Robert Carter writes to London merchant Micajah Perry, Sr., and his grandson, February 10, 1721, to ask their assistance in pressing Colonel William Cage, trustee under the will of Lady Fairfax, and the underage heir, the current Lord Fairfax, concerning his procedure in granting lands in the Northern Neck proprietary, for which Carter has taken a lease as agent. He also is concerned about the Brent Town grant and its unsurveyed borders and wants the properitors' instructions concerning a survey because the lack of one scares Virginians from settling in the area. He is also concerned about a 14,000-acre grant that he presumes if owned by Sir Jeffrey Jeffreys, MP. Carter informs the Perrys that he has written details of these matters to his son John in London and directed John to pursure thesematters.

     The foregoing was designd by a Ship which passd by my house
without calling Its necessary to press You a little further upon the Northern
Neck affair besides the full power of attorney I have already mentioned to you
I want directions from my Lord Culpeper Fairfax and Colonel Cage in whose name I am to
pass the Lands that I shall give deeds for whether in my Lords alone as
the heir or whether Colonel Cage who is the executor and the other Trustee of my
Ladys will must be joined with him these things are very necessary to be
known that I may not commit an Error.

      There is another thing that the Proprietors Should Exert
themselves about which will conduce much to their Interest aswell as
mine, The Lord Culpeper in the Year 1686 makes a Grant of Thirty Thousd.
Acres of Land in the upper partsof his Territory wth very uncertain
bounds unto George BrentAlderman Bristow Richard Foote &Nicholas
Hayward Reserving a rent of twenty Shills. for a thousand Acres &
a Provisoe is in theDeed That the said Lord Culpeper might Survey the
Said Lands andgive bounds Thereto in 1688 My Lord makes a deed
of Release to the aforesaid gentlemen of the reserved Rent only a Beaver
Skin to be paid Yearly as an acknowledgementBrent in his life
time makes a Settlement upon some of theseLands wch has been long
Since deserted and not a Foot of theseLands any otherways Im=
=prov'd to this Day by any of theafforenamed Gent., To set this matter
in a clear light I send You copies ofthe Deeds, This Grantscares
people very much from taking up back Lands, nowso of which there
is a great Quantity lying between theabove mentioned Settlement and
the Mountains, Now who must bearthe Charge of this Survey is the
Question and if the Proprietors does It without the Consent of the
Persons concerned whetherthey will be bound by It is another
Question and yet highly reasonable Itis the bounds of thisGrant
Should be known and I Should think the Doing of It withall
possible Expedition does as muchConcern the Grantees as the
Proprietors, for if other men bymistake Should set Down upon
theseLands that lie thus uncultivated and make Improvemts.
Thereon It will be very hard hereafter for them to be amoved
by this Sleeping Grant, Mr. Bristow ofLondon I take to be
heir to the Alderman who has the Right ofHayward and
Foote I cant Say BrentsHeirs are here these thingsare well
worth the Consideration of the Proprietors and I wouldwillingly
have their Opinion what they will instruct me todo methods I shall take in this

      Esquire Jeoffrys of London with whomI suppose You are well
Accquainted owns 14000 & odd Acres of Land in the upperparts of
Stafford which nobody hath [sic] Ever paid any Quitt [sic] Rents for and
lies under as uncertain boundsas the Brenton Grant as I take
It his Father had theseLands made over to him by Colonel Jones for a debt, my
Son has afull Account of all thesethings and has my orders to ease
You of the greatest part of thetrouble he will apply to You for
the copies I now Send and takenYour advice in Everything I Shall
not give You further troubleat present but am --