William Preston & the Virginia Land Grab: Colonial Surveying & Legacy
Author: Dr. Jim Glanville
Published: 2013 (Smithfield Review Vol. 17) | Archive Download For Free Below
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Colonial Surveying & Power
Dr. Glanville retraces how Virginia’s elite wielded surveying as a weapon—transforming government land into vast private estates through instruments like headrights, treasury rights, and county-level appointments. Preston, despite immigrant roots, rose to dominate this system across four counties and played a central role in settling (and profiting from) the western frontier.
Figure 1: Original Augusta County survey records and Preston-era plat maps reveal the depth of land transfers engineered by colonial elites.Preston’s Legacy and Genealogy
William Preston’s descendants became part of Virginia’s ruling class, cementing their legacy at Smithfield Plantation. His surveying work enabled intergenerational land control and defined the settlement patterns of Southwest Virginia—especially in counties like Augusta, Botetourt, Fincastle, and Montgomery.
The article also contributes to genealogical research by naming key land grants and familial alliances between the Prestons, Pattons, Beverleys, and other powerful families.
Land, Slavery, and the Virginia Oligarchy
Glanville carefully illustrates how the land rush was entangled with forced labor, Crown favoritism, and aristocratic consolidation. Maps, original surveyor’s notes, and field sketches supplement the text, offering rare access to the visual mechanics of empire-building through real estate and frontier claims.
The archive serves as a foundation for researchers exploring colonial cartography, indigenous land dispossession, and Appalachian social stratification.
Thank you for honoring what was nearly lost. Your awareness matters more than you know.
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