flyin solo, post: 445560, member: 8089 wrote: here's my favorite one to date. from 1886. i guess they had teenaged girls working in the county clerk's office around here in 1886.
btw- it's a party wall agreement in downtown austin. about 8 different lawyers wanted it removed as an exception to title. none of them had even tried to decipher it (you'd think at lawyer bill rates it'd be a golden goose.)
took me about 30 minutes to get through the two+ pages. i then took what i'd transcribed and compared it against known ownership at the time to try and attain a level of confidence. turns out lot numbers and owners matched up perfectly, and this party wall agreement falls smack dab in middle of the subject tract (though there's no party wall there any more).
I believe that's the handwriting of Frank Brown, the County Clerk himself.
Aside from a few ideosyncratic spellings, that Ipswich deed looks familiar enough from metes and bounds Texas:
"A Certain Parcell of salt marsh and upland lying and being in the North Common field in said Ipswich containing three Acres and an half bounded as followeth
Beginning at the North Est Corner and running Northwesterly upon a straight line by land now in the possession of Francisco Sawyer to a stake their fixed
Then upon a straight line about Southerly by land sett of the to the widows hay grds to the Creek to a State there fixed
and by sd. Creek to Capt. Tobyah Perkin's land & by sd. Perkin's land to the bounds first mentioned with a conveneant high-way to the same."
Kent McMillan, post: 445712, member: 3 wrote: I believe that's the handwriting of Frank Brown, the County Clerk himself.
Are you sure that it wasn't Emmett Brown?
flyin solo, post: 445560, member: 8089 wrote: here's my favorite one to date. from 1886. i guess they had teenaged girls working in the county clerk's office around here in 1886.
btw- it's a party wall agreement in downtown austin. about 8 different lawyers wanted it removed as an exception to title. none of them had even tried to decipher it (you'd think at lawyer bill rates it'd be a golden goose.)
took me about 30 minutes to get through the two+ pages. i then took what i'd transcribed and compared it against known ownership at the time to try and attain a level of confidence. turns out lot numbers and owners matched up perfectly, and this party wall agreement falls smack dab in middle of the subject tract (though there's no party wall there any more).
Can't make out the surname of the party fo the first part, but the rest begins:
Jos. G. B___ To Agreement Sophie Kreisle
The State of Texas
County of Travis
Article of agreement between Jos. G. B___ and Sophie Kreisle both citizens of said County & State
Witnesseth:
That said Joseph G. B___ for and in consideration of four hundred dollars to him in hand paid by said Sophie Kreisle the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, for one half half of the cost of the party wall of the building erected by said B___ on Lot no. 4 in Block No. Forty two (42) in said City of Austin Travis County Texas said building fronts on Congress Ave in said City - said South wall of said building being built upon the dividing line between said lot No. forty .....
Loyal, post: 445714, member: 228 wrote: Are you sure that it wasn't Emmett Brown?
Frank Brown had very distinctive handwriting and was County Clerk in that period. I think it's a safe bet that the handwriting is his.
Kent McMillan, post: 445720, member: 3 wrote: Frank Brown had very distinctive handwriting and was County Clerk in that period. I think it's a safe bet that the handwriting is his.
Ah come on Kent, don't be such a stick in the mud!
I've been working 18 hours a day, 7 days a week for the last couple of months, and needling you a little bit is my only respite.
🙂
Loyal, post: 445722, member: 228 wrote: I've been working 18 hours a day, 7 days a week for the last couple of months, and needling you a little bit is my only respite.
Well, I've noticed that there was a change in handwriting in the late 1880s. It assumed what I'd call a more "modern" quality with letterforms varying from the standard copybook examples. Mr. Brown was a bit ahead of his time. It could also be that he saw job security in how he copied conveyances into the public records if his version required him to translate it.
He did make a career out of it in Travis County, Texas where Austin is.
[PRE]Brown Frank District Clerk - 1854-1864, 1866-1868, 1873-1876
County Clerk - 1865, 1876-1893
Acting County Clerk - 1873-1876[/PRE]
Peter Lothian - MA ME, post: 445535, member: 4512 wrote: What I find interesting is that the deed recites "...Thomas Gaines of Ipswich in the County of Essex in New England..." In 1755 it should more properly have referred to "...Essex in Massachusetts Province..." as there was no New England government at that time. Rather odd.
Peter you are correct 1752 would have been the Mass Bay Province. I do have to say I've seen "New England" referenced in many old deeds. My guess is that it was being used in a general sense.
Kent McMillan, post: 445718, member: 3 wrote: Can't make out the surname of the party fo the first part,...
Booth.
applied to the line between 411 and 413 (the tailor and the grocery) as seen on this sanborn map from the year previous. apparently nothing became of it, as the 1889 shows virtually no change (except for some landings off the back of the grocery and mill). the line in question now runs approximately through the north end of the lobby of the building from which i'm typing this right now (15 floors up).
That darned flux capacitor. Who knows where all Doc landed?
Kent McMillan, post: 445713, member: 3 wrote: Aside from a few ideosyncratic spellings, that Ipswich deed looks familiar enough from metes and bounds Texas:
"A Certain Parcell of salt marsh and upland lying and being in the North Common field in said Ipswich containing three Acres and an half bounded as followeth
Beginning at the North Est Corner and running Northwesterly upon a straight line by land now in the possession of Francisco Sawyer to a stake their fixed
Then upon a straight line about Southerly by land sett of the to the widows hay grds to the Creek to a State there fixed
and by sd. Creek to Capt. Tobyah Perkin's land & by sd. Perkin's land to the bounds first mentioned with a conveneant high-way to the same."
Errrr.... Kent with all due respect I doubt a Sawyer in 1752 Massachusetts was named Francisco. Helps to have a little local knowledge.
I also find if you photograph some of these old documents, more detail can be seen than a copied black and white page. I discovered this when the County started requiring $2 per copy and I happened to have my digital camera on me.
During a deposition the opposing attorney, with a smirk on his face, asked if I could read the conveying deed (he is a much younger fellow). As I started to read it his mouth dropped and he stopped me with a "Wow, it really does say something". I am on the west coast so don't notice the changing of letter styles as much but Walt Robbilard gave me a sheet he or someone else put together where it shows how certain cursive letters changed in style through time. I think it would be a great asset to have on the east coast.
Hack, post: 445779, member: 708 wrote: Errrr.... Kent with all due respect I doubt a Sawyer in 1752 Massachusetts was named Francisco. Helps to have a little local knowledge.
I read Francis Sawyer, there aren't enough letters for Francisco.
I believe this is your Francis Sawyer from "SOME DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM SAWYER
OF NEWBURY, MASS"
[INDENT]Francis Sawyer, born at "Wells 6 March, 1(381 ;
married at Ipswich in 1705, Elizabeth, probably widow of Thomas
Dennis of Ipswich : lived at Wells ; was Representative 1720, '21.
His wife died, and he moved to Ipswich, where he married
secondly in 1725, Susanna, widow of Low of Ipswich; in
1735 received land in Narragansett Xo. 1, now Buxton, in right
of his father. His wife died at Ipswich 30 May, 1749, and he married thirdly
in 1750, Mrs. Hannah Stamford of Ipswich, who died in December,
1750, ami he married fourthly in 1751, Mrs. Mary Knovvlton of
Ipswich ; died at Ipswich 31 August, 1756 ; she died in February, 1789. [/INDENT]
Howard Surveyor, post: 445786, member: 8835 wrote: I also find if you photograph some of these old documents, more detail can be seen than a copied black and white page. I discovered this when the County started requiring $2 per copy and I happened to have my digital camera on me.
During a deposition the opposing attorney, with a smirk on his face, asked if I could read the conveying deed (he is a much younger fellow). As I started to read it his mouth dropped and he stopped me with a "Wow, it really does say something". I am on the west coast so don't notice the changing of letter styles as much but Walt Robbilard gave me a sheet he or someone else put together where it shows how certain cursive letters changed in style through time. I think it would be a great asset to have on the east coast.
Howard
If your interested there a good book by E.Kay Kirkham published by the Everton Press. It's called "The Handwriting of American Records for a Period of 300 Years".
