Monday, July 21, 2014

Amanuensis Monday - Post 227: 1867 Deed of Land in Taylor County, Iowa from William Lewis Estate to R. Smith

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 1867 deed in the Taylor County, Iowa deed books for the estate of William Lewis selling land in Taylor County to R. Smith.



The transcription of this deed record is:

[page 60]

Lewis Estate to R. Smith

01  Know all men by these presents that whereas on the
02  5th day of Feb 1867 Leonard Lewis filed in the offices
03  of the Clerk of the District Court of Taylor County Iowa
04  his petition praying the partition of the following described
05  real estate, to wit.  The North East quarter of Section No
06  Twenty three the north half of the south west quarter
07  of Section No twenty two and the west half of the South
08  east quarter of Section No Twenty one all in Township
09  No. Sixty Eight north in Range No Thirty three west
10  containing Three three Hundred and twenty acres more
11  or less and Situated in the County of Taylor and
12  State of Iowa.  And whereas at the March term of
13  1867 of said Court a decree was made that partition
14  thereof be made and J C Ray S P Bristo and Thomas
15  Brock were appointed referees to make partition of
16  Said land and whereas at the September term of
17  1867 said referees made report to said Court that
18  partition thereof could not be made without mate-
19  rial prejudice and an order was of Said term made
20  for the sale thereof and whereas the said referees
21  did on the 24th of December 1867 by virtue of
22  and in accordance with the Decree of said Court did
23  sell the west half of the north East quarter of Section
24  No Twenty three in Township No Sixty Eight north of
25  Range No Thirty three west.  T[o] R. Smith for the 
26  sum of Two Hundred and Twenty dollars he being
27  the highest and best bidder therefor and whereas
28  said referees were refered to sell said premises 
29  and take one half cash in hand and one half 
30  to be paid in one year from day of Sale to be secured
31  by Mortgage upon the premises sold and to make
32  and deliver to the purchaser thereof a good and suffi-
33  cient deed of conveyance for Said Land.  Now
34  therefore in consideration of the foregoing premises
35  and of the sum of Two Hundred and Twenty dollars 
36  aforesaid J C Ray S P Bristo and Thomas Brock
37  referees so aforesaid do hereby sell and convey unto
38  the said R Smith his heirs and assigns forever
39  all of the right title and interest of the heirs of
40  Wm Lewis in and to land last above described
41  to have and to hold the same  to him his heirs
42  and assigns forever.

[page 61]

43  witness our hands this 24th day of Dec 1867
44  { Revenue Stamp }          J C Ray      }
45                                       S P Bristow }   Referees
46                                        T H Brock  } 

47  State of Iowa
48  County of Taylor  }  SS  On this 24th day of Dec 1867
49  before me the undersigned Notary Public in and for
50  the County and State aforesaid personally appeared
51  J C Ray S P Bristow and Thomas Brock Referees as aforesaid to me pers-
52  onally Known to be the identical persons whose
53  names are affixed to the foregoing conveyance as
54  grantors and Severally acknowledged the execution
55  of the same to be his voluntary act and deed
56  Witness my hand and Seal done in Bedford
57  Iowa day and year last aforesaid.
58  { Notarial Seal}                            S T McCann
59                                                    Notary Public

60  I certify that the foregoing is a true and and correct
61  copy of the original Deed as filed for Record on
62  the 26th day of Dec A D 1867 
63                                                Daniel Underwood
64                                                        Recorder

65  Examined and approved in open Court this
66  24th day of March A D 1868
67                                                James G Day
68                                                Judge 3d District
69                                                               Iowa

70  This above deed was not approved till after
71  the Record was made the approval being recorded
72  March 26th A D 1868              D Underwood
73                                                       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. J (1867-1869) v. K-L (1867-1870)," Volume J, pages 60-61 (stamped), Deed of William Lewis Estate to Ranslow Smith, 1867; accessed 4 February 2014 on FHL US/CAN microfilm 1,535,632.

I think that this is the earliest deed in the records for Ranslow Smith buying land in Taylor County, Iowa.  Obviously, I need a scorecard to keep track of all of these deeds - I have about 30 of them all from this one county.  


Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver


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