Was there a minimum age to be claimed as headright in Virginia?

+8 votes
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I am finding names of people I'm looking for claimed as headrights in records of land granted in Virginia Colony in the 1600s. But the dates of the claims don't always make sense with what I know, or surmise, about the person claimed. Was there a minimum age at which a person could be claimed? Did they have to be at least 16, 18, or --? If anyone knows, this could help me confirm I'm finding the actual people I'm looking for.
in Genealogy Help by Shirley Dalton G2G6 Pilot (549k points)

2 Answers

+11 votes
 
Best answer

Bob's Genealogy Filing Cabinet (© Robert W. Baird) has an article on headrights that includes the following bullet point:

  • There were no restrictions on age or gender. Headrights could be, and often were, children. Indeed, many if not most imported indentured servants were teenagers.

by Liz Shifflett G2G6 Pilot (697k points)
selected by Shirley Dalton
Thanks, Liz. That's what I needed to know. If the children were young teenagers when transported, that would work with their estimated birth dates.
+9 votes
I don’t think there was any minimum,or at least not enforced. Lots of people claimed for their wives and minor children.
by Kathie Forbes G2G6 Pilot (998k points)
What I'm finding are men who were probably born between 1625 and 1635 but their names are showing up in land grants from 1637-1642. Need to be sure these are the people I'm looking for and not an older relative, cousin, parent, etc.
That sounds like they are different people.  Children are usually listed with their mother or both parents.
That's what I was thinking. They are not listed with either parent. And I was wondering if they were the older generation, possibly father, uncles, etc. Obviously need more work.

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