Monday, September 22, 2014

Amanuensis Monday - Post 236: 1869 Deed of Land in Taylor County, Iowa from Esther and John Craven 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 Esther and John Craven selling land to Ranslow Smith:



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

01 Esther & John Craven to Ranslow Smith
2h Claim [in margin]
02 Know all men by these presents. That we Esther M. Cravens
03 & John Cravens of the County of Taylor and State
04 of Iowa for the Consideration of Five Hundred Dollars
05 in hand paid do hereby Quit Claim unto Ranslow
06 Smith of Taylor County State of Iowa all right title
07 and interest in and to the following described Real Estate
08 Viz.  The West half 1/2 of the North East quarter 1//4 of Section
09 Seventeen (17) Tp Sixty nine (69) North of Range 34 West.
10   And the Said John Craven Releases his right of dower
11 in and to the above described premises.
12   Witness our hands this the 15" day of Sept. A.D. 1869.
13                                 {  50             50  }   Esther M. Craven
14                                 {  Rev Stamp      }   John S. Craven
15 State of Iowa   }
16 Taylor County } SS
17                                On this 15" day of Sept. A.D. 1869, before
18  Me the undersigned a Notary Public in and for said
19 County appeared the above named Esther M. Craven & John
20 Craven personally Known to me to be the identical persons
21 whose names are affixed to the foregoing instrument as grantors
22 and acknowledged the same to be their voluntary act and deed
23 for the purposes therein expressed.
24                           In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand
25 {  Notarial }                                         L. J. McCoun
26 {     Seal    }                                            Notary Public
27 I certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Original
28 Deed as filed for Record Sept 23^d 1869
29                                           James P. Flick
30                                                     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 L, page 212 (stamped), Deed of Esther and John Craven to Ranslow Smith, 1869; accessed 4 February 2014 on FHL US/CAN microfilm 1,535,633.

This is the second parcel of land that John and Esther Craven sold to Ranslow Smith on 15 September 1869.  I thought it was interesting that John Craven released his dower right to this land parcel.  I think that means that this land came to Esther Craven, perhaps by deed or inheritance.

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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