Thanks for the replies.
I know my last ancestor to have died in Virginia before their migration to West Virginia did so in Giles county “at the Manor House”. Course I had always thought too that it was the family home and the above really does nothing to contradict that. But the context of some other references led me down a path of thinking it was possibly an inn of some sort, or indeed the largest house of the largest landowner in the area.
Jay, I’m sure my ancestor had a farm right along Sinking Creek not too far from that Link Farm covered bridge you showed us last week. Plus there is a plaque out front of the courthouse in Pearisburg that lists about 50 militia that were called out to fight at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774. His name is on it which confirms he lived in Giles County!
I’m in the right area for where his homestead was, I just need to clinch it :-)
Might be a challenge. Giles County was formed in 1806 from parts of several other counties. See http://www.myvirginiagenealogy.com/va-county-giles.html#eh
So that’s when the records start — http://www.myvirginiagenealogy.com/va-county-giles.html#court
As of 1774, what is now Giles County was contained in Fincastle and Botetourt Counties. As of 1770, it was part of Botetourt County; before then, it was part of Augusta County, which was huge. See http://www.familyhistory101.com/maps/va_cf.html
If you know when your ancestor homesteaded, you know where to look for the records. The Augusta County land records start in 1745; Botetourt County land records start in 1770.