a downright goofy deed…
The more I map (its what I do)… the deeper in the woods (otherwise known as going down a rabbit hole) I find myself. I have been whining and complaining about it lately… sorry about that, I should just man up and deal with it.
There may be an explanation for some of my frustration (and on the extreme side , some of my exasperation and short temper)…
It is just in the cards when you do research of 300 or so years ago that there will be missing elements in the history… fires, wars, dumb asses, book eating worms and critters, and of course politicians ( the worst kind of bacterial infestation). So I dare to exclaim that sometimes a researcher must “adapt” to the circumstances and make an educated (shudder) ‘guess’.
Here is an example…
One Richard Milton acquired a patent for 640 acres south of the Meherrin River in then Chowan precinct (now Northampton County, NC). Cool… I dutifully found the pertinent record and attempted to map the thing in it’s rightful place in history.
I placed theMilton patent here just as a hunch that it was close… and note that the Joseph Boon patent adjoins him. Also note the patent line between them… that line is 2 miles long… this is unusual. Unusual things like that get my attention.
Purely by accident I noticed a reference to this Milton patent… and by the coincidence of that “goofy” patent line it leaves little doubt that this is the same land. So, I suppose, I am explaining that pure dumb luck is an element of my particular flavor of research. This all amounts to just matching the jig saw puzzle pieces.
Sometime between 1719 and 1731 this patent went from 640 acres to 340 acres. It also became the property of Michael Hanley… those records may have just been “lost”. But the deed speaks for itself. The patent may have escheated, it may have been ‘assigned’ from Milton to Hanley. These are the types of problems I am dealing with in this area.
So interesting. Where have you [or someone else] written about these particular Boone s and their connections. Love your research and comments. Thanks for sharing. Sharon hamner [Boone connection]
Sharon Hamner
June 30, 2023 at 12:12 pm
I have been disappointed with the research on the Boons. I have thrown my hands in the air and just started from scratch. That said, after about 20+ years of research, I am beginning to get ‘somewhat of a handle on them’. Again, with that said, I am trying to compose a Post where I generally explain what I am up to… it involves Boons, Braswells, Forts, Mandues and others… stay tuned.
Don’t forget my “search button”… it is the only way I can access my other Pages and Posts… I have written a lot on the Boons. Look in particular for the “three Williams”… that would be Wm Boon, Wm Braswell and Wm Browne… they were interesting guys… and interesting history.
anderson1951
June 30, 2023 at 12:27 pm
I think Milton and Melton are the same family. So keep an eye out for Melton.
justinpetrone
June 30, 2023 at 12:23 pm
I agree… it is just misspellings.
I have also found Milton/Melton down around the “Tuscarora Town” area among the Roanoke River.
(you know of where I speak… he got around).
anderson1951
June 30, 2023 at 12:28 pm