A land grant for 60 acres of land signed by then-Governor Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee on July 24, 1792. According to the document, the land is near Luray, VA. It is written for James David. While some of the hand-written text is hard to read due to late 18th century penmanship and fading of the document, it appears to explain the precise location of the land and its coordinates. There is a raised seal with read ink covered with a piece of paper in the lower left corner. Henry Lee's signature is on the document twice (beginning and end). There is an illegible signature in the bottom right-hand corner. The paper is approximately 11.5 inches x 14.75 inches
My 4th great-grandfather, General John Forster (1777-1863) of Pennsylvania, supposedly acquired this in a poker game in the 1820s. It has been passed down in our family since then. General Forster led Pennsylvanian troops to rescue the city of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Then after the war he was a Pennsylvania State Senator (1814-1818). After that he worked in the banking industry for the rest of his career during which he acquired this document.
Dear Stephen,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
The presented object appears to be a historical document a Land Deed dated 1792 and signed by the governor of Virginia Henry Lee III (1756-1818) or also called Light Horse Harry Lee.
This piece is in good condition and there is no serious damage visible in the images provided.
A fair market estimation would be between 200 to 400 USD.
This estimate is based on actual recent past recorded auction sales of comparable items. Retail "asking prices" can be higher and may vary.
With kind regards,
Georg