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Description

A Survey of 200 Acres on "Pimmett's Run" in Arlington, Virginia For Robert Carter I (Robert "King" Carter")

Fine original hand drawn survey and map of a tract of land "near the Great or Lower Falls of Potomack River," undertaken by James Thomas at the request of Robert Carter I of Virginia, who was then serving as agent for Lord Fairfax in his administration of the Northern Neck Proprietary (also called the Fairfax Grant).

The land shown consists of 200 acres on Pimmett's Run, just west of the current location of the Chain Bridge  across the Potomac River, in the northern part of today's Arlington, Virginia. The survey was executed by James Thomas for Robert "King" Carter (abt 1662 -1732, of Nomini, Westmoreland County) on behalf of his son, Robert Carter Jr. (1704-1732), dated July 17, 1728.

Other landowners shown on the map and survey include:

  • Colonel Thomas Lee (1690-1750) (House of Burgesses member, Governor's Council member, Founder of the Ohio Company of Virginia and de facto royal governor of Virginia in 1749 during the absence of William Gooch)
  • Richard Taylor (several possible prominent possibilities)
  • Captain George Turberville (1690-1742) was both a Captain and later a Major in the Virginia Militia; Justice in 1720; Sheriff, 1722-23; Clerk in 1726-1742.  
  • James Robertson

James Thomas was Surveyor of Westmoreland County. and had contracted to survey 20 tracts for Carter (of which this appears to be one). Robert "King" Carter was displeased with the results, and accused him of laziness, incompetence, and possible dishonesty in a letter of Oct. 18, 1728.

Robert King Carter

Robert "King" Carter (abt 1662 – 1732) was a merchant and planter in colonial Virginia. Born in Lancaster County, Carter eventually became one the richest men in the Thirteen Colonies. As President of the Virginia Governor's Council, Carter served as the royal governor of Virginia from 1726 to 1727. He acquired the moniker "King" from his wealth, political power, and autocratic business methods.

As an agent of Thomas Fairfax (Lord Fairfax) Carter served two terms totaling nearly 20 years, as agent for the Fairfax Proprietary of the Northern Neck of Virginia. During his first term, 1702–1711, he began to acquire large tracts of land for himself in the Rappahannock River region of Virginia. Carter acquired some 20,000 acres,  including the 6,000-acre Nomini Hall Plantation When Carter became representative of Fairfax's interests again from 1722 to 1732, he secured for his children and grandchildren about 110,000 acres in the Northern Neck, as well as additional land in Virginia west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.