The Land Records

The most deceiving title given to a record of the court.

Ø What you may find in the Land Records

ü The name of the land owner – grantor

ü The name of the purchaser – grantee

ü The name of the tract of land

ü The acreage of the tract of land

ü How the owner came to own the land i.e. inheritance, purchase, deed of gift, etc.

ü Adjoining properties – the name and owner

ü Adjoining or nearby natural resources – branches, rivers, marshes, etc.

ü Near by named locations – town, village, crossroads, road, etc.

ü The amount of the sale

ü The witnesses to the sale

ü Spouses

ü Family members – children, siblings, parents, etc.

ü Maiden name of spouse

ü Family members of the spouse

ü Marriages of children

ü Remarriage of a surviving spouse

ü Place of relocation of parties involved i.e. ‘now residing in North Carolina’

ü Dower rights

Ø Other types of records filed in the Land Records

ü Bills of Sale – the property being sold, the sureties, the names of all parties involved

ü Manumissions of Slaves – the name and age of the slave, term of servitude, their condition

ü Property Valuations – a physical description of the property and it’s improvements, the name of the owner, family members of the owner, value of the property, name of the property, location of the property, appraisers, etc.

ü Land Commissions – the name of the land, the acreage, most times a plat with courses of the land, the name of the owner, the name of all parties involved in the commission, the metes and bounds of the land – before and after, the reason for the commission, the finding of the commission

ü Pre-Marital agreements – the names of all parties involved, the date of intended marriage, the property involved in the contract – name and acreage, the families of the involved parties

ü Marriage Contracts

Note: often times the name of a land tract is the only proof available for a family connection. For example, if you have a John Smith and you need to determine which of many is your ancestor – the land is the proof.

A record not to be ignored in your research.