Land Record Series

This is part of a series on land transactions through the courtesy of Steve Broyles of Direct Line Software, specialists in land records. Land records are a very important segment of genealogical research and should not be overlooked. Many times, this is the only place where certain ancestors are identified and family relationships spelled out. While the Rowley family is not indicated in the following example, I present it because of the number of relationships that are spelled out in a few, succinct words:

Kent County, Delaware Deeds, Liber 10, Pages 77-79: Febý 14 - 1709.
Timothy Hanson & Susanna, his wife, daughter of William Freeland, late of Philadelphia, to Robert Porter, land granted by William Penn May 5 - 1684, to John Richardson, sold by John Richardson to William Freeland & Susanna, his wife, who was a daughter of the said John Richardson, and by his will of Febý 23 - 1697, bequeathed by William Freeland to the said Susanna Hanson, his daughter.

Question: How many relationships and potential ancestors can you identify in the short extract from that deed? Wow!!

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Index

The Feudal Land System
Acquiring Land (U.S.)
Bounty Land Warrants for Military Service in the War of 1812.
Transferring Land (U.S.).
Locating Deed Information (U.S.).
Deed Books and the deeds they contain.
A Typical Deed.
Legal Terms in Land Records.
Surveying Units and Terms.
Land Records on the Internet.
Common Errors in Deed Descriptions
To DIRECT LINE SOFTWARE for further research.
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