Ancient Land Scriptures in Genealogy: The Importance of Land Scripture Research
Before 1850, 9 out of 10 adult men owned land. This was an important aspect of life. Land records have always been very well kept in the United States from 1600 onward, and many times they will list people who do not appear in the census data. There is a Donor / Recipient Index or a Real Estate Transfer Index in every county in the United States. Most index systems are not that complete! Even after the courthouses were burned, as most seemed to do, the first reconstructed records were generally land records.
In researching land records, it is first important to understand the difference between a deed and a grant or patent. A grant is the transfer of property from some government organization to an individual. It is the first action that occurs and the first evidence found in the land registry investigation. A title deed is the transfer of land from one person or entity to another. Occurs after the original grant.
What can you find in ancient land deeds that can help you in your research?
At first, you can look at a property record and see only names, but not important information such as dates of birth, dates of death, dates of marriage, or children. This can discourage you from using land records in family history research. But the evidence of where they lived, moved, and who their ancestors knew can be deduced from the facts. It is said that there is a 90% chance that you will be able to find an ancestral land record. Land records are solid proof of where your ancestor lived at any given time, as long as you have an idea of the county in which they may have lived. Many times a wife’s name is mentioned in land records because of her legal dowry rights, which automatically gave her 1/3 of the land after her husband’s death. His name had to be documented in the file for legal reasons. Land records go further back in history than any other type of record, so they are more complete. Deeds, deed indexes, handwritten records, and property tax records are all part of the land record investigation. All of them are related to scripture research. After 1900, a deed will even give you the exact address of a property.
Deed books that contain records of property transfers by county can generally be found at the Recorder of Deeds office at the county courthouse. In several New England states, such as Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont, they may be located in the city clerk’s office. In Louisiana, the parish maintains deed records. In Alaska, they are at the district level. There are a variety of records that can be found in scripture books. They are Deed of Sale, Deed of Donation, Strawman Sale, Lease and Release, Mortgage Sale, and Estate Settlement. Take a little time to learn what these logs are and your research will improve tremendously.
Don’t be ashamed to go to court and do a title investigation. Any new kind of “hands-on” research is scary at first. After the first few times, you will feel comfortable. Usually there are employees and other researchers eager to help and show what they know. They were also beginners at the same time.
