This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------1E1CE00F9FC992055044F8FE Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Tom is right on his definition of processioners. A representative of the land on both sides of the lines had to accompany the processioners appointed by the vestry as they physically remarked "the cherry tree in the corner." etc. If there was a disagreement about the line during the "procession," it was arbitrated. Lines going undisputed for a period of years (I believe it was three processionings) were considered to be "set." This is why in the Vestry books, the processioners reports include the names of the people who accompanied them along the line. In King William Co, arson destroyed most of the courthouse and its records in 1885, so the court ordered a "processioning" of the land to reestablish land ownership in the records with the deed books gone. This was how I learned my gr-grandfather had died between 1880 (census) and 1885 processioning of Henry Viar's "estate." Processioning provided a better view of the neighborhood because we don't know how the census wandered around, but we do know from processioners, whose land is next to whose. MaryLeigh --------------1E1CE00F9FC992055044F8FE Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Return-Path: <VAPITTSY-L-request@rootsweb.com> Received: from bl-14.rootsweb.com (bl-14.rootsweb.com [209.85.6.30]) by fox.gamewood.net (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id UAA25966; Sun, 5 Mar 2000 20:20:10 -0500 Received: (from slist@localhost) by bl-14.rootsweb.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) id RAA23278; Sun, 5 Mar 2000 17:19:41 -0800 (PST) Resent-Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2000 17:19:41 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <005101bf870a$1ada4c80$ac7296d1@oemcomputer> From: "Tom Jones" <tomjones@toad.net> Old-To: <vapittsy-l@rootsweb.com> References: <002b01bf8707$af588c80$03163018@mbowen.stu.adelphia.net> Subject: Re: [VAPITTSY-L] Meaning of the word "Processioners" Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2000 20:19:59 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Resent-Message-ID: <YdrVFC.A.erF.seww4@bl-14.rootsweb.com> To: VAPITTSY-L@rootsweb.com Resent-From: VAPITTSY-L@rootsweb.com X-Mailing-List: <VAPITTSY-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/660 X-Loop: VAPITTSY-L@rootsweb.com Precedence: list Resent-Sender: VAPITTSY-L-request@rootsweb.com X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Lilian, Probably Mary Leigh would have the best answer for this :-) Processioning is the act of physically walking the boundaries of landowners' properties to be sure that what was recorded in the courthouse was accurate. The correct boundaries were needed in order to levy land taxes. Tom ==== VAPITTSY Mailing List ==== Pittsylvania County Files online! Visit the Pittsylvania County Archives at http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/va/pittsylv.htm --------------1E1CE00F9FC992055044F8FE--