The Colonial Plantations of George Mason
- by Robert Morgan Moxham
Mason’s 1754 Survey of Dogues Neck
Figure 4. Arial photograph of part of Mason Neck. The stations occupied by George Mason IV during his survey in 1754 are shown by black dots. The survey starts at the asterisk, where Kanes Creek intersects Bushrod’s back line. Plus marks indicate the author’s corrections of Mason’s stations on the east side of the Great Marsh, where some obvious errors accumulated in his measurements. Creeks and other landmarks identified in the survey notes have been added to the map. Azimuths from at least two stations inter- sect at the arrow points at A (Mr. Peakes house); B (Mr. Cocks house); C (Mr. Cocks fish house); Dogs Island, the plantation house of Mason II, is at 2;Dogues Neck, the plantation house of Mason IV, is at 3; Overlook (and Newtown) are at 1. The later Mason seats, Gunston Hall and Lexington, are at 4 and 5, respectively. Patents and Northern Neck grants are identified by letters: TU = Turley; MA == Mason; SH == Sherwood; SP == Speake; BU = Bushrod; DR == Drayton (see Table 2). George Mason II sold the mill and one acre on Mill Creek to William Holt in 1708 (SDB Z:455) from which it is inferred that Mason II bought the mill site prior to 1699 (as there is no Stafford deed). Whether the mill was erected by Baxter or Mason is unknown. The lombardy poplar near "the new road to the Neck" is often referred to in late 18th and early 19th century surveys. The Crawford graveyard is said to be nearby the tree. Crawford, Moore, Gabriel, Maill, Roberts and Ward are assumed to have been Mason tenants at one time or another.
Return to Colonial Plantations Essay
