This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: wmwillis2 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.virginia.counties.washington/4154/mb.ashx Message Board Post: In Virginia commissioners certificates were issued in Washington County to claim land settled prior to 1778. Basically all that was required was that you had to have settled the property prior to 1778. Most records for such certificates, such as surveyors records using a commissioner's certificate include an explicit date of settlement. However, a certificate could be assigned to third party. If a commissioners certificate were assigned, is it possible that the specific parcel referred to in a record was NOT the one the assigner actually settled? That is, might he have settled some other property, gained a certificate, but then instead of recording that settlement, assigned the certificate to someone else, and that person used the certificate as the basis for securing rights to a totally difference parcel? Ultimately, the question is of interest because I'm trying to determine who was the original settler on a number of parcels in Washington Co. I presume its the person who earned the certificate in the first place, but possibly not for the reasons suggested above. Thanks Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.