Bedford County, Virginia

The following text is from https://goyengoinggowengoyneandgone.com/keith-family-info and details a case that occurred in Bedford County:

1785 Aug 23 …some time before the year 1768 being assistant surveyer in Bedford County, and having the Book of Entries in his possession he found an entry in these words, John Brown enters 400 acres on both sides of Bore Auger Creek at the Foot of the Mountain at the head of the creek, thence down … John Brown … had sold this entry to John Keith for a Buckskin, but that it never was transferred. Keith was killed by the Indians and his widow married John Echols. The present John Keith was then very young. When this respondent advertised to survey in those parts John Echols attended in behalf of John Keith. The said Keith having no legal guardian to survey said entry. This respondent informed Echols he was a stranger in the parts to find the land and he would survey it for him. He said Echols searched and told this respondent he had found the place. This respondent then surveyed the land according to his directions and in his name he being the attending person and the entry not transferred on the Books. He said Echols professing he would make it over to Keith whenever thereto required. Echolds did not run quite up to the foot of the Mountain. Afterward a certain John Bourland entered for & surveyed the land up to the foot of the Mountain. All the land surveyed by Echols and Bourland did not make a full survey. But since this respondent became well acquainted with that part of the country and is well convinced Echols and Boreland surveyed exactly the land called for by Brown’s entry.

Source: https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/full_case_detail.asp?CFN=019-1786-001#img

Multiple Chancery Records preserved in the Library of Virginia occur within Bedford County: see Library of Virginia Chancery Records.

The book "The history of Bedford County, Virginia : the colorful 200-year record of one of Virginia's oldest and proudest communities" (archive.org) references an "Echols' Tavern":

At New London was Echols' Tavern, older and perhaps more pretentious than those mentioned, since, in the early days of the county, New London was the most important town in all this section.

The spelling "Eckols" is also used:

By the end of the Revolution New London had attained considerable importance both as a town and as a shopping center. It boasted an arsenal, kept under guard of soldiers, several mercantile establishments, a tavern conducted by one Mr. Eckols, and numerous residences, in all some seventy or eighty houses.

Liquors flowed freely at Eckols’ Tavern directly opposite the Courthouse and at Thompson’s Ordinary, not far from it. Some imbibed too freely and were thereafter in the custody of friends or the jailer. There is mention of one Court session which had to be postponed two hours until an unnamed justice had time to sober up.

The tavern is question is likely related to bottling of spring water by a "Peregrine Echols", per liberty.edu. Someone online genealogies refer to this person as "John Peregrine Echols" but he is more commonly referred to as simply "Peregrine Echols" and little seems to be known of his direct relatives. He is a plaintiff in a Library of Virginia Chancery Records case.