Virginia Land Laws (Part V) The Processioning

Every fourth year the county court was to direct its vestry to lay off its parish into precincts. The appointed time for this process (a procession) was to be between the last days of September and March. Two freeholders (land owners) were to check each "procession" and were to return a report to the vestry. These reports were then directed to be registered by the clerk of each county court. Three processionings settled the bounds of lands unalterably, provided they were made with the consent of the owners and saving the cases of infants, women and persons of unsound mind. In this manner, perminent boundries were set by "precincts" for each county and vestry in Virginia following the land law changes of 1704/1705.