Portraying a Colonial surveyor, William Balderson uses a touch of humor and a knowledge of early surveying to help visitors to Colonial Williamsburg understand how settlers acquired land. Rob Hedelt Visit the Photo Place

When land was a reward

Historic advisory on boundaries of Northern Neck leads to inside look at interpreting history elsewhere: at Colonial Williamsburg

ROB HEDELT •   Rob Hedelt's archive •   E-mail Rob Hedelt

Date published: 10/12/2004

By ROB HEDELT

WILLIAMSBURG--The wiry squire with the long coat, tri-cornered hat and ponytail didn't address the crowd while he set up his surveyor's tripod under a sprawling oak.

But once that was in place, along with some maps hung on a rope behind him, the 18th-century surveyor spoke to the onlookers who'd taken up seats on a nearby shaded hillside.

"Oh, you must be here about the ad I recently placed in the newspaper," said the gentleman who introduced himself as Robert Lucas, the surveyor for York County. "Several of you must be desirous of purchasing my services."

When one in the modern-day crowd tittered a bit at his accent, a mix of Colonial phrases and British tones, he whirled around to give her a steely look.

"I'm not sure all of you are deserving of my full attention," he said, breaking a slight smile. "Pray thee, I will, however, attempt to explain to the rest of you the way that most precious of resources, land, can be acquired here and now, in the 18th century."

For the next 60 minutes, William Balderson, manager of character interpretation at Colonial Williamsburg, had a crowd of several dozen following his words like dutiful students with a favorite teacher.

Talking to the crowd as if it had just stepped off Duke of Gloucester Street in Colonial days, Balderson explained how surveyors had come to be such important people in the Colonies.

Covering the way land was given to those with enough money, slaves or passages paid to the New World, Balderson provided insights into the importance of men who put westward expansion on the books.

He even managed to teach a few onlookers the basics of surveying, if not the considerable math involved.

The only time the costumed character veered from the importance of surveyors was to toss a zinger or two to onlookers.

When one woman fails to understand surveying basics, even with Balderson's help, he finally shakes his head and suggests, "Perhaps you should consider a career in a different discipline, madam."

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Date published: 10/12/2004