Orange County Virginia Importations

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Sources

Related

Source:Morton, 1920 provides a very abbreviated list of importations, but available in electronic format. See:Transcript:Orange County Importations listed in Morton, 1920

Source:Hatke, 1979

Source:Wilson, 1954: Appendix B provides a more detailed extraction than Scott. Available online in electronic format by searching provided by HathiTrust Digital Library.

Source:Scott, 1907: Provides lengthy list of importations, but mostly confined to the head of household, available in electronic format on NewRiverNotes

Discussion

In Virginia beginning about 1736 land headrights were given to adult males above the age of 16 who paid for their own importation into the Colony, or the importation of other males above the age of 16. To secure these headlights an oath had to be sworn stating that they had paid for the importation, and had not previously applied for these headrights. These headright oaths provide a source of information about specific individuals individuals and their families, and often demonstrate an individuals status as an immigrant ancestor. SThe date of the oath of importation is not necessarily the date the person came to Virginia, let alone the date that they came to America. In many cases the person imported themselves well before that date, and may not have entered the Colony of Virginia directly. In many cases they initially settled in (or at least entered through) Pennsylvania, and only at a later date moved down into Virginia. Since citizens of Great Brittain did not have to swear an oath of loyalty, their arrival in America is often not recorded in ships registers or in oaths of allegiance, such as were routine for other immigrants. Thus these importation oaths serve as an important source of information about the importation of early settlers from Great Britain.

A number of authors have extract lists of those giving importation oaths (See above under "Related". These extractions very in their degree of completeness and accuracy, and it is often useful to review all of these sources, where the original Orange County records themselves can not be accessed.

Example Oath

Need a complete transcript and/or image of one of these oaths.