From: "Sharon Karns" <skarns3@cox.net> First, there are STATE land records. This would include those listed in Willard Rouse Jillson's "Old Kentucky Entries and Deeds: A Complete Index to all the Earliest Land Entries, Military Warrants, Deeds and Wills of the Commonwealth of Kentucky", Baltimore,Genealogy Publishing Co., 1969. Most major libraries have this book. Kentucky State Land Office records fall into 9 categories - I'll give more information as we progress: 1. Virginia Land Grants of 1782-1792. The earliest records of Kentucky, made by the State of Virginia; contain warrants given for military service during the French and Indian War and the Rev War. 2. Old Kentucky Grants - 1793-1856. Given by Kentucky under the plan similar to Virginia's. Covers military, seminary, academic, treasury warrants, pre-emption grants, based on arrants and surveys made by VA. 3. Grants South of the Green River 1797-1866. Sometimes called the "Headright Claims." Lands bounded by the Green River on a SW course from the head thereof to the Cumberland Mountains, along these mountains to the Carolina line, to the Cherokee or TN River, with this river to the Ohio River, along the Ohio River to the Green River. Set apart prior to KY statehood as military reservation by VA. None prior to 1797 but a soldier could enter a survey within this area. After statehood,lands were opened to anyone over 21 who had a family. Each householder could receive a maximum of 200 acres at $30 per 100 acres. Fee simple title not given until the land was paid for. Must be a REAL sesttler for one year. 4. Tellico Grants 1803-1853. Lands that were ceded to the US by the Cherokee Indians in 1805. 572 grants, mostly located in the Big Sandy Valley and eastern KY. 5. Kentucky Land Warrants 1816 - 1873. Based on an 1815 act recovering all vacant lands in the state except those west of the Tennessee River. Sold for $20 per 100 acres to anyone except an alien. Had to get a receipt from the State Treasurer - was issued a land office warrant which allowed the land to be located and surveyed. After the latter, warrant was returned to the land office, registered, patent issued to the owner about 6 months later. 6. Grants West of the Tennessee River 1822-1858. Based on the 1818 acquisition of lands between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers in what is now TN and KY from the Chickasaw Indians thru a treaty written by Andrew Jackson and Isaac Shelby. Includes the present counties of Calloway, Graves, Fulton, Hickman, McCracken,Carlisle, Ballard and Marshall Counties - the "Jackson Purchase." Not opened for settlement until 1820. 7. Grants South of Walker's Line 1825-1923. Many of the original grants are now physically in TN. They were located south of Walker's line and north of the parallel 36 degrrees 30 minutes which was the established boundary between KY and TN. These grants SOUTH of Walker's line are found in TN, not KY books. 8. Warrants for Headrights 1827-1849. Smallest group of land records, 55. This might have been also part of an earlier group of grants but Jillson was uncertain. 9. County Court Orders 1836 --. Largest group of land records. Law was passed 1835 for each county in KY lying N and E of the Tn River was given all the vacant and unappropriated land within its boundaries. According to Roseann in "Kentucky Ancestry" and other sources - the Secretary of State's Kentucky Land Office, the Capitol, Frankfort, KY 40601 and the Kentucky Historical Society are the only ones that have the entire list of INDEXES. In the Archives research room at the Land Office they have: Resident lands forfeited to ht state 1854-1913; payments made by Green River settlers 1799-1814; resident lands sold for taxes 1833-1868; Land office records (actual settlers) 1796-1806 and land office records (sales of nonresident lands) 1806-19. Problems arose through the early years of Kentucky settlement in relation to the claims for land. To be "secure", claims had to be surveyed and registered. It was a difficult task for the surveyors; they called on all the deputies they could engage in order to meet the demands for surveys, not to mention the Indians and other perils. In 1785 (before the formation of the state of Kentucky), the Virginia requirement for the survey had to be filed within one year from the entry. This was repealed as being too rigorous. By three separate acts of Virginia in 1786, 1788 and 1790, and two acts in Kentucky in 1792 and 1793, conditions to complete claims were extended. Lands within the bounds of the Cherokee Indians on Tellico lands, or within the bounds of the Chickasaw Indians, or lands south of Green River were set apart for the Officers and Soldiers of Virginia for their military service. These lands could not be claimed or settled by the early pioneers. Much confusion would arise as many of the military grant boundaries were not too well identified. Prohibitive, as well as correctional laws were enacted in these instances. Pioneers were suffering from the scarcity of money and a government lenient to give indulgence from payment of the land occurred, as well as accumulated abuses of the land law and their corrections. Some innocent settlers stood to lose their land and improvements by hardship or through their ignorance of the requirements. Some settlers would seize land by a technicality for speculation and profit. HEADRIGHT CLAIMS - were for 200 acres. In 1795, the Kentucky legislature passed an act entitled "For the Relief of Settlers of the South Side of Green River." It dealt with the settlers who landed on the vacant lands south of the Green River who thought these land would no longer be taken up by military warrants - they thought the legislature would grant them settlement after paying a moderate price for them. The law read that every housekeeper or other free person above the age of 21 years, who had actually settled on the land within these boundaries (the military land) on or before the first of January 1796, would be entitled to hold 200 acres including such settlement provided that the land did not include any Salt Lick or body of ore. Salt licks meant oil was likely present. The act provided that the Governor would appoint three commissioners to act as a Court; the one in our area was held at the Logan Co Courthouse. These men had the right to determine settlement rights and grant certificates from which the surveyor would make his survey. To avoid a pioneer from obtaining all the rich bottom land in a strip along the stream, the act further provided that the settlement tract could not exceed, in its longest part, twice the width of its narrowest part. A law in 1797 stated that the land would be in as near a square as possible. The act of 1797 provided commissioners to meet in Lincoln, Green, Warren and Logan Counties. The settler paid $60.00 per 100 acres for first rate land; $40 for other lands of "inferior quality." The County Sureyor was required to obtain all the Virginia military boundaries in order not to overlap settlement rights. The settler was required to live on the property for "at least one succeeding year", or the land reverted back to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. At every Salt Lick or Salt Spring, the state reserved 1000 acres which could not be included in the settlement right. In 1798, the Kentucky Legislature amended the headright law to include widows, free males over 18 years of age, and every free person having a family who "shall settle ... on or before July next, and tend the same in corn." MILITARY GRANTS: Officers & Soldiers were awarded the land, as stated above, south of Green River and in the other areas named. These claims took priority over all other claims. They were made secure by the Compact With Virginia. It was not necessary to possess the land. The development of these grants were very slow. By an Act of 1797, if a settler accidently located on a military grant and obtained a certificate, he could REMOVE to another vacant but unappropriated land with his certificate and complete his title. To those who settled on military grants, on which an entry was not made before 1 May 1792, the settler was fined $500. One half went to the "informer" and the other half to the Commonwealth. The main reference book for Kentucky land grants is Jillson's "Old Kentucky Entries and Deeds." By virtue of the fact that counties have split out of counties, it is often necessary to go back to the parent, grandparent or great-grandparent county to find the entries. Many entries are missing from Jillson's book. Most of Barren Counties are not entered. Jillson listed the original survey number, the acreage, the county (or military), watercourse, date of survey, original book and page #, grant date and the original book and page of the grant. Jillson's book is found at most major libraries. If you note the word "Removed", this means that the settler had settled on military land or land previously claimed by someone else. (The previous information taken from the files of a late researcher, lawyer and surveyor here in Barren Co). Each county maintains what is normally called "Order Books". They will be found in the majority of courthouses, maybe under a different name, but they contain all the recorded business activities of the county. One thing recorded was when they voted on the tax base for the next year and appointed tax collectors. The tax records themselves were kept in separate books, very few exist in this area, but they were microfilmed and are available for every county from date of formation. The Kentucky Historical Society has these films and they will copy them for a fee. In most counties, the tax collector broke down his records into districts - seemingly military districts and the head of that district's man will be shown to the left of the columns. As a clue, most of the people shown under this individual's district would be neighbors, hence family names shown in the same district have a chance of being relatives. The head of household's name was shown next. He was the one responsible for paying the taxes. Next came a description of the type of land, normally shown as 1st, 2nd or 3rd rate land. First rate land was almost always the rich bottom lands near a waterway. The taxes were higher for this land. Then came the less fertile lands called "2nd rate" and the really rough land called "3rd class" or "3rd rate." Many counties were classified as primarily all 3rd rate. Next - the location of the land. It was always shown in reference to the nearest waterway ... the only way they had to describe its location. Now, this description might vary from year to year - same land, different tax man describing it. Then, the acreage was shown. This again could vary from year to year as the settler bought, sold, traded, or mis-reported how much land he owned. There are several columns which followed which showed who had patented the land, who had entered the land, etc. This can be a clue for you to look into the deed books and see when your settler purchased/sold this land placing him in the county on a certain date. Until 1809, there were several categories of people who were taxed. A tax was paid for every white man 21 and over. This is normally the head of household. If you see this column with a greater than 1 in this column, probably grandpa lived there, or a relative. Then they had to pay taxes on any white male over 16. This was done away with about 1809. Next was a count of the slaves - males over certain ages, total slaves, etc. Again, these columns varied over the years. Settlers were also taxed on other things - billiards tables, carriages, buildings, horse, etc. The value of the property was entered many times, some counties and years have very little detail. _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8 is here: Try it free* for 2 months http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup