This is probably not the correct forum for this question but perhaps someone can give me an answer or point me in the right direction. I am reading a court record entry which says: (I will shorten it to enclude only the part I have a question about) ".......My Father THOMAS NORMAN abt 3 years since did give me 100 acres of land situate on South side Acquia River and next adjoyning tothe land of WM. MATHENY including for its breadth on Acquia River 50 Poles & South Westerly to the Back line of the Grand Pattent granted to VALENTINE PAYTON and acknowledged to me in the Court of Stafford County and for divers good consideration to me well known but more especially because the aforesd land is very sorry land and thronged with back Seaters as also being void of Timber...... His father testifys next and substitues the words "thronged with neighbors" instead of back seaters. Can someone tell me what a back seater is? I am assuming that his son did not care for the neighbors and was calling them lazy? I have tried searching the internet for colonial terms and looked in books but can't find this anywhere. Appreciate any guesses. Bob