This book presents the history of the Northern Neck grants for the present-day counties of Alexandria, Loudoun, and Fairfax, Virginia. Stetson's comprehensive work still stands as the literal bedrock for dozens of historical studies of Alexandria, Arlington and Northern Virginia. It describes the history of the tracts (in terms of the inhabitants and subsequent deeds, chancery cases and other related documents) up to the late 1800s. It also contains some genealogies of early landholders. Chapters are grouped within four sections: The Howsing Patent, Washington Forest, Simon Pearson's Patents, and The Ball Patents. An index to full-names, places and subjects completes this work.