Probably. Land and property records go back further in time than any other type of record. Often before marriage records were preserved by government.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Probably. Land and property records go back further in time than any other type of record. Often before marriage records were preserved by government."

Randall Holt
8 years ago
Views:

2 Probably Land and property records go back further in time than any other type of record. Often before marriage records were preserved by government. They can place your ancestor in a particular place at a particular time leading you to other records. They also show family movements

3 Why Are Land Records Valuable? 1. Apply to more people than any other record. 2. Started in early 1600 in US 3. Less loss of records 4. Indexes provide lists of early residents 5. Show relationships 6. Show population movements

4 Information you will find Location of land Date of application Name of grantor Name of grantee Legal description Price First name of wife Dower release

5 You will not find: Date of birth Birth place Marriage dates Marriage places You may find : Possibly married names of daughters and husbands Previous residence or where seller is moving Names of deceased spouses or parents Names of grandchildren and heirs Indication of military service Names of neighbors Illegitimacies

6 Use of Quit Claim Deeds To Determine Relationships When a Quit Claim Deed is found that lists two men with the same surname (e.g. John Brown and Frank Brown), and it is clear that Frank is a generation younger than John, it can be assumed that they are father and son. As John s son, Frank would have had a vested interest in his land.

7 Older records are more likely to contain genealogical information. You will need help with legal terms and old handwriting.

8 1. Grantor - Seller Land Terms 2. Grantee - Buyer 3. Direct Index - Grantors Index 4. Indirect Index - Grantee Index 5. Mortgagee - Person obtaining the mortgage 6. Mortgagor - Lender 7. Relict - Surviving Spouse

9 Land Terms 8. et uxor (et ux) and wife 9. et Al - and ALL 10. Liber - book 11. Processioning walking the boundaries of the property 12. Grant first transfer from government to individual or company 13. Patent - title to land 14. Deed - a Patent in private sector

10 Colonial America

11 THERE ARE TWO MAIN DIVISIONS OF LAND RECORDS State Land States 13 Original Colonies Maine, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Hawaii Seal of the US General Land Office 1861 These Records will be Listed under State and County Jurisdiction. They use a Metes and Bounds System.

12 Meets and Bounds Survey System: Find a prominent Landmark and start Measuring

13 Given to the Federal Government

14 THERE ARE TWO MAIN DIVISIONS OF LAND RECORDS (Con t) Public Domain States All other States Grid Survey System Starting with the 7 ranges from Pennsylvania across Ohio. These Lands were granted from the Federal Government. They are the only states that appear on the Bureau of Land Management Site.

15 Rectangular Survey Uses 40th parallel as the zero point when describing how far land is located north or south of the parallel (base line) Uses each Principal Meridian as the zero point when describing how far land is located east or west of the meridian

17 Advertisement Come to Ohio the most salubrious (good for your health), the most advantageous, the most fertile land known to any people in Europe The garden of the universe, the center of wealth, a place destined to be the heart of a great Empire.

18 Deeds and Grants The GLO distributed over 1,031,000,000 acres of public domain lands There are several types of land records Donation Lands Homestead Grants Grants to States Grants to Railroads Private land Claims Military

19 Donation Lands were sold inexpensively to encourage settlement and expansion of the west at about $1.25 an acre. Homestead Grants Homesteaders could receive title to the land after living on and improving the land for five years. About 60% never completed the requirements to receive a patent. However, their applications have been preserved in their case files. These may contain helpful information. Military Bounty Lands given in exchange for service rendered in the military

20 Clues Your Ancestor May Have Had A Land Grant 1. He sold land he never bought 2. He is listed as owning land on the census record but no record is found 3. Was among first settlers in area 4. Family tradition says he homesteaded 5. He lived on land that was part of a military tract 6. He had a federal land warrant

21 Bounty Land Warrants for Veterans of the American Revolution Major General acres Brigadier acres Colonel..500 acres Lieutenant Colonel..450 acres Major acres Captain..300 acres Lieutenant acres Ensign acres Non-Commissioned acres Soldier 100 acres Surgeon.400 acres Surgeon s Mate 300 acres

22 Grants to states The State Land states set up land offices and sold to private individuals. Grants to Railroads Private land claims Land previously owned or granted from Spain, Mexico or France

23 Two Ways to Find Land Grants Family History Center Library Catalog Internet glorecords.blm.gov (Records of the General Land Office of the Bureau of Land Management)

24 How To Find Land Records In The Family History Library Catalog 1 st Click 2 nd Click 3 rd Click Open <familysearch.com> on the internet

25 Place Search For Land Records In Washington, Pennsylvania Washington Pennsylvania Enter Information

26 Land and Property

27 Deed Books

28 Choose Film

29 Record from County Courthouse Or FHL Film

30 Grantor Index Deed for Peter s land is on Page 342 of Deed Book 5

31 Deed For Peter Brickey s Land

32 How To Find Land Grant or Land Patent Information On The BLM General Land Office Website Open <glorecords.blm.gov Click Here

33 Setting Up A Land Patent Search Fill in Place & Name

34 List of Hagen's Who Received Land Patents In Missouri Click for Details Patent Number

35 John Hagen s Land Patent Document Date 1 Aug 1860 Signed by Pres. James Buchanan

36 The Bureau of Land Management

37 The State of Ohio to John Clabaugh Know all men by these presents, that whereas it appears from the records of the Land Department, in the office of the Auditor of State of the State of Ohio and from the quarterly report of the Register and Receiver of the Ohio Land Office at Tiffin Ohio that on the 26th day of October 1835, John Clabaugh purchased from the State of Ohio, and fully paid for the following described land viz: The southwest quarter of the North west quarter of Section no. twentytwo (22) township no. three (3)south Range no. eight (8) East containing eighty acres of land. And Whereas it is now shown and proved to the satisfaction of the governor of the State of Ohio in pursuance of the laws of said State that the original deed from the State for the above described land has been lost or destroyed and cannot be found and no record exists from which a certified copy of the same can be made to supply the evidence of such deed. Now therefore Know Ye that the State of Ohio by Joseph B Foraker its Governor in consideration of the premises and in pursuance of the authority vested in said Governor by the laws of said State doth hereby Give. Grant. Sell and Convey. Unto John Clabaugh the said original purchaser the foregoing described lands to have and to hold the same with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said John Clabaugh.

38 Sangamon County, Illinois Land Patent dated 1851

40 Land Records The Bread and Butter Source of Family History Information

41 The End

Visualizing Metes and Bounds Property Descriptions on Google Maps and Google Earth

Visualizing Metes and Bounds Property Descriptions on Google Maps and Google Earth Presented by James L. Tanner Genealogy's Star http://genealogysstar.blogspot.com New online tools allow you to identify