>> I am guessing that land was grouped into precincts and that periodically - every year or couple of years - the owners of the land in each precinct literally walked the boundaries of their properties to confirm them. Is this guess correct? Can anyone shed anymore light on this custom for me?>> Louise, You are correct. This usually occured every 2 years. It is a good way to track neighbors. Either the owner or someone representing him was supposed to appear to show the lines to the processioners. It was a way to avoid boundary disputes. The records I am most familiar with are the Louisa Co. Fredericksville Parish records -- I believe they covered the northern half of present day Albemarle for about 4 - 6 years. This time period was for when this land was taken from Hanover and given to Louisa, and before Albemarle was formed. Albemarle was formed from the land originally taken from Hanover and given to Louisa (that made the northern half of Albemarle), and from land from Goochland Co. which made the southern half. In something like a 20 year period, if you lived in the northern half of present day Albemarle, you would have paid land tax in New Kent, Hanover, Louisa, and lastly Albemarle without ever having moved. After that, northern Albemarle never changed, but southern Albemarle was the mother of other counties. Men who were appointed as processioners by the parish were usually land owners in good standing and usually the processioner for a certain "precinct" was also a landowner in that precinct -- so he knew his neighbors and the land. Julia Shiflett Crosswell Fort Worth, TX Shifflett Family Genealogy Website: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/4575/ March 1999 web site of the month at GenExchange