Clare wrote >Added to that, some of the info is from Accomack Co. Court and some is from Elizabeth City Co., Court. To add to the confusion, I don't understand how a warrant could be issued in 1832 and the heirs sign for the distribution Aug. 1831. Va. Soldiers of 1776 states "The original certificate of allowance was as follows: - Exec. Dept. May 1st., 1832. Thomas Bonwell is allowed L.B. for his services as a Master in the Va. state navy. John Floyd, Gov." It doesn't say which county. Where would the Exec. Dept. be located?< You don't say what sort of "distribution" was made in Aug. 1831; it would not be related to the 1845 Elizabeth City Court proceeding. An estate distribution may be much delayed after a person is declared deceased. As quick example, a proceeding regarding distant cousins was only impelled by death of a deserted widow in the 1850s after she had the nerve to make a will devising the land given her by her father and that she purchsed herself. Her hubby had gone off in 1819, and the Court initially assumed that the land was his and refused to allow her will to be executed. The complicating factor was that there was "her" child and "their" children, so treating both deaths as ~intestate,~ or hers as ~testate~ made a difference as to who inherited the land. The Executive would be the Governor's office. 40 years prior to 1831 would be 1791. No war-related land bounty would pertain, but I have no knowledge concerning what VA was doing at sea at that time. Possibly the heirs managed to get the Legislature to enact a special bill for back pay, but the lawmakers made it a Land Warrant (of little financial value) instead of cash, which in the 1830s was rather scarce. Possibly the heirs turned in the land warrant in lieu of paying taxes. I don't know. You'd have to get the full court record and a solid look at Deeds. Best wishes, Judy</HTML>