How to Trace Your Family Tree in US Land Deeds

Most Americans owned at least some land prior to the twentieth century, making individual land records a treasure trove for genealogists. Deeds, legal records for transferring land or property from one individual to another, are the most prevalent and widely used of the U.S. land records, and can provide a fairly reliable method of tracking ancestors when no other record can be found. Deeds are relatively easy to locate and often provide a wealth of information on the family members, social status, occupation, and neighbors of the named individuals. Early land deeds are especially detailed and predate most other record sources, increasing the importance of land records the further back a researcher goes.   Why Land Deeds?Land records are an especially powerful genealogical resource, especially when used in conjunction with other records, for breaching brick walls or in building a case where no one record provides a record of relationship. Deeds are an important genealogical resource because: U.S. land deeds often involve more people than other genealogical sources - providing a potential source for information on family members, neighbors, and even friends. Land deeds help to locate a person in a particular area at a particular time. Deed books at the county courthouse are only copies of the original land deeds, so land records are especially useful in areas where a courthouse fire has destroyed most of the records prior to a certain date. Because property was valuable, most people would bring their original deeds back to the courthouse following a fire or other catastrophe so that they could be re-recorded.Deeds can be used to distinguish two men with identical names by locating one or both on a particular piece of property.Deeds that transfer property by will or estate may name all children and their spouses.Deeds, in conjunction with tax lists, can often help to reconstruct an entire neighborhood - making it easier to find potential migration patterns Deed versus GrantWhen researching land deeds it is important to understand the difference between a grant or patent, and a deed. A grant is the first transfer of a piece of property from some government entity into the hands of an individual, so if your ancestor acquired land by grant or patent then he was the original private land owner. A deed, however, is the transfer of property from one individual to another, and covers pretty much all land transactions following the original grant of land. Types of DeedsDeed books, records of property transfers for a particular county, are usually under the jurisdiction of the Registrar of Deeds and can be found at the local county courthouse. In the New England states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont, land deeds are kept by the town clerks. In Alaska, deeds are registered at the district level and, in Louisiana, deed records are kept by the parish. Deed books contain records of a variety of land sales and transfers: Deed of SaleDeed of GiftStrawman SaleLease ReleaseMortgage SaleEstate Settlement Next How to Locate Land Deeds Land transfers between individuals, also known as deeds, are typically recorded in deed books. The original deed was retained by the land owner, but a full copy of the deed was recorded by the clerk in the deed book for the locality. Deed books are kept at the county level for most U.S. states, though in some areas they may be kept at the city or town level. If youre researching in Alaska, then the county-equivalent is known as a district, and in Louisiana, as a parish. The first step in searching for land deeds and deed indexes is to learn about the locality where your ancestors lived. Begin by asking yourself the following questions: Do land records exist for your area and time period of interest?What county had jurisdiction at the time period (the present-day county where the land is located may not have always had jurisdiction due to changing county boundaries)? Are deed records still in county custody or have they been moved to some other location?What is the county seat and what is the name of the deed office (Register of Deeds is the most common name used for the office)? Once you have determined where to search for land deeds, the next step is to search the deed indexes. This can be a bit more difficult than it sounds because different localities may have their deeds indexed in different formats and many deed indexes have not been computerized. Searching the IndexMost U.S. counties have a grantor index, otherwise known as a sellor index, of their land deeds. Most also have a grantee, or buyer, index. In cases where their is no grantee index, you must read wade through all of the entries in the seller index to locate the buyers. Depending upon the locality, a number of different seller and buyer indexes may be in use. The easiest ones to use are alphabetized lists which cover, in order of recording, all deeds recorded within a particular county. A variation on this type of deed index is a list indexed by first initial of the surnames within a selected period of time (about fifty years or more). All A surnames are grouped unalphabetized in the page order in which they are found, followed by all B surnames, and so on. Sometimes surnames which are very common in the area will be grouped by themselves. Other indexes commonly found used to index deeds includ Paul Company Indexes, the Burr Record Index, the Campbell Index, the Rus sell Index, and the Cott Index. From Deed Index to DeedMost deed indexes provide a substantial amount of information including the date of the deed transaction, the names of the grantor and grantee, plus the book and page number where the deed entry can be found in the deed books. Once you have located the deeds in the index, it is a relatively simple task to find the deeds themselves. You can either visit or write to the Register of Deeds yourself or browse the microfilm copies of the deed books at a library, archives, or through your local Family History Center. Next Deciphering the Deeds Although the legal language and old handwriting styles found in old deeds may seem a bit intimidating, deeds are actually organized into predictable parts. The exact format of the deed will vary from locale to locale, but the overall structure remains the same. The following elements are found in most deeds: This IndentureThis is the most common opening for a deed and will frequently be found written in larger letters than the rest of the deed. Some earlier deeds dont use this language, but instead will start with words such as To all to whom these presents shall come greeting... ...made and entered into this fifteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy five.This is the date of the actual deed transaction, not necessarily the date it was proved in court, or recorded by the clerk. The date of the deed will often be found written out, and may appear here at the beginning of the deed, or later near the end. ...between Cherry and Judah Cherry his wife...of the one part, and Jesse Haile of the county and state aforesaidThis is the section of the deed that names the parties involved (the grantor and grantee). Sometimes this section includes details which added to make it clear which William Crisp or Tom Jones was meant. Additionally, this section may also indicate relationships between the involved parties. Specifically, watch for details on place of residence, occupation, seniority, name of spouse, position relating to the deed (executor, guardian, etc.), and statements of relationship. ...for and in consideration of the sum of ninety dollars to them in hand paid, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledgedThe term consideration is usually used for the section of the deed which acknowledges payment. The sum of money which changed hands is not always specified. If it is not, be careful not to assume that it indicates a deed of gift between family members or friends. Some people just liked to keep their financial matters private. This section of the deed is usually found immediately after the names of the parties to the deed, though sometimes it may be found mentioned between the parties. ...a certain tract or parcel of land situate lying and being in the State and County aforesaid containing by estimation one hundred acres more or less butted and bounded as follows Beginning in a Cashy Swamp at the mouth of a Branch then up said branch...The statement of property should include the acreage and the political jurisdiction (the county, and possibly the township). In public-land states it is given by the rectangular survey coordinates and in subdivisions it is given by lot and block number. In state-land states, the description (such as in the example above) includes a description of the property lines, including waterways, trees, and adjoining land owners. This is known as a metes and bounds survey and usually starts with the word Beginning written in extra large letters. ...to have and to hold the above said bargained premises to him the said Jesse Haile his heirs and assigns foreverThis is typical beginning for the final section of the deed. It is usually full of legal terms and generally covers items such as possible encumberances or restrictions on the land (back taxes, outstanding mortgages, joint owners, etc.). This section will also list any restrictions on use of the land, payment terms for mortages if it is a deed of mortgage, etc. ...whereof we have set our hands and fixed our seals this fifteenth day of February in the year of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred and seventy five. Signed Sealed and delivered in presence of us...If the deed wasnt dated at the beginning, then you will find the date here at the end. This is also the section for signatures and witnesses. It is important to understand that the signatures found in the deed books are not true signatures, they are just copies made by the clerk as he recorded from the original deed.

Ecology Lab Report 2 Scientific Method on Birds - 716 Words

Ecology Lab 2 scientific method of birds In today’s lab we learned about the scientific method and a hypothesis. We talked about how ecologists have an issue when experimenting because they cannot control some environmental factors. Therefore the probability of repeatability in an ecological experiment in often minimal. We then went into talking about the importance of an experimenter’s hypothesis. We summed up a hypothesis as just being an assumption that could be put to the test. After we talked about some examples of a hypothesis we went into talking about the different types of research. For my two experiments in today’s lab I used natural experiments. A natural experiment is one of the most relevant types of experiments an†¦show more content†¦For my own ecological experiment and hypothesis I came up with the idea that blue birds hang around my garden because they like to eat the beetles that are around my tomato plant. There numbers would be reliant upon how high there source was, for exa mple the more beetles there were, the more blue birds would be there. A natural experiment would be more favorable than a lab experiment because this is happening in nature. I would have to collect the size of the garden, the number of tomato plants, the number of beetles collected at a certain time, and a field camera to count the number of times a bluebird swoops in. I think stratified random sampling technique would be the best because the number of tomato plants could impact the number of birds and beetles. Season would also be an important factor for this experiment. I would expect there to be more birds, beetles, and tomato plants depending upon the size of the garden. I think my first experiment with bees could be improved several ways. We could collect the certain type of flowers that the bees were at. Collecting the certain type of bee could also prove useful. 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Film Analysis Of Vincent Gallos Buffalo 66 - 1083 Words

â€Å"All my life I’ve been a lonely boy.† Vincent Gallo’s Buffalo 66 is a peculiar, surreal film to analyze. As a semi-autobiographical work, Buffalo 66 greatly exaggerates the events in the film and makes the viewers suspend disbelief on more than one occasion. Yet despite this, the main focus of this film is a broken Billy Brown’s emotionally raw journey seeking revenge but instead finding unconditional love through Layla in the end, and the formalist film techniques used here enhance this. Through the deliberate use of photography, staging, and movement, Buffalo 66 works as a formalistic classicism film, a predominantly classicism film with strong elements of formalism, on the style continuum. Gallo’s use of cinematography, even though his†¦show more content†¦The camerawork emphasizes the sense of detachment between the characters, and Billy’s inability with connecting with others. In addition, the film has a contrasty, bleak look to it, like a faded photograph. Gallo shot the movie on reversal film stock to capture that contrast and grain, in attempt to reproduce the same look of football games from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Buffalo 66’s staging conveys many themes. One memorable use of staging is the dinner table scene with Billy, Layla, and Billy’s mother and father. To exaggerate the emotional emptiness of the scene, the scene is framed in a medium long shot; however, the viewers see only three sides of the dinner table at any given moment, like a stage. The characters in the scene range from a personal to social distance. A most prominent detail in this scene, aside from the empty space, is the Buffalo memorabilia present in both the background and foreground. All conversations are either three way or two way, with one person constantly disappearing. The viewer has no way to identify with any particular character; thus, the viewers feel alienated from the dysfunctional family much like how Billy feels with his parents. As mentioned previously in the car scene, Billy is a character who has difficulty connecting with others. Towards the end of the second act of the film, there is a scene when Billy and Layla lie on a motel bed, attempting to be more intimate with

No-Tipping Movement Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the No-Tipping Movement. Answer: Introduction In the current time, one of the major trends witnessing by the culinary industries is the no-tipping movement. According to this trend, restaurants are changing the concept of having tips by the servers from the customers by providing them higher hourly wages. It is assumed that paying them more will restrict them from having tips. This will in turn enhance the goodwill of the restaurant among the customers (Whaley, Douglas ONeill, 2014). This trend is becoming more popular in the recent time due to the reason that restaurants are concentrating more enhancing the service quality and increase the level of satisfaction among the customers. However, there are some issues are also being faced by this no-tipping movement. One of the key issues is the resistance from the side of the servers regarding the stoppage of the tipping concept. Currently this movement started in the United States and different types of restaurants in terms of cuisines and sizes are involved in it. Body According to the article, no-tipping movement attracting mixed response in the market. Some of the restaurants owners are having positive opinions and some are having negative opinions. Moreover, it is also stated that setting the menu price high may limit the attractiveness of the restaurants. This is due to the reason that customers tend to get less attracted with having higher quoted price. On the other hand, it is also stated in the article that stoppage of tipping concept will demoralize the servers. This is due to the reason that they will get more motivated in pricing effective customer service when they are having the expectation of receiving something as tips. According to Even and Macpherson (2014), movement of the no-tipping concept in the restaurant industries is majorly having negative impacts due to the degradation of the service quality of the average restaurants. In addition, it is also stated by the authors that removal of the tipping concept will further demoralize the employees associated with the restaurant industry regardless of having increased the minimum wage. Brewster (2013) stated that tipping concept in the restaurants is having more implications rather than just having extra earnings for the servers. According to the authors, servers are having the perception that tips of the customers get determined by the quality of the services being provided to them. Thus, having tipping concept in turn will motivate the servers in enhancing the service quality. This is not being applicable if it is removed with the increase in the minimum wage. Future implications It is highly unlikely that this trend will continue for long and will be sustainable. This is due to the reason that restaurant industries are having restaurants in different sizes and with different set of target customer segments. Thus, the concept of the no-tipping will not be applicable for the smaller restaurants. They will not be able to afford the increased rate of minimum wages (Yesiltas et al., 2014). Maybe this trend will be limited among the higher end restaurants only in the next 5 years. Conclusion Thus it can be concluded that though the concept of no-tipping is positive in sense but it will not be applicable across every restaurants in the culinary industry. Moreover, this report also concludes that initiation of the no-tipping concept will reduce the level of service quality among the servers. References Brewster, Z. W. (2013). The effects of restaurant servers perceptions of customers tipping behaviors on service discrimination.International Journal of Hospitality Management,32, 228-236. Even, W. E., Macpherson, D. A. (2014). The effect of the tipped minimum wage on employees in the US restaurant industry.Southern Economic Journal,80(3), 633-655. Whaley, J. E., Douglas, A. C., ONeill, M. A. (2014). What's in a tip? The creation and refinement of a restaurant-tipping motivations scale: A consumer perspective.International Journal of Hospitality Management,37, 121-130. Yesiltas, M., Zorlu, O., Sop, S. A., Beydilli, E. T. (2014). The Effects of Service Quality on Customers' Tipping Behavior.International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences,4(8), 430.