e colony had issued on August 26, 1624, the first
commission of a royal Governor to Wyatt. But the commission made no
reference to land grants, and Governor Wyatt issued none after January,
1625.

Charles I succeeded to the throne following the death of James I on
March 27, 1625. His proclamation stating policy relative to Virginia
professed protection of the interests of private planters and
adventurers but made no direct reference to land grants. Governor
Yeardley replaced Wyatt by a commission of March 14, 1625/26 and arrived
in Virginia in May, 1626. There is no record extant to show that
Yeardley received direct instructions to start issuing grants; but it is
certain that he did begin in February, 1626/27, interpreting his
instructions and commission as authorizing the action.

Land patents during this period were to be issued on four main
conditions: (1) as a dividend in return for investment in the founding
of the colony; (2) as a reward for special service to the colony; (3) as
a stimulus to fortify the frontier by using land to induce settlement;
and (4) as a method of encouraging immigration by the headright.

The first of these was simply an assurance by the King that the former
stockholders in the company still had the right to take up land at the
rate of 100 acres for each share of stock owned. As late as 1642 this
privilege was still being confirmed in instructions to the Governor; but
the stockholders appeared to be little interested at this time in coming
to Virginia, for very few took up their claim and apparently the shares
bearing the holder's name could not be transferred after the
dissolution. The plan for the distribution of the first dividend in 1619
also provided for a second allotment. As late as 1632 patents still
included authorization for a second dividend when the first had been
cultivated. But no second allotment was ever made. There are, however,
examples to indicate that claims for the first dividend were upheld
after the company was dissolved. In 1628 Thomas Graies obtained a patent
as a dividend for his subscription of twenty-five pounds sterling; in
1636 Captain John Hobson was issued a patent covering a bill of
adventure that went back to 1621; and on another occasion the land
dividend due a deceased father was awarded to his son.

The next condition of awarding patents for meritorious service to the
colony was of long standing. Used to award ministers, political
officials, physic