List of People Owning Land in the Borden Tract
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Historical Overview

Benjamin Borden, a native of New Jersey...obtained from Governor Gooch a patent dated October 3, 1734, for a tract of land in Frederick county, which was known as "Borden's Manor." At the same time, he was promised 100,000 acres on the waters of James River, west of the Blue Ridge, as soon as he could locate a hundred settlers on the tract [1] ...Bordens tract was south of Beverley's Manor, and in the present county of Rockbridge.

One of the first settlers on the tract was Ephraim McDowell and his family. His daughter, Mary Greenlee, related in a deposition taken in 1806...the cirumstances under which her father went there. Her brother, James McDowell, had come into Beverley's Manor during the spring of 1737, and planted a crop of corn near Wood's Gap; and in the fall her father, her brother John, and her husband and herself, came to occupy the settlement. Before they reached their destination, and after they had arranged their camp on a certain evening, at Linnville Creek, (now Rockingham,) Borden arrived and asked permission to spend the night with them, being doubtless on his way to his tract from his home in the lower Valley. He informed them of his grant, and offered them inducements to go there.
The next day they came on to the house of John Lewis, and there it was finally arranged that the party should settle in Borden's tract. Ephraim McDowell was then a very aged man, and lived to be over one hundred years old. When a youth of 16 he was one of the defenders of Londonderry. He and his family located on Timber Ridge, originally called "Timber Grove", being attracted by the forest trees on the ridge, that were scarce elsewhere in the region. Borden offered a tract of one hundred acres to anyone who should build a cabin on it, with the privilege of purchasing more at fifty shillings per hundred acres. Each cabin secured to him one thousand acres....Among the settlers in "Borden's grant" were William McCauseland, William Sawyer, Robert Campbell, Samuel Woods, John Matthews..., Richard Woods, John Hays and his son, Charles and Samuel Walker. Borden obtained his patent November 8, 1739. From Annals of Augusta county, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871, by Jos. A. Waddell.
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Early Settlers

The following persons acquired land on Borden's Grant directly from Benjamin Borden, Sr., prior to his death in 1743, or granted by his sons or executors. The dates shown represent the dates on which title was secured, not the settlement dates. (Based on Hildebrand's Map of Borden's Grant, with some additions now shown by Hildebrand.

NameYear Title SecuredAcresComment
William Adams1757336 acresMoffett Creek
Archibald Alexander1747960 acres 987--29p, near Punchbowl --sold: to Samuel Cummins of Chester County, Penn., 250 acres for 20p, 1763; to Joseph Alexander, 1765, 256 acres for 30p; to William Alexander, 1769 208 acres for 8p.
Ebenezer Alexander1748312 acres 312--100p--1748--corner George Jemison
John Allison1748291 acres John Alison & Jean; 291--8p 10s--1748--SW side North River, corner to Gilbert
John Allison1768190 acres either the son of John or Robert Allison, more info needed.
Robert Allison1747280 acres 279--8p 5s--1747--North River near Halbert McClure
Robert Allison175783 acres son of John Allison, above. Originally part of the 634-acre patent to John Buchanan
Robert Allison1771200 acres 200--30p--1771--North River (son of John Allison, above).
Isaac Anderson1756350 acresoriginally patented to Isaac's brother, Jacob (listed below) in 1750, who then sold it to Isaac in 1756.
Jacob Anderson1750350 acres 350--10p--1750--sold to Isaac Anderson, 1756, for 9p
Jacob Anderson1757232 acres (adjoining land of James Anderson) Originally part of the 634-acre patent to John Buchanan
James Anderson1757200 acres (adjoining land of Jacob Anderson) Originally part of the 634-acre patent to John Buchanan
Joseph Anderson1757200 acres
William Armstrongbef. 1742200 acreslisted as "William Armstrong and William Lusk - 1765" on Hildebrand Map; originally conveyed to William Armstrong bef. abt. 1742, who sold it later to William Lusk.
Andrew Baxter1742200 acresdate not listed on Hildebrand Map; 200--6p--1742--near patent line--sold by Andrew (Sarah) Stevenson, 1766, to John (Mary) Paul for 50p. Stevenson was grandson of Baxter.
Thomas Beard1753605 acres 605--33p, 5s--1753--Moffett Creek near John Roseman--sold to William Beard, 1760 for 100p.
Francis Beatty1751265 acres 265--17p 18s--1751--sold to Joseph Alexander for 50p in 1768, when land cornered on John Kerr's "old place." Beaty was then deputy collector of Mecklenburg County, NC
John Beatty1750118 acres 118--5s--1750; not identified on maps of Borden's Grant
Charles Berry1752326 acres 326--12p--1752--140 acres sold to Robert Gamewell, 1753, for 20p 5s
William Berry1746145 acres 145--5s--1746--Moffett Creek
William Berry1752130 acres 130--5p 10s--1752
Michael Bowyer1758226 acres location not known, not listed on Hildebrand Map
Charles Boyle1769180 acres
Mary Boyles1768200 acres
James Brownlee1747200 acres (spelled Broadlee in records)
Abraham Brown1754482 acres
Archibald Buchanan1762406 acres
Andrew Buchanan1756250 acres
Andrew Buchanan1770200 acres
James Buchanan1757415 acres
John Buchanan1747393 acresNote: the original patent of 293 acres to John Buchanan is recorded in Orange County, VA records in 1743. An additional 100 acres was acquired by John in 1747, and both tracts were sold to Samuel Buchanan (relationship undetermined) in 1756. This land is listed as "John and Samuel Buchanan" on Hildebrand Map.
John Buchanan1753370 acres
Samuel Buchanan1770240 acres
Samuel Buchanan1770240 acressame as above, adjoining tract above.
William Buchanan1750480 acres
William Buchanan1755280 acres
John Buntin1750225 acres sold this tract to John Wilson in 1771 and acquired a 320-acre tract in Beverley Manor in 1772.
Gilbert Campbell1742389 acres
James Campbell1756434 acres
James Campbell1768175 acres
William Carothers1753340 acres
William Carothers1754295 acres
James Cooper1768112 acres
James Coulter1753212 acres sold this tract to his son Michael in 1766.
Joseph Culton1742553 acres
Robert Culton1742368 acres
Richard Cousart1743333 acressold to John Cunningham and Robert Weir in 1752, later sold to Hugh Weir in 1763. Moved to South Carolina.
William Cowden1742100 acres
Alex Craighead1753290 acres
Hugh Cunningham1748281 acres
John Davidson1751353 1/2 acres
James Davis1762436 acres
Samuel Davis1761200 acres son of William Davis and Eleanor, early settlers in Augusta County.
William Davis1761100 acres probable brother of Samuel Davis, listed above.
William Dean1747265 acres
Charles Dollany {sic, s/b Donnelly}1742231 acres
David Dryden1747180 acres
William Dryden1770100 acres son of David Dryden, listed above.
John Dunlap1766150 acres
Robert Dunlap1742188 acresprobable sibling of Samuel Dunlap, below.
Samuel Dunlap1742559½ acres
Samuel Dunlap1756150 acres
James Eakin (Aiken)1742522 acres
Matthew Edmiston1751238 acres
Robert Edmiston1747244 acres
Robert Erwin1748205 acres
William Evans1743249 acresmis-labeled as "242 acres" and "1762" on Hildebrand Map, but deed in Orange County records confirms the tract for 249 acres was acquired on 13 March 1743.
Andrew Fitzpatrick1765150 acrestract sold in 1771 to David McNeely, Sr.
John Fulton1752200 acresson of James Fulton (b. abt. 1690 - 1752) "of South Mountain", who acquired land in Beverley Manor in 1742.
Robert Gay1765100 acres
John Gilmore1748250 acres
James Gilmore1748328 acres
James Glasgow (Glascow)1753427 acres
Alex Govour?1763100 acres Alexander McGuffey [also "McGavock"]
Benjamin Gray1767260 acresson of John Gray, listed below.
David Gray1761100 acresdate and acreage not shown on Hildebrand Map.
David Gray1761100 acreslocated nearby other tract listed above. Son of John Gray, listed below.
Isaac Gray1751270 acrespossible son of John Gray, listed below.
Jacob Gray1755450 acresson of John Gray, listed below; land later was acquired in 1773 by James Greenlee, Jr. through the General Court after non-payment of quitrents on 27 October 1772.
John Gray1742203 acresfather of Samuel, David, William, Jacob, Benjamin and possibly Isaac Gray, who acquired land nearby in the Borden Tract.
Samuel Gray1747175 acresSon of John Gray, listed above.
Samuel Gray175466 acressame as above, adjoining 175-acre tract acquired in 1747. Son of John Gray, listed above.
William Gray1754300 acresson of John Gray, listed above.
James Greenlee1747200 acresfather of John Greenlee, listed below.
John Greenlee1779400 acres
John Greenlee1779138 acres
David Quinn1768210 acres (prob. David Gwinn)
William Guinn (Gwinn)1742132 acresadditional information needed on this settler.
William Hall1743353 acres
William Hall1763346 acressame as above, both tracts located in SE Borden Tract
James Hamilton1751250 acres
John Handley1751257 acresshown as two separate and adjoining 257-acre tracts on Hildebrand Map, Chalkley's appears to contain records of only one.
James Harris1767200 acres
Andrew Hays1754160 acres
Andrew Hays1754307 acres (same as above)
Andrew Hays1754250 acres (same as above)
Andrew Hays1763200 acres (same as above)
Andrew Hays1766100 acres (same as above)
Charles Hays1742180 acres
Charles Hays1766165 acres
Charles Hays1766200 acres
David Hays1749124 acres
John Hays1746318 acres John Hays is the father of Charles and Andrew Hays, listed above.
John Hays 1765160 acres son of John Hays, above.
Pat(rick) Hays1742254 acresadjoins his 600-acre tract in Beverley Manor.
Samuel Hazard1756220 acres
George Henderson1742320 acres
George Henderson1750282 acres
James Henry1757408 acres originally surveyed for his father Robert Henry, who died before 1759.
Thomas Hill175450 acres adjoining land acquired from William Porter in 1747.
James Houston1747224 acres
John Houston1748228 acres
Robert Houston1742306 acres
Robert Houston1742206 acres
Elizabeth Hunter1743124 acresElizabeth Semple, widow of Robert Hunter
Joseph Kennedy1752300 acres
Joseph Kennedy1752414 acres same as above, this tract was originally a 430-acre tract sold by Benjamin Borden to Robert Galloway' in 1741.
David Kerr1750368 acres
John Kerr1750337 acres
John Kerr1743280 acres
Roger Keys1754400 acres Original owner was John Paul but it appears he never took possession, and land was immediately flipped to Keys. Neighbor to McDowell and Lyle families, with whom it is thought Roger immigrated from Larne, Antrim, Ireland.
Andrew Kinnier1773280 acres
Henry Kirkham1742198 acres
Robert Kirkpatrick1750612 acres
James Lackey1767200 acres (spelled Leckie in records)
Joseph Lapsley1742383 acres
Joseph Lapsley17541 acre adjoining his earlier tract, perhaps to join Lapley's tract at Woods Creek acquired from James McDowell in 1752, just across the Borden Tract line.
Joseph Little1774380 acres not shown on Hildebrand Map, but listed in Augusta County Court records.
William Laughridge (Lockridge)1742265 acres mis-labeled as "250 acres" on Map, listed as 265 acres in original deed in Orange County, VA records.
William Laughridge (Lockridge)1755250 acres
John Logan1753262 acres sold to John's son Alexander in 1755.
John Logan1755195 acres
John Lowry (Jr.)1757170 acres
John Lowry (Sr.)1742344½ acres listed as 334½ acres in Orange County Virginia Deed Book.
John Lowry (Sr.)1748200 acres
Robert Lowry1753412 acres
James Lusk1749170 acres
John Lusk1768259 acres
Robert Lusk1768241 acres
William Lusk1765200 acres
Daniel Lyle1743257 acres
John Lyle1748734 acres
Matthew Lyle1742300 acres
Matthew Lyle1746451 acres same as above.
Samuel Lyle1751235 acres
James McCallister1764160 acrescorner Robert Ervin near House Mountain, sold in 1766 to Patrick McConnell, moved to Bath County, VA
Andrew McCampbell176573 acresadjoining McCampbell's previously acquired 328-acre tract from James Gilmore in 1764.
William McCampbell1770309 acres deed apparently not listed in Chalkley's transcriptions, but is on Hildebrand Map.
William McCanless1742296 acres
Walter McChesneyundated80 acres adjoining Joseph Culton, Matthew Robinson and William Wardlow's tracts in NE quadrant.
Alex McCleary1742147 acres
Henry McClung176470 acres
James McClung1754200 acres
William McClung1754165 acres
Alexander McClure1747266 acres
Arthur McClure1749153½ acres
Halbert McClure1746203 acres
Halbert McClure1765300 acres possibly son of Nathaniel McClure, listed below, and grandson of Halbert McClure, listed above.
John McClure1749205 acres
Moses McClure1748180 acres brother of John McClure, above.
Moses McClure1749380 acres same as above.
Moses McClure1755110 acres same as above, adjoining the 380-acre tract acquired in 1749.
Nathaniel McClure1747180 acres brother of Moses McClure, listed above.
Samuel McClure1752282 acres brother of Nathaniel McClure, listed above.
James McCowan (prob. McCown)1754200 acres (prob. McCown)
John McCoun1750437 acres (prob. McCown)
Francis McCown1746328 acres
James McCown1749400 acrespossible brother of Francis McCune, above.
Alexander McCorkle1761300 acres
Alexander McCroskey1750200 acres
John McCroskey1747300 acres
John McCroskey1749440 acres
John McCroskey, Jr. 1748284 acresNote: not shown on Hildebrand Map, is adjoining land of James Glascow, according to Chalkley's reference
Samuel McCutcheon1742600 acres
Ephraim McDowell1747300 acres
John McDowell1755959 acres
Robert McElrath1768230 acres
Robert McIlhaney1750280 acres
James McKee1758310 acressold to Thomas Kilpatrick in 1765, then listed as 300 acres.
James McKee1766301 acressame James McKee as above tract
John McKay (McKee)1747390 acres
John McKee1768150 acressame John McKee that acquired 390-acre tract in 1747.
Thomas McMurray1750250 acres
Samuel McMurtry and John McMurtry1759292 acres Samuel and John were brothers, both sons of Alexander McMurtry
Alexander McNutt1753301 acres
James McNutt1753185 acres
Thomas McSpadden1744306 acres listed as 106 acres in Chalkley's records
Hugh Martin1748250 acres
James Martin1742752 acres
John Matthews1742295 acres
Alex Miller1749248 acres
John Montgomery1747248 acres
John Montgomery1754150 acres
Alexander Moore1750200 acres
Alexander Moore1754250 acressame as above
Alexander Moore1764120 acressame as above
Andrew Moore1754200 acres
David Moore1754150 acres
James Moore1743327 acres
John Moore1747428 acres
John Moore1747504 acres
John Moore1742304 acres
Robert Moore1774240 acres
Dominick Moran1763150 acresalso listed as Dominick "Morrin or McMourn" in some records
Samuel Nesbit1770100 acresJohn Berry's line
Samuel Norwood1750243 acres
Samuel Norwood1760400 acresadjoining tract acquired in 1750, listed above.
John Patterson1741380 acres
John Patterson1741420 acressame as above.
John Patterson1742188 acreslocated just north of his 380-acre tract.
Samuel Patterson1776100 acresadjoining the 238-acre tract that Samuel had acquired from Matthew Edminston in 1764
John Paul1754400 acresthis tract was re-conveyed to Roger Keys just a little over a month later.
John Patton1750200 acres
Thomas Paxton1748670 acresthis is Thomas Paxton, Jr.
Thomas Paxton1748500 acresthis is Thomas Paxton, Sr.
Thomas Paxton1749410 acresrefered to as "Thomas Paxton, joyner", in Chalkley's record.
Thomas Paxton1769774 acresthis is Thomas Paxton, Jr., who sold this land within two months to James McDowell (378 acres) and James Campbell (396 acres)
Robert Poage1742378 acresRobert also acquired several tracts in Beverley Manor.
William Porter1742395 acres sold to Thomas Hill in 1747.
William Porter1750112 acres same William Porter as above
William Porter1754200 acres same William Porter as above
David Quinn1768210 acres (prob. Guinn)
Archibald Rhea, Jr.,1771200 acresbrother of William Rhea, listed below. Shows as "1753" on Hildebrand Map, but Chalkley's deed is dated "1771".
Robert Rhea1754175 acresbrother of William Rhea, below, shows as 118 acres in Chalkley's Records. Later sold to Archibald Rhea, Robert's brother, listed above.
William Rhea (Reagh)1750230 acreslater sold to his son, Archibald Rhea.
James Robinson1743200 acres
James Robinson1760416 acres
John Robinson, Sr.1753300 acresNorth Fork of Goose Creek, conveyed by James Patton, part

of large tract patented 10th April, 1751

John Robinson, Jr.1753872 acresNorth Fork of Goose Creek, conveyed by James Patton
Matthew Robinson1753400 acres
William Robinson1760124 acresmarried Isabella, died in 1765, surname sometimes listed as "Robertson" [sic]
John Scott1761100 acres
James ShieldsBef. 1748218 acresnot shown on the Hildebrand Map, but listed in Chalkley's as 218 acres granted from Benjamin Borden in the Borden Tract and adjoining Robert Robinson's tract in Beverley Manor. Most likely this is refering to the 298½ acres acquired from Samuel McCutcheon in 1746.
John Shields1742320 acres
John Shields, Jr.1752193 acresson of James Shields, who had died in 1749.
Henry Skeen1778190 acres
John Smiley1763144* acres shows as "44 acres" in Chalkley's, listed as "144 acres" on Hildebrand Map.
Widow Smiley1754400 acres
William Smith1742999 acres
John Sproul1758250 acres
Andrew Steele1750463 acres
Andrew Steele175540 acresadjoining 463 acre tract acquired in 1750, listed above.
George Stevenson1750200 acres
John Stevenson1750149 acres
John Stewart1752313 acres
John Summers1768440 acresmarried Hannah Kirkham, daughter of Robert Kirkham who lived nearby.
Isaac Taylor1748600 acres
William Taylor1762200 acresson of Isaac Taylor, listed above. Tract not shown on Hildebrand Map, but adjoining Isaac Taylor, William Lusk and Daniel Lyle (Chalkley's).
Alexander Telford177040 acresbrother of Robert Telford, listed below.
Robert Telford1768230 acres
John Thompson1769100 acres most likely the son of James Thompson who had acquired Robert Poage's adjoining 378-acre tract in 1748.
James Trimble1742402 acres Dorman's transcription of Orange County Deed lists "John Tremble" as original patentee, but other records in Augusta County confirm that James later sold this tract.
Moses Trimble1747345 acres
Thomas Vance1765800 acres
Alex Walker1743161 acres
James Walker1743321 acresNote: listed incorrectly as "1773" on Hildebrand Map, unless settlement date occurred 30 years after original patent was granted.
John Walker1743213 acres
John Walker1754190 acres
John Walker, Jr.1753312 acres
David Wallace1757200 acres
John Wallace1755645 acreslisted as a single 895-acre tract in Chalkley's (including tract below)
John Wallace1755250 acres
James Wardlow1770acres not listed NE quadrant
James Wardlow1792697 acres NE quadrant
William Wardlow1752343 acresJoseph Kennedy's line; Mill Creek.
William Wardlow1791121 acres
Dominic Warren1763150 acres
John Weir1765201 acresson of Hugh Weir, who had acquired land nearby in 1763.
Joseph Weir1765199 acresson of Hugh Weir, who had acquired land nearby in 1763.
Robert Weir1754240 acres
Moses Whitesides1750270 acres
Moses Whitesides1754145 acresadjoining 270-acre tract acquired in 1750.
John Wiley1750280 acres
John Wiley1770236 acressame as above, both tracts in SW Borden Tract near Kerr's Creek
James Wilson1760388 acres
John Wilson1753448 acres (spelled "Winston" in Chalkley's)
John Wilson1753609 acres
William Wilson1760377 acres
Richard Woods1742570 acresSettled on Woods Creek south of Lexington
Samuel Woods & William Woods1742100 acresSettled immediately north of Richard Woods on Woods Creek, south of Lexington
James Young1742401 1/2 acres
James Young1747440 acres
William Young1756100 acres Originally part of the 634-acre patent to John Buchanan

Return to Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Secondary Source: "Conveyances In Borden Tract, 1741-1780", from: The History of Rockbridge County by Oren Morton, published in 1920

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