George Washington, 9 April 1751

WASHINGTON, George (1732-1799). Autograph document signed ("G Washington"), n.p., 9 April 1751.

One page, 368 x 154mm (lightly silked, some toning and dustsoiling, separated folds neatly mended on verso).

A nineteen-year-old Washington accomplishes a land survey for "Michael Swein on certain waste and ungranted land situated in Frederick County Virginia." Washington executed the survey "pursuant to a warrant from the Proprietor's office," and describes the property as "Beginning at a drooping white oak on the East side Evans Marsh corner to Wm. Davis's Patent Land and in Gaiy's line and extended with the said lines 72° E and Seventy six poles to a twig and said oak. This corner forming thence with his lines So. 30 degrees W. Seventy eight poles to a small locust No. 11° East. one hundred thirty six poles to a small twig. Saml. Waters corner in S. Sweim's land thence with Water's line So. 10° W. Two hundred and four poles to a twig and all in this S. Water's line. Thence No. 35° W. Two hundred and twelve poles to a white oak by a spring in Wm. Davis's line finally with his line No. 12° W. 56 poles to beginning containing One Hundred and thirty One Acres." Below the written description, Washington has drawn the plot taking care to delineate the section "left for Wm. Davis."

Washington prepared his first surveys at age sixteen in his schoolbooks before joining George William Fairfax and Prince William County's surveyor, James Genn, on a month-long trip across the Blue Ridge Mountains to survey property for Thomas, Lord Fairfax where he mastered the art and secured an appointment as surveyor for Culpeper County, Virginia. Over the course of his career, he produced nearly 200 surveys, but only seventy-five remain extant today. See Philander Chase, "A Stake in the West: George Washington As Backcountry Surveyor and Landholder," in Warren Hofstra, ed., George Washington and the Virginia Backcountry (Madison, Wis.: Madison House Publishers, 1998), p. 161. Provenance: Parke Bernet, 25-26 October 1939, lot 403.