ed president-elect of
the Indian college; and Richard Downes, a scholar in England, came to
Virginia in 1619 with plans to work in the proposed college. All of
these hopeful plans were suddenly blasted by the eruption of the Indian
massacre of 1622. For all practical purposes the project was ended,
although some efforts were made after 1622 by the company to have the
remaining tenants cultivate the land and to hold the bricklayers to the
obligations of their contract.

The trace of these grants, including the company land, the Governor's
land, and the "burroughs land" fades out in the absence of complete
records for this period of the colony. Use of the glebe land as partial
support for the minister was continued in later years, although details
of the disposition of these early plots are missing. And the
appropriation of lands for support of education and other public
purposes was a recognized concept in later American history.

The issuing of patents in fee simple to land promised under the general
land dividend did not reach the extent planned by the company until the
arrival of Governor George Yeardley in 1619. There seems to be adequate
evidence to prove, as Bruce contended, that a few grants had been made
prior to this time, even prior to 1617; but no record has been preserved
in the Virginia Land Office. However, even if such grants were
authorized, it is unlikely that the proper surveys were made for many of
them.

As early as 1616 there were references by the company to send to
Virginia a surveyor who could lay out the lands to be distributed to the
adventurers. It is probable that a surveyor accompanied Captain Samuel
Argall to the colony in 1617, but the first name on record in this
position seems to be that of Richard Norwood who had previously engaged
in surveying in the Somer Isles. There is little to indicate that much
was done by Norwood. In 1621 William Claiborne accompanied Governor
Francis Wyatt to Virginia, and the arrival of these two men actuated the
granting of many tracts.

One of these grants by Governor Wyatt is the earliest extant form of the
headright franchise. Dated January 26, 1621/22, it conveyed to Thomas
Hothersall 200 acres of land at Blunt Point located in later Warwick
County. The grant read as follows:

_By the Governr and Capt: Generll: of Virginia_

_To all to whome these prsents shall come_ greeting in our Lord God
Everlasting.

_Know Yee_ that I sr Franc