A Washington County, VA Land Grant dated 02 May 1787 was granted to John Porterfield for 15 shillings -- a tract of land containing 150 acres by survey dated 13 Feb 1785, lying in Washington County on a fork of Baker's Creek, a branch of the Middle Fork of the Holston River, by virtue of a certificate in right of settlement given by the Commissioners for adjusting the titles to unpatented lands in the District of Washington and Montgomery. Bounds: Hugh Johnson, [William] Cronkleton. [Source: VA Land Grant Book 8:549-550]. The 150 acres was a triangular shaped tract. Also see John Porterfield's 150 acre survey. We the Commissioners ... do certify that George Tetor is entitled to 150 acres lying on a branch of the Middle Fork of the Holston River, 60 acres of which was surveyed 16 Jan 1774 ... to include his improvement ... actual settlement made in 1770 ... 30 Aug 1781. I assign the within Certificate to Daniel Riley, his heirs & assigns, value received as witness my hand 09 Oct 1783. Witness, Aaron Lewis, [signed] George Tetor. I assign the within certificate to John Porterfield so that the Grant will issue in his name. As witness my hand 09 Mar 1785. Witness, Aaron Lewis, [signed] Daniel (x) Riley (by his mark). [Source: WC Survey Book 1:277]. John Porterfield's 150 acre tract was located just north of John Beatie's large 2,193 acre tract that Beatie bought from Mary & James Wood on 19 Mar 1783. John Beatie sold part of his tract (350 acres) for five shillings, to his son-in-law, Matthew Ryburn on 18 Apr 1784 [WC DB1:7]. Porterfield's 150 acre tract was just north of Ryburn's tract. This would put Porterfield's 150 acres in the vicinity of the current community of Glade Spring. It's hard to determine just how many acres the John Porterfield tract actually had as there was a large closure error of 1,264 feet in the survey. John Porterfield also had a Land Grant dated 01 May 1787 by virtue and in consideration of a VA Land Office Treasury Warrant # 9795, issued 11 Dec 1781 for a tract of land containing 110 acres, by survey dated 14 Feb 1785. [Source: VA Land Grant Book 7:530-531. (Also see WC Survey Book 1:284)]. According to the survey, the Treasury Warrant was assigned to John Porterfield by Aaron Lewis. Bounds: William Crunkleton, Hugh Johnson, Porterfield's adjacent tract. (The 110 acre tract was east of and adjoined Porterfield's 150 acre tract). For some reason a survey dated 10 May 1798 for 108 acres was done for John Porterfield, by virtue of VA Land Office Treasury Warrant #9795 (the same warrant number as the one for John's 110 acre Land Grant). [Source: WC Survey Book 2:83]. The new 108 acre survey may have been done to correct or update the survey for the 110 acre tract as the land for both overlap. Bounds: Crunkleton, Ryburn, "supposed to be Johnston's corner," and John Porterfield's "adjacent settlement survey." On 09 Apr 1805, another Land Grant was granted to John Porterfield, by virtue of a VA Land Office Treasury Warrant # 12113, issued 31 May 1782. "there is granted by the said Commonwealth unto John Porterfield a certain tract or parcel of land containing" 16 acres by survey dated 23 Nov 1803. Bounds: Wm. Stewart, Robert Mitchell, Beatie's old survey, John Porterfield. [Source: VA Land Grant Book 54:121-122]. The 16 acre tract lay to the east of and adjoined John Porterfield's 108 acre tract above. Thomas & Margaret Edmiston sold a 351 acre tract to James Porterfield on 02 May 1815 for $100.00, being the tract of land whereon the said Thomas Edmiston now liveth. The deed was admitted to record on 16 May 1815. On the same date there was a "deed" from James Porterfield to Thomas Edmiston for $100.00 -- the same tract of land containing 351 acres as in the above deed. This 2nd deed may be a mortgage, but if so, nothing is written in the deed stating it was a mortgage. Bounds: William Beatie (on the south), [Robert] Allison (on the northeast), Lands formerly of Hugh Johnston, now Thomas Edmiston's adjacent tract (on the north). [Source: WC DB 6:72-74]. Wm. Beatie was the son of John Beatie above. The 351 acre tract lay to the west of and adjoined John Porterfield's 150 acre tract above. The original metes and bounds of the 351 acre tract did not plot correctly. When plotted the tract looks like a skinny bird with a thin neck, big head and long needle like beak -- with a lot less acres than 351 acres and a closure error of 1,232 feet. I made two adjustments to the plot: (1) Added an obvious missing mete & bound (n3w 90 poles) to the end of the metes and bounds. (See H. Johnston & M. Buchanan Land Grant in VA Land Grant Book 9:477-478 for the missing mete & bound). (2) Changed (N61W 143 poles) to (N61W 43 poles) which may or may not be correct, but 143 poles was much to long for that mete & bound and the revised plot fits into the surrounding plots. Jane Porterfield was assigned a dower of 80.5 acres on 25 Aug 1851. The tract was mostly taken from the center of John Porterfield's old 150 acre Land Grant tract and which spite the 150 acres into a larger northern part and a smaller separated smaller part. The dower tract continued east to the easternmost boundary of the three Porterfield tracts above (the 110 acre, 108 acre and 16 acre tracts). Bounds: Robert Clark (N.E. corner), Arthur McCall (on the east), Wm. M. Ryburn (on the S.W.), Dr. Dunn's 49.5 foot line (on the west) and the two Porterfield division lines: (upper of N51E 224 poles) and (lower of S52W 180 poles). "Pursuant to an order of the County Court of Washington held on the 25th of August 1851, we the undersigned being first sworn proceed on the 29th day of August, 1851 to assign Jane Porterfield her dower interest in the land of her late husband James Porterfield, dec'd., according to the following metes and bounds ... containing eighty and a half acres given under our hands the day and date above written." [Signed] R. B. Edmondson, Francis Hutton, John Buchanan, Robert Clark. Ordered to be recorded on 27 Nov 1851. [Source: WC DB 20:404-405]. There is an interesting article ("For the Love of 900-Year-Old Beauties," by Mary Dudley Porterfield) on pages 40-48 of "The Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia Bulletin, Series II, No. 43, 2005 that is centered around twin oaks that grew on the Porterfield land for many years. Bob Ford