The Hanover County Land Tax Records and the Personal Property Tax Records commenced in 1782. Prior to that year ownership of land can more or less be followed by reading and carefullly examining the orders and returns of precinct entries in the Vestry Book of St. Paul's Parish. When the Clerks of Hanover began to enter names into the tax ledgers (1782), they alphabetized them which makes it easier to find particular names, but the disadvantage to this practice is that you lose adjacent neighbors. Precincts were formed by lumping together people whose lands were actually clustered, adjacent, adjoining. You don't lose neighbors completely beginning in 1782, because commencing in 1813, "Designation and Situation of Land" is one of the columns added to each person's land record in the tax ledger. Various valuable data is found in this column, such as distance from and in what direction from the courthouse, on a creek perhaps, adjacent land owner (s), etc. Descriptions vary. Land tax records always included owner whether or not person was living in county or on land. Personal Property Tax records in Hanover might list that someone who would ordinarily be found in St. Paul's Parish could now be found in St. Martin's Parish. If a person moved from the county, he would not be listed on the Personal Property Tax Roll, naturaly. As the years progressed, there were more absentee land owners, but the owner is always listed, and the record might show where the person "now resides." And no, when William left Hanover (his name is no longer in the precinct wherein his land was processioned nor is it in any other Hanover precinct) around 1743, the conclusion would seem to follow that he sold the land that had been Amor's unless a married daughter's husband whose name I do not know came into title. This gets into the realm of pure speculation, however, and I try not to indulge, although, unless I saw evidence or proof, I wouldn't come to any conclusion one way or another. I have no idea how Margaret Via met and married Daniel Maupin. To my knowledge the Maupins were not connected to New Kent or Hanover at any time. If I ventured an opinion, again, it would be pure speculation. Same with Jeanne Via Thompson. I am sure that it is quite possible that the St. Peter's Register contained pages with names of other Amor Via and wife children thereon at one time (it is generally accepted that William and Robert were sons and their names do not appear in the Register), and those pages are lost for one reason or another. But conjecture and hard evidence are entirely different things. I have never supposed that Amor was a nickname. Why would I? It is a perfectly proper given name that is still used although the spelling I normally see is "Aymer." Spelling was a rather casual thing until this century, really. I have seen documents wherein a person spelled his own name several different ways in the same document. Another good example is the spelling of the "Via" name. In Hanover on those tax records and Vestries and Registers, I have seen Via, Viar, Vire, Viah, you name it. I don't think we should get too hung up on inconsistencies in spelling. In the first edition that I saw of the 1704 Quit Rent Roll, I saw our ancestor listed as "Amen Vice," and had I not known that this was not an original document and I wasn't looking specifically for Amor Via, I would never have suspected that Amen Vice was actually Amor Via. If an "a" is not closed, it can very easily appear to be a "ce." And "n's" and "r's" are easily confused. I just try to keep an open mind and look for clues and what if's where I find them. I have abstracted with much frustration and hesitation some of the handwriting that might be considered almost illegible, so I sympathize with and appreciate those who make a practice of it I have read all the Census Returns for Hanover through 1900, I think it is, and have copied every Via entry. I have three huge three ring notebooks with photos of documents or my own transcriptions which I recognize can certainly contain errors. I have boxes of Via related material that I have accumulated through the years. I have a typescript copy of the Gilson Via Bible that a descendant of one of Gilson's daughters (by his third wife) donated to the LVA some years ago. Gilson had children by all three wives. His first born was an only son, Robert, who died very young. Gilson and his daughter, Margaret (married Thomas Turner) and some of her descendants are buried in the Emmanuel Eiscopal Church yard in the lower end of the county. If any of you have access to the Official Military Atlas of the Civil War that accompanied the Official Records, there are many fairly accurate maps of Hanover County, and some of them have the names of the Vias printed on the location of their lands. My great, great grandmother, Louisiana Via's place is shown (she was widowed in 1856). In 1862, and 1864, there were a number of horrific battles fought (purpose of the Atlas) in the county, Battle of Cold Harbor being the most famous, I imagine. In fact, there is a recently published book by the Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2002: COLD HARBOR, GRANT AND LEE, MAY 26 - JUNE 3, 1864 by Gordon C. Rhea, in which an account is given of the battles fought in and around the Via (Mrs.Via) farm. I haven't been able to determine if this is the widow of Gilson Via or another William. Their lands were each 10 miles from the courthouse. Mr. Albertson, I have so many records of the Vias of Hanover County that it would be easier for me if you let me know whom you are looking for specifically. 1782-1810 cover many years and much data. Janelle Via McKown