grants. Here are the land entries: (Mar.20.1746 Surv.d R.W.) Robt. Hodges enters for 300 Acres beg: at the Mouth of TurkeyCock thence up and down both sides Snow Cr. Pd. Walton 5/91/2 Rites. Mar.20.1746 Surv.d R.W.) Robt. Hodges enters 200 Acres beg: at his Cabbin on Chestnut Cr. thence up & down. Transferr'd to Israel Pickins. Pd. Walton 5/7 Rites. (Surv.d R.W.) Isaac Atkinson enters 150 Acres on Pig Rr. beg: his Cabbin thence up and down both sides. (Surv.d R.W.) David Caldwell enters 400 Acres on both sides Pig Rr. beg: at a W.O. marked D C thence up. transferr'd Thos. Hall. (surv.d R.W.) Wm. Owen enters for 200 Acres on Pig Rr. beg: at the Mouth of Ruddy's Cr. thence up & down. Transferr's to Wm. Atkinson. Paid Walton 25/ for the Rites. (Mar.21 Surv.d R.W.) Robt. Hooker enters 200 Acres on the So. side Pig Rr. beg: at Hodges's upper Line thence up. (Surv.d R.W.) Wm. Hunter entes 200 Acres on the N. side of Pig R. beg: at a tree mark'd W H thence down. These entries all appear consecutively on page 53 of the Entry Record Book. Then on page 58 (not consecutive): 78 Wm. Atkinson with 20 pence enters 50 Acres of Land including his mill on Harping Cr. - Transfer'd to William Justice by Order of Wi. Adkinson (Surv.d R.W.) Wm. Owen enters for 200 Acres beg: at the Mo. of the Cr. below his Planatation running up the Cr. & up & Down Pig Rr. Paid Walton 12/6 the Rites. (Surv.d R.W.) Wm. Atkinson enters for 200 Acres beg: at a Beech Mark'd A W on the Nth. Side Pig Rr. Running up the Rr. 81 (Ap.15.1747) Robt. Hughes enters for 400 Acres beg: on Wm. Atkinson's Line thence up both sides Ruddy's Cr. Page 59: (Survy.d for Robt. Hodges see Picens J.B. ) Israel Pickins enters for 400 Acres beg: in the Gt. Fork of Chestnut Cr. thence up & Down. Paid Walton 9/2. Transfer'd to Wm. Owen and from Wm. Owen to Robt. Hodges. 82 (transfer'd to R.t Walton Surv.d pr W.S.) Wm. Mullins enters for 400 Acres on both sides of Bull Run a br. of Black Water beg: at a Poplar mark's W M in the Head of a Spring thence up & down the Cr. Pd. Walton 5/9 Rites. (Surv.d J.B.) Abraham Bailey enters 400 Acres begin in the fork of Camp Cr. thence up & down. Given to Thomas Hall. (Surv.d R.W.) Thomas Hall enters for 400 Acres on Pye Cr. beg: at the Gt. Buffaloe Lick Running up & down both sides. /given to Robt. Walton/ Paid Walton 6/5 Rites. Transfer's to Robt. Walton. (Ap.15.1747 Surv.d R.W.) Ashford Hughes enters for 400 Acres begin: on the lower line of the Grant between himself & Gray thence up and down the Nth. side of Pig Rr. & up Owens Cr. The on page 60: (Surv.d R.W.) Thoms. Hall junr. enters for 400 Acres beg: on Thos. Hall Senr. upper Line when Survy'd on Pye Cr. thence up both sides. Pd. Walton 5/5 - trans. to R. Walton - repaid per G.W. Jim Sims' posts on William Hodges have started to give you a flavor for the relationships we are going to see. Next, a little more information on who these people are. Bob Hodges