Kentucky Land Grants, African Americans

The Commonwealth of Virginia issued land grants to settlers in the western Virginia area that is now the state of Kentucky. The land was transferred to individuals through a process called patenting; the final document of purchase was known as a patent deed.

The Virginia series of Kentucky land grants was issued before 1792. After Kentucky became a state on June 1, 1792, the land grants were issued in the Old Kentucky series by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Land warrants included treasury, state, county, and military warrants issued to soldiers as payment for service in the French-Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.

There were a few free African Americans who owned patent deeds, including Free Frank, who had 50-200 acres in Pulaski County from 1826-1827; Free Jack, with eight acres in Pulaski County in 1856; and Colored Man Jim, with 17 acres in Taylor County in 1858.

For more see Kentucky Land Grants, by W. R. Jillson; and Kentucky Land and Property, a FamilySearch website. Contact the Kentucky Land Office / 700 Capital Ave., Ste. 80 / Frankfort, KY 40601 / (502) 564-3490.