Daily AncestorVariation
Variation in old surveys means the compass declination, the angle between magnetic north and true north, which surveyors noted because it changes with place and time.
Compasses point to magnetic north, not the North Pole, and the difference shifts from place to place and year to year. Surveyors recorded it so their bearings could be read correctly; old field notes write "Var." for this declination.
When you try to lay an old deed's courses on a modern map, a few degrees of variation explain why the lines seem rotated. The magnetic needle in 1790 did not point where it does today.
As seen in a recordSurveyor's field notes, 1800s
Var. 2 deg. 30 min. E. Thence N. 45 E. 80 chains
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Daily Ancestor. "Variation." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/variation. Last checked 2026-10-12.