the other powers now conferred on the beneficiaries, was the right to put in operation in the boundaries of their vast property any form of land tenure in use in England, but they were particularly enjoined to refrain from infringing upon any contracts or conveyances made by the Governor and Council of the Colony previous to September 29th, 1661, under the authority of which, persons were now in actual possession of lands in the Northern Neck. All fees, remainders, reversions, and escheats which should arise were to belong to the grantees named in the letters patent of 1669. The terms of these letters required that the whole area included in this magnificent gift should be planted and inhabited by the end of twenty-one years, but in 1688 this provision was revoked by the King as imposing an impracticable condition. All the rights and privileges conferred by the grants of 1669 were in 1688 confirmed to the second Lord Culpeper, who was now the sole proprietary.[1]
In exercising his rights in the Northern Neck, the proprietary acted in the person of his agent, who in turn could delegate his powers to subordinates. In April, 1684, a memorial was presented to the Governor by the planters of this part of the Colony, asking that their holdings in land should be secured to them by patent. It was referred to the King and had a favorable result.[2] After this, the agent of the proprietary was authorized to issue patents, reserving a quit-rent of two shillings upon every two hundred acres transferred by him, which was required to be settled in English coin, Spanish pieces of eight at a valuation of five shillings apiece, or in merchantable tobacco if metallic money was not to be procured. When
