By Liesha Huffstetler-Wessinger
How did the German immigrants get their land from King George? It was called a “Kings Land Grant, and some of us “1752 locals” know the location our ancestor’s original land grant. A rare few live on that land granted to the family 273 years later. They have managed to keep it in the family and out of the hands of destruction and development. Rarer yet are those who actually have the document that granted them the land in the 1750s. In a local thrift store, I came across a 1700s framed document, using “f” as “s” and old legal terms from the feudal system from the Holy Roman Empire days. This document states that it is the Kings Land Grant for Margaret Akerman’s 50 acres. Incredible. Ya’ know, you gotta be careful when cleaning out great grandma or grandad’s house and donating things to thrift stores! You might have given away a treasure. I gladly purchased it for 5 dollars.
The information on the document, sheds some light on the terms and conditions of the “free land” to the immigrants. The agreement with King George specifies Britian would own all white pine trees on the land, because trees were used to build masts in the ship building industry. England also would own one tenth of all mines of silver and gold found on the property.
We must consider that the Germanic states in 1750s, were under the rule of the feudal system in the Holy Roman Empire. The term “socage” is used frequently in this document. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, defines socage, as the feudal English property law, a form of land tenure in which the tenant lived on the King’s or lord’s land, and in return, they can farm the land, and are charged a yearly rent.
England was “giving” land to the immigrants, but the condition in the land grant stated the land rent or” tenure “was due 3 years after they received the land. Here is the summary of the King’s rental agreement in the document. In the “socage” England property law, the recipients of the Land Grant, had to pay or four shillings for every hundred acres within three years of receiving the land. If the “rent” is not paid, in 3 years, the land grant reverted back to England. The witness of the signed document was James Glenn Esquire Capt., and the date of the land given to Margaret Akerman was March 6, 1750. The land was surveyed by George Hunter, surveyor, on April 8, 1749. Akerman’s land acres was in the Saxa Gotha township on the Saluda River. Even single man or woman, who came over, man received 50 acres. I don’t know what happened to her, I’m sure she married and had children. If you have any family information on her, please contact me at huffstetler.leisha@gmail.com.
Photo from https://timmonstree.org/LandGrants.htm
