Early Certificates of Settlement and Preemption Warrants

Under the terms of the Virginia Land Laws of 1779, residents in Kentucky County, Virginia, were eligible for a 400 acre Certificate of Settlement if they had planted a crop of corn and/or established residency before January 1, 1778. Residents could purchase a 1000 acre Preemption Warrant adjacent to the Certificate of Settlement claim. Residents in Kentucky County, Virginia, after January 1, 1778, and before May 1779, could purchase a 400 acre Preemption Warrant. Individuals who had surveyed areas but had not established residency prior January 1, 1778, could purchase one 1000 acre Preemption Warrant under a lottery system. Those Preemption Warrants are known as “chop claims.