More ways to use the search option for the Library of Virginia's patents and grants at http://ajax.lva.lib.va.us/F/FMXF22YJ5DG7TNCCAM9D59K13F6U83U16B958FD8KL3SVS5SFH -02931?func=file&file_name=find-m-lva01 Near the top where it says: "Type word or phrase" Enter something similar to one of the following examples. (You don't need to capitalize any words): To search for a surname in a county with the same name as the surname such as Montgomery County, Type: "Montgomery County" "Montgomery J*" to find Montgomery's in Montgomery county with a first name starting with the Letter J (James, John, Joseph, etc.) that have Land Grants. You need to include all the quotes. The above only works with Montgomery(s) that are in the database as: Montgomery, James (surname first, given name last) The above will NOT find Montgomery(s) that are in the dateabase as: James Montgomery (given name first, surname last), To find -- James Montgomery -- you would need to Type: "Montgomery County" "James Montgomery" ("Montgomery County" "J* Montgomery") will NOT work. - - - - - - - - - - Sometimes it pays to search the county(s) that your county you are searching was formed from. This may be true even if you know the year you are looking for is after the county was formed. As an example: Wythe County was formed from Montgomery county in 1790, but a 559 acre Land Grant for Jacob Kitren [Kettering/Kettenring] on the "South Fork of Reed Creek" was recorded as being granted 05 Jun 1815 in Montgomery County (25 years after Wythe County was formed). The South Fork of Reed Creek is in the center of Wythe County and no where near Montgomery County. A search in Montgomery County found the following Land Grants (that were dated after 1790) for Grants and creeks that are within the boundaries of Wythe County: 12 for Grants on the South Fork of Reed Creek . 21 for Grants on Cripple Creek. 74 other Grants referencing Reed Creek. Bob Ford