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William Preston Land Grant

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-1994-027

Scope and Content

This collection contains a land grant for 2,175 acres in Botetourt County, Virginia, that belonged to Colonel William Preston and the Preston family, which includes the land for Greenfield. The document is signed by John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, who was the Governor of Virginia from 1771 to 1775.

Dates

  • 1773

Creator

Language of Materials

The materials in the collection are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Biographical Note

William Preston (1729-1783) emigrated from northern Ireland with his family in 1737. He married Susanna Smith in 1761 and settled at Greenfield in Botetourt County in 1769. Preston established himself as a leader in the Virginia frontier by serving in the militia in the French and Indian and Revolutionary wars, in the House of Burgesses representing Augusta County from 1766 to 1768 and Botetourt County in 1769, and as County Lieutenant of Fincastle and Montgomery. Preston was appointed as a commissioner to negotiate a treaty with the Shawnee and Delaware tribes in 1757. He was appointed surveyor of Fincastle County in 1772 and moved his family to that area. Preston was also a milita colonel during the American Revolution.

Administrative History

The Greenfield Plantation was located in Botetourt County, Virginia, and was originally owned by Colonel William Preston. Greenfield was purchased as a 191 acre tract by Preston in 1759, and by the time this land grant was drafted the property consisted of more than 2100 acres. Preston and his family lived at Greenfield until they moved to the Smithfield Plantation in Blacksburg, Montgomery County, Virginia, in 1773. The house located on the property was destroyed by a fire in 1959.

External Source:

"Greenfield's Early Days", Botetourt County, Virginia website, https://www.botetourtva.gov/799/Greenfields-Early-Days

Extent

0.2 Cubic Feet (1 oversize folder)

Abstract

This collection contains a land grant for 2,175 acres in Botetourt County, Virginia, that belonged to Colonel William Preston and the Preston family, which includes the land for Greenfield.

Source of Acquisition

The William Preston Land Grant was donated to Special Collections and University Archives in memory of Frank Brockenbrough Preston, Jr., in August 1994.

Related Archival Materials

The following collections at Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives also contain materials related to William Preston:

Preston Family (Alice Preston Moore Collection) Papers, Ms1962-004

Anna Whitehead Kenney Papers, Ms1991-022

Preston Family (Charles Peale Didier Collection) Papers, Ms1985-020

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the William Preston Land Grant by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the William Preston Land Grant completed in October 2023.

Title
William Preston Land Grant, 1773
Status
Completed
Author
Tyler Williams, Student Assistant
Date
2023 (CC0 1.0)
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308