Land records are some of the earliest genealogical records the United States has recorded. Owning and propagating land was one of the first things the settlers of the New World accomplished. Land ownership meant a lot to the newcomers due to the fact that coming from Great Britain, many did not and were not allowed to own any land. Land records can be a great genealogical resource for genealogists as they research their ancestors. These types of records can provide specific information about the whereabouts of our ancestors and help us to understand what their lives were like in the past. When settlers expanded their travels to the west and south of the colonies, land records again were some of the first records recorded in the cities, counties, and states.
Colonial Land grants
At the beginning of the settling of the United States, there were Thirteen colonies which consisted of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia that were settled by our ancestors. During the colonial times, there were land grants or patents issued to settlers in these Thirteen colonies. In order to receive a land grant or patent, a person had to apply or petition for the land. If the application was approved, a warrant was issued, then a survey was completed describing the property and amount of land that was to be granted. Once the survey was completed, a certificate was produced to the individual giving them ownership of the land. These records were normally recorded at the state level or the federal level of government.
Metes and Bounds
The early land records in the colonies used the English metes and bounds system to describe each piece of land. Metes and bounds are the boundaries of a parcel of real estate that is identified by its natural landmarks. Metes and bounds landmarks are often used in the legal description of the land: Metes and Bounds. Such items as trees, rocks, waterways, fences, and other physical features were used to describe the boundaries of the piece of land where the record was being produced. Metes are the corners of the property and bounds are the boundary lines of the property. In the description of the property, the distance between a feature such as a rock or a tree will be referenced as a link, pole, perches, rods, chains, or furlongs. We need to keep in mind that the descriptions in the land records were not always accurate and of course, the physical features listed could change or be removed over time.
Township and Range
Many deed descriptions can be recorded with township and ranges. Townships are rectangular blocks of land about six miles square. The squares themselves are gridded and numbered according to their position north or south of the baseline. A township can be divided into thirty-six sections, each section being about one square mile. Sections are numbered from the top right, then to the left, and then down. Ranges are columns of townships set side by side. They are numbered starting at the meridian that runs through the point of origin of each system and runs east to west. Any township can be found by identifying the township number, the range number, and then the base and meridian system.
State Land grants
The United States gave land grants, the colonial states gave land grants to those men who participated in military service during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Indian Wars during the time period of 1775 to 1855. Early grants could only be used in military districts, which were primarily in Ohio and other public land states in the former Northwest Territory. Eventually, the United States Congress expanded the land that could be granted. The states where individuals could have been awarded a land grant or warrant are: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. All fifty United States have deeds that have been recorded for land purchased or transferred to individuals, businesses, or other entities. It is essential to research your ancestor’s deed records in the cities or counties where they lived.
Deeds
A deed is a legal document giving ownership of property from one person or legal entity to another. Deeds are usually recorded at the local level such as the Register of Deeds Office in any county. There are exceptions in that the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont are recorded at the city level. Deeds registered in each United States county should start at the date that county was formed. For instance, Houston County, Tennessee was formed on January 21, 1871, their deed records begin in the year 1871. Deeds are usually written by a local lawyer, a justice of the peace, county clerk but most likely by the deeds registrar. In order for the deed to be legal and binding, the person selling the property, that person’s wife, and two witnesses needed to be present at the time the deed was written and signed. The original deed was retained by the buyer of the property and the clerk would transcribe the entire deed into the official deed book for the record.
Parts of a Deed
A deed has particular parts and a basic format that is followed by most recording clerks. Those parts are but not limited to:
- Type of Deed: This could be a warranty deed, tax sale deed, mortgage, quit claim, or trust deed.
- The date of the sale of the property.
- Names of the person buying the property (called the Grantee) and the person selling the property (called the Grantor).
- The cost of purchasing the property or a listing of chattels and goods being offered in exchange for the property.
- Description of the property which could be in metes and bounds or township and range.
- Date the deed was recorded. This date could be later than the date of the actual transaction, even many years later.
- Signatures of the Grantor, Grantee, Witnesses, and recording clerk. These signatures in the deed books are normally copied by the recording clerk and the original signatures will be located on the actual deed itself.
Locating U.S. Land records
Many land records are recorded in land or deed books. These books can be found in their original book form, they could have been microfilmed or digitized and can be found at various archives. Most books have an index that can be divided into a direct index that includes the grantor (seller), and an indirect or reverse index that includes the grantee (buyer). Once you have found your ancestor in the index, follow the book and page numbers that should be listed with the entry to find the recorded deed in the book. Many land records have been digitized and found in online databases such as MyHeritage. If the land records are not available online, they can be found at the local level at an archive or in the land records office.
Explore more about U.S. land records
- Arkansas, State Land Registries records collection at MyHeritage
- Land Patents - Alabama records collection at MyHeritage
- Land Patents - Arkansas records collection at MyHeritage
- Land Patents - Florida records collection at MyHeritage
- Land Patents - Louisiana records collection at MyHeritage
- Land Patents - Minnesota records collection at MyHeritage
- Land Patents - Mississippi records collection at MyHeritage
- Land Patents - Ohio records collection at MyHeritage
- Land Patents - Wisconsin records collection at MyHeritage