HEAD RIGHTS In November 1618, on the 18th day of that wintry month, the governing body of the Virginia Colony decided something ought to be done to convince people to decide to migrate and settle in the colony. With the approach of real winter weather just they were disheartened because new settlers were not coming in as fast as they thought they might or should.
The judicial body was not part of the British Royal government. It was called “The Quarter Court”. It was the rule-setting section of the Virginia Company authorized to run the Colony in Virginia as they thought best. The rules and regulations, which, in many cases, became a Grand Charter of
obligations, rights and privileges we enjoy.
The plan the court came up with was one which granted a gift of fifty acres of land to anyone who settled in the Virginia colony. It also gave a grant of fifty acres of land to anyone would pay transportation costs for bringing a settler to
the colony. Fifty acres of land per head gave rise to the term "headrights". The second portion of the plan attracted more participants than did the first section. It spread other areas as they grew.
The plan set up by the Virginia Company worked well enough that, when the Virginia Company was disbanded the Royal Government, through is Privy Council, took over and declared July 22, 1634 that the headright grants would continue to be issued. In time, such programs came to difficulties in establishing titles which had never been officially patented. There were conflicts with existing patents, as well. The Council modified the plan to demand that such grants had to be officially patented within one year.
Evil overtones became obvious, too. The system gave rise to many abuses The plot could be bought and sold resulting in a real estated nightmare and associated cheating. Manifests of incoming ships did not agree with total number of settler delivered.
Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 6-9-06 [c337wds]
