Monday, October 27, 2014

Amanuensis Monday - Post 241: 1873 Deed of Land in Taylor County, Iowa from Devier J. and Abbie A. Smith to James McMonigal

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme years ago called "Amanuensis Monday."  John offers this definition for "amanuensis:" 

"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

The subject today is an 1873 deed in the Taylor County, Iowa deed books for Devier J. and Abbie A. Smith selling land to James McMonigal. 


The transcription of this deed is (handwritten text in italics, form fields underlined):

DEED RECORD, TAYLOR CO., IOWA
=================================================
             FROM:                        }       Filed for record, this    23    day of     August    
   D.J. Smith & wife                  }        A.D. 18 73  at    4    o'clock,    P.  M.
                  TO:                         }
    James McMonigal                }                                         E.G. Medford, Recorder
                                                  }                           
    
=================================================
Know all Men by these Presents: That      We                             
      . Devier J. Smith and Abbie A. Smith                                        
of the County of   Andrew   and State of    Missouri       in consideration of the sum of 
       Seventeen Hundred                                                         Dollars,
in hand paid by                                      James McMonigal                                          
of     Taylor     County and State of     Iowa    do hereby sell and convey unto the
said                           James McMonigal                                            the following       
described premises, situated in the County of   Taylor    and State of   Iowa    to wit:
   The South East quarter of the South East Quarter of Section Eleven (11)    
  and the North East Quarter of the North East quarter of Section Fourteen
(14) Township Sixty Seven (67) Range Thirty four (34) 
                                                                                                                  
and   We   hereby covenant with the said     James McMonigal                           
that   We   hold said premises by good and perfect title;
that   We   have good right and lawful authority to sell and convey the same; that they are 
free and clear of all liens and incumbrances whatsoever, And We covenant to Warrant and DEFEND the said premises, against the lawful claims of all persons whomsoever.  And the said  
     Abbie A. Smith                       hereby relinquishes her right of dower in and to 
the above described premises.
======================================
Signed this    19th      day of     August          A.D.  18  73 
IN PRESENCE OF                                                       Devier J. Smith       
                                                                                      Abbie A. Smith     
                                          
STATE OF IOWA,     Taylor       County        SS
On this   19th   day of    August      A.D. 18 73  , before me                               
  E.G. Medford        a    Notary Public      within and for said County, 
                                personally came    Devier J. Smith  and Abbie A. Smith     
                                personally known to be the identical person s whose name s are  
    { Seal}                affixed to the above instrument as Grantor s , and acknowledged the 
                                same to be   their   voluntary act and deed, for the purposes therein expressed.
                                    In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name and 
                                affixed my official seal at     Bedford  Iowa     on the date last 
                                above written.
                                                                              E.G. Medford            
                                                                               Notary Public        
============================================
     I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the original deed, as filed for record on the
     23      day of      August      18 73  
                                                            E.G. Medford          Recorder.

The source citation for this Deed is:

Taylor County, Iowa, Taylor County, Iowa, deed records, 1855-1953; index, 1855-1902, "Deed Records (Land) v. O (cont'd), 1873-1874, v. P 1871-1873, v. Q (to p.391)" Volume Q, page 32 (stamped), Deed of Devier J. and Abbie A. Smith to James McMonigal, 1873; accessed 4 February 2014 on FHL US/CAN microfilm 1,535,635.

Devier J. Smith purchased the Southeast quarter of the Southeast quarter of Section 11 (40 acres), and the Northeast quarter of the Northeast quarter of Section 14 (40 acres) of township 67 North, Range 34 West on 18 December 1871 for $3000.  In the present deed, he sold both properties for $1700 after two years of holding and improving this land.  So he lost money, about $1300, on this deal.

Note that the deed says that Devier and Abbie Smith are of Andrew County, Missouri by this time.  Devier's adoptive faqther, Ranslow Smith, had died by this date in 1873 and Devier probably moved his family to Andrew County, Missouri.

Devier J. and Abbie A. Smith are my second great-grandparents.  By 1875, they were residing in Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas.  Subsequently, they moved in 1885 to McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska in 1885, and then bought land in Cheyenne County, Kansas before Devier died in 1894 in McCook.  Abbie came to San Diego to live with her daughter's family in the early 1890s.


Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver



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