GEORGE ARCHER

George was born about 1620 in Langdon, Sussex, England, the son of Richard Archer and Mary Bull. He married Elizabeth Sarah about 1653 in Henrico, Virginia. She apparently was born in Virginia about 1635, the daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth Wood, early settlers of Virginia.

George Archer was brought to Virginia by Justinian Cooper in 1636. He was apparently an indentured servant, as he is referred to as a headright of Justinian Cooper. Justinian Cooper was a prominent immigrant that had thousands of acres of land. The headright system in Virginia worked as follows:

The most common method of obtaining land during the 17^th and early 18^th century was the “headright”. This was designed so as to encourage emigration. Each individual who paid for the transportation costs of an emigrant received 50 acres of land.

For someone to receive a patent through the headright system they would have to petition the county court for a “certificate or importation”. The certificates were then recorded in the county court minute books. These certificates establish relationships, approximate arrival time in the Colony and the locality in which the emigrant settled.

Once the individual had obtained the certificate of importation he took it to the Secretary of the Colony who then issued a “right” of 50 acres per headright. The right was then taken to a county surveyor where a plat and map was drawn along with the measurements.. Once the survey was completed, the papers were returned to the Secretary of the Colony and a patent was issued.

The issuance of the patent however was conditional:

Condition 1: Annual payment to the Crown of 1 shilling for each 50 acres owned

Condition 2: Within a three year period a house to be built and tock to be kept or the cultivation of at least 1 acre of land.

George would have been a young man when he came to the colonies in 1836. It wasn’t until 20 years later that he was able to obtain the minimum 50 acres that designated a person as a freeman of the community. “He settled in Warrasquenock (now Isle of Wight County). About 1655 George was granted 50 acres on Tunstall’s Creek, Bermuda Hundred, in Henrico County (now Chesterfield County), Virginia. His home, Archer’s Hall, was erected on this land. He later was granted patents for other land in the vicinity.

George Archer, 550 acs. Henrico Co., 2 June 1665, p. 180 (69). In Bristol Parish on N. side of Appamatox River next above the old towne land, running for breadth from a marked lyne of the old Towne at the mouth of a neck called Tunstalls, S.S.W. along the Riv. To the path at the Apoynt of Landing at the water side below & nere the dwelling house formerly sold by Wm Ridly to Jno. Mudgett so directly as the path is now through the Meadow until it come to the foot of the hill to a tree by sd. Pat &c. to where Mudgett formerly and Archer now liverth.

Will located in Henrico County dated 24 Nov 1675 appointed George Jr as administrator 16 Mar 1675/76.