Monday, September 15, 2014

Amanuensis Monday - Post 235: 1869 Deed of Land in Taylor County, Iowa from John Craven and wife to Ranslow 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 1869 deed in the Taylor County, Iowa deed books for John Craven and his wife  selling land to Ranslow Smith:



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

01                                            RECORD OF DEEDS
02                               John Craven & wife to Ranslow Smith

03 Know all Men by these Presents:
04 That    We  John Craven and E.M. Craven his wife     
05 of the County of    Taylor Coiunty    and State of    Iowa   , in consideration of the
06 sum of      Five hundred                                      Dollars
07 in hand paid by      Ranslow Smith     
08                                          of    Taylor     County, and State of   
09      Iowa      do hereby Sell and convey unto the said      Ranslow Smith     
10 the following described premises, situated in the County of     Taylor    and State of Iowa, to wit:
11 The South West quarter of  Section Seven (7) Township (69)   
12 Sixty-nine Range thirty-four (34) excepting ninety-five (95) acres off   
13 of the north side of said quarter                                   
14 and   We    hereby covenant with the said    Ranslow Smith         
15                            that   We   hold said premises by good & perfect title, that    We   
16 ha ve  good right and lawful authority to Sell and convey same; that they are free and clear of all liens and incum-
17 brances whatsoever, and  We  covenant to Warrant and Defend the said premises against the lawful claims of
18 all persons whomsoever; and the said    E.M. Craven  his wife     hereby relinquishes
19 her right of dower in and to the above described premises.
20 Signed this    15th    day of    September    186 9  
21 IN PRESENCE OF                  { $0.50 Revenue Stamp
22 _____________________                                                   Esther M. Craven       
23 _____________________                                                   John S. Craven       
24 STATE OF IOWA,    }  SS
25 TAYLOR COUNTY  }
26                                                On the   15th   day of     September   186 9, before me
27    L R. McCoun                 a       Notary Public       
28 within and for said County, personally came    John Craven and E.M. Craven his wife     
29 personally to me known to be the identical person s whose name s   are   affixed to the above instrument as grantor s
30 and acknowledged the same to be   their   voluntary act and deed, for the purpose therein Expressed.
31 { Notarial }      In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto submitted my name, and affixed my official
32 {   Seal    }       Seal at   Bedford Iowa   on the date last above written.
33                                                                     L T McCoun     
34                                                                     Notary Public     
35 I certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Original 
36 Deed as filed for Record  Sept 23 1869
37 James P. Flick   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 (cont.) 1867-1869 v. K-L 1867-1870," Volume K, page 539(stamped), Deed of John Craven and wife to Ranslow Smith, 1869; accessed 4 February 2014 on FHL US/CAN microfilm 1,535,633.

Ranslow Smith (1805-1873) is the adoptive father of my second great-grandfather, Devier J. Lamphier Smith (1839-1894).  He married Julia (Middleton) Johnston, as his second wife, on 8 March 1868 in Taylor County, Iowa.


Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver



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