c-saponie

excerpt:

A patent dated 17 December 1717 is revealing. In it:

“John Wall, of Pr. Geo. Co.; 100 acs. (N.L.), Is. Of Wight Co; on S. side of Maherin River; near lower end of the Dutchman’s Meadow; 17 Dec. 1717. For service performed towards making the new settlement for the Saponie Indians at Christianna, &c.”

The above patent was one in a string of patents to Owen Mirack of Isle of Wight, Francis West or Isle of Wight, John Baptis Curtis of Isle of Wight, John Persons of Surry, and of course John Wall of Prince George, all for land “being part of that tract of land whereon the Saponie Indians lately dwelt & which they have surrendered in exchange for a like quantity assigned them at Christanna” and “in consideration of divers services performed toward making the new settlement for the Saponie Indians at Christanna, pursuant to a treaty with that Nation.” What is remarkable about this patent is that all the other men to whom these patents were made were from Isle of Wight and Surry Counties, indicating that John Wall, somehow, was associated with political interests outside Prince George County, that he was probably in the militia at that time, and that he was instrumental in moving the Indians to Christanna Fort [see below for a history of Christanna Fort]. As many of the deeds show, below, he subsequently liv