Land Record Reference

Sponsored by Direct Line Software, makers of DeedMapper mapping products for the PC.

25 Mar 2008

Welcome to our Reference Section. No need to whisper! If you don't find what you're looking for, drop us a line. We'll be glad to add items to the list.

Getting New Land

The Feudal Land System - Ain't it great to be King!
How Land in the Colonies Was Acquired - Patents and Grants.
Bounty Land Warrants, by Jan Bishop McFarland - Another way of acquiring land.
The Homestead Act of 1862, by Richard Pence - The original 'sweat equity' way to get land.

State by State History

Buying and Selling Land

Transferring Land - The selling process.
A Typical Deed - It's not just legalese

Land Transaction Records. How they work, and where they are.

Retracing the Trails of Your Ancestors Using Deed Records, by William Dollarhide
Taking the Mystery Out of Land Records, by Linda Haas Davenport
On-line Land Record Research Course
Deed Books and the types of deeds they contain
How To Get Copies of Land Records
Published Books Relating to Land Records - The records you seek may already be in print
Other Internet sites with Land Record Information

Two Types of Property Descriptions Used in Deeds

Metes and Bounds - Meandering streams and white oak trees
U.S. Public Domain - Home on the Section, Township, and Range

Terms You'll Come Across

Surveying Units and Terms - Poles and Chains
Legal and Other Terms - From the common to the obscure
Corrections for compass declination errors - True norths are hard to find

Miscellaneous

U.S. Geographic Name lookup - Locate creeks and other features named in deeds
U.S. GenWeb - Gateway to local history and genealogy
Cyndi's List of Land Record Sites - An excellent list of related sites
FindLaw - Legal resources, including Property Law

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