Or this is what you get when a Mariner writes a metes and bounds description.
Calls such as "South East, half South" and "West South West" and all the measurements in Fathoms lead me to believe that frequently the first surveyor is really the grantor or grantee and that those are the "footsteps" to follow...
Colonial surveying is full of this sort of history and that's what makes the "first surveyor" a moot point, since we're not looking for a "surveyor" but to establish the intent of the conveyance.
It is my understanding that the PLSS states are supposed to have been surveyed (to some degree) and that the footsteps y'all follow are more true surveyor's footsteps....
I too have found several descriptions like that of that same era along the coast of California just North of the San Francisco Bay... some even stated Magnetic North as the basis.
FYI: first there were the Indios, then came the Russians, then the Spanish, then Mexico, then the PLSS... and then it gets confusing.;-)
Sounds like a perfectly good description to me. Monuments were called for and from that, occupation evidence should reflect the description and intent closely. Have no idea what is actually on the ground or if that land and its adjouners have been developed enough to destroy all original evidence. Compass Rose calls and the use of fathoms, which should be 6 feet, would have some effect on the pluses and minus's of all calls, the stakes would hold if any reasonable evidence of where they once were located remains. Are you surveying this description or is it just something you ran across and wanted to share?
jud
> It is my understanding that the PLSS states are supposed to have been surveyed (to some degree) and that the footsteps y'all follow are more true surveyor's footsteps....
That's true from the standpoint of the initial boundaries, but then the land was settled by colonials from all over the eastern seaboard. They brought their oddities with them and quickly converted the PLSS foundation to a sequence of metes and bounds conveyances like they had back home. Now we retrace the surveyors steps, then layer on the landowners' steps. ;o)
JBS
1861 Description> JUD
I am actually working on a parcel near to this description. The grantee is who I was researching when I found this deed. I wish that the descriptions of this time were as complete as this one. Mariners did know how to describe property so that it could be re-traced.
The property that I am working on is closer to Shank Painter Pond instead of Clapp's Pond however...
This conveyance is a huge piece of land by Cape Cod standards. It probably covers close to 1/5 of North West Provincetown.
I included it here for interest....
"South East by south three quarters south" is a great bearing!
That's a great description to read!
However, I'm not a Mariner by any stretch. I understand fathoms, but can you please explain what "South East by south three quarters south" means?
Thanks,
Jeff
I've heard of South, South East which is half way between South East and Due South, so I'll take a SWAG and say that South East by South three quarters South would be SE 11 deg 15 min
What is your Avatar? Looks like a vessel in a large dry-dock, could be the bow of a sub, whatever it is, it does look like the results of a ramming.
jud
1861 Description>JUD
yeah, the compass points are in 11 degree and 15 minute increments....
(Not 11 1/2 degrees per point)
so it's North for zero azimuth, and east of an azimuth of East, North East is 45 degrees, north north east is am azimuth of 22 1/2 degrees, so then north north east by north is 11 1/4 degrees azimuth...
Hey Jud, you edited your comment as I was responding!
1861 Description>JUD
I decided I needed a little more time to study this before I stated a number I truly understood. I do fine with it as shown in the manual, but the as written directions uses a different way of expressing the base than the manual and I need some time to study those differences and how they may effect the 1/4 pts.
The 11 1/2° came from the memory banks, seems to have gained 15" along the way, could have ended up on the rocks in a narrow channel.
jud
To accurately measure those distances, you need to tie knots in a rope every 47'3" and move in the direction of the fathom at standard horses strides. 1/2 fathom before the end of commencement, stop abruptly and continue one hoot, holler and stone throw to a mathematical point.
Find the nearest stone, stump or confluence of ravine, bleed a goat and defile a virgin, thence moving to the next coarse.
