18 Nov 2021-Suggested edit: Hello, My name is Sue Gregory. I would like to share some information about the Benjamin Borden's land. My maternal Grandmother, Mary Clifford (Campbell) Rowan (1882~1979) was married to Warren A Rowan (1878~1965). They lived in Rockbridge County, VA after they married where my mother was born. My grandfather was the Great Grandson of James Rowan 1st, who was a recipient of the Borden Grant land in 1779. He was also related to the Paxton's and McCormick's.
My grandmother wrote two papers about our family and Borden's Grant. One about the "Old Rowan Homeplace", written 16 Sep 1936 and the other, "the Rowan Story" in 1975. As I have found a few things that needed a little correction, the majority of her writing was very true.
I also have, in my possession, the book: "The Paxton Family", written by W M Paxton, of Platte City, MO; Landmark Print, copyrighted 1903, gives a partial account of Borden's Grant. It states that Borden's Grant was nearly co-terminous with Rockbridge County. The first settlements were made upon the Grant in 1737. For many years there was a rapid influx of Settlers; but as one came, another left for the South or West. Pennsylvania sent its thousands. There were chiefly Presbyterians.
Borden's will is dated 1742, and it was probated December 9, 1743. Borden, in his lifetime, sold land to two Thomas Paxton's of South River. This is proved by a recital in the deeds made by Borden's executors to the Paxtons. The South River Paxtons bought land in Rockbridge County as early as 1742. The North River Paxtons came several years later.
According to writings of Mary Clifford (Campbell) Rowan on September 16, 1936, she wrote the history of the "Old Home of James Rowan".
Benjamin Borden obtained 92,100 acres in a Grant from Governor Gooch on November 6, 1739. At Benjamin Borden's death, this land was willed to his son, known as Benjamin Borden, the younger (known here as Benjamin III). At Benjamin, the older's death, it passed by will, dated November 21, 1753, to his Executors, Archibald Alexander and Magdaline Bowyer Borden, recorded in Augusta County in Will Book 2, page 1. (This is the way the name was written in the Will Book, but she was Magdaline WOODS, married first to Capt. John McDowell, then to Benjamin Borden, then to John Bowyer).
Benjamin, the younger, Executor of Benjamin Borden, the older, sold the land on which this house stands to John Montgomery, on August 20, 1747, Deed Book 1, page 361. Augusta County. (This would have been the property we know as the Old Rowan Homeplace).
John Montgomery sold it to Matthew Houston on March 15, 1768, Deed Book 14, page 216, Augusta County.
Matthew Houston sold it to James and Agnes Rowan on September 17, 1779, Deed Book 23, page 376, Augusta County.

This above statement was confused by my grandmother as she wrote the Rowan history that James Rowan married Agnes Hutchison. With much research and dot connecting, it was realized that Agnes is James Rowan's mother, the widow of Michael Rowan who died in Ireland in 1771. The James Rowan family had come to Virginia in 1779, Initially from Ireland and first through Pennsylvania, then to Virginia.
This old Homeplace of the Rowan's is still in the Rowan family today. I just thought this to be an interesting fact.
Thanks to: Contributor: Sue Gregory #47091070
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25 Jan 2016 Suggested Edit: Benjamin Borden Sr. came with and initially settled on the Opequon Quaker settlement in what is now Frederick County in 1732-33. He acquired a bit over 3,000 acres there, and then went to a famous "frolic" involving a few card games in Williamsburg. He won what became known as the Borden Grant from the son-in-law of Governor and Earl Gooch. He contracted with John McDowell, (contract dated October 1737 and done at his home, called "Great Spring" literally right next to Lord Fairfax's, "Greenway Court" in northern Virginia) for John to be his first and principal surveyor and help bring in enough settlers to fulfill the terms of the grant and have the deed for it recorded.

John McDowell and his wife, Magdalene, then were responsible for bringing into the grant most of the 92 original families in 1738-1739, and the deed for the grant was recorded in 1739 for a total of 92,100 acres. John McDowell was killed on December 25, 1742 and, just about a year later, his widow married Benjamin Borden, III. who had been long pursuing her. In fact, when the surveying was being done for the first 92 families, and the paperwork being written up, Benjamin Borden Sr. had his son Benjamin Jr. live with the McDowells to help with the paperwork and such. So, the second marriage was founded on relationships in the first.

Magdalene had children by both John McDowell and Benjamin Borden, III. Several children died, at the same time Benjamin Borden, III, died of smallpox in 1753, but there remained three children from the first marriage and one by her marriage to Benjamin Borden, III. Magdalene had no children by her third husband, John Bowyer, but that didn't prevent him from trying to take a piece of what rightfully was to be inherited by her children. That mess, at least, was the shortest of the several lawsuits, "only" taking about nine years to resolve — about three years after the death of John Bowyer himself.

As for the Borden Grant, it included Augusta County, and most of several adjacent counties originally. The terms of the grant were that each original settling family were to receive 100 acres free and clear for agreeing to settle and could purchase up to 1,000 acres total at the rate of 50 shillings per 500 acres. Many families had a few hundred acres, few purchased the full 1,000 acres. This meant that when Benjamin Borden died, in 1753, his wife still owned or held mortgages on well over 60,000 acres, as some of the purchases were being made over time through mortgages. John McDowell, for his services was granted 1,000 acres outright (1737 contract).

The Woods River Grant was probably named for the Woods family, Magdalene's family, for whom Woods Creek, off the James River just north of Lexington was also named. Her brother, Richard Woods, was one of the first sheriffs of Augusta County, and she had at least nine siblings, sisters and brothers, who all were settlers on the Borden Grant, some of whom did acquire those 1,000 acres each, and more, as other settlers sold out and moved on. They acquired additional lands as they opened up, adjacent to the Borden Grant. She and her siblings were children of Samuel Woods and Elizabeth Campbell, not the Michael Woods and Mary Campbell of Albemarle County family, who may have been (researchers are still working on this) brother and sister respectively to Samuel and Elizabeth. Michael and Samuel were contemporary and did live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, near one another in the 1730's prior to moving to Virginia (a lawsuit from a merchant, surnamed Smith, in Pennsylvania shows this; he named members of both families in it and described some of the relationships. The lawsuit was transferred to Augusta County, Virginia, after a point).
Thanks to: Cecelia Fabos-Becker, historical and Virginia family history researcher