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== Land Terms and Definitions == | |||
'''Acre '''10 square chains or 160 square rods, 43,560 square feet or 4840 square yards; 640 acres = 1 square mile | |||
'''Base line '''An imaginary line running east and west; a baseline intersects with a meridian | |||
'''Bounds''' Used in land measurement, this term refers to the naming of physical features. | |||
'''Bounty land warrant''' A title to a specified amount of land which was issued by the United States War Department upon presentation of evidence that the applicant had served in the Continental Line during the American Revolution. | |||
'''Cadastral maps''' County atlases which give the names of landowners in the county and the acreage they own. | |||
'''Cash entry files''' A file containing the paperwork for cash land sales, kept at the National Archives | |||
'''Chain''' 66 feet or 4 rods or 100 [http://www.gloverfamily.com/docs/landmeasurements.htm/ links] | |||
'''Deed''' The written legal document transferring ownership of property | |||
'''Direct index:''' Index of those selling the land. Same as grantor index. | |||
'''Dower right''' The widow's portion of an estate for use during her lifetime | |||
'''Escheat''' Land ownership that reverted to the government by default | |||
'''Federal land/Public domain states '''Thirty states whose land was initially controlled and dispersed by the federal government: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. | |||
'''Forward''' '''index:''' Index of those selling the land. Same as grantor index | |||
'''Freehold''' Land that can be used only during the person's lifetime | |||
'''Grant''' To sell, convey, or donate | |||
'''Grantor''' The seller | |||
'''Grantee''' The buyer | |||
'''Headright''' During the colonization of the eastern United States, one was granted a "headright" of land for importing himself or another into the colonies. Headrights, usually 50 acres, could be bought or sold. Abuses of headrights occurred. | |||
'''Homestead''' A tract of land obtained from the government by a settler under a [[Homestead Records|homestead law]]. | |||
'''Indirect index:''' Index of those buying the land. Same as grantee index. | |||
'''Land entry case file''' A file containing the paperwork related to a parcel of land and kept by the General Land Office on each applicant | |||
'''Land grant''' A grant of land which was for military duty or by a special act of Congress. | |||
'''Lapsed land''' Land that had not been seated within the specified time period reverted to the government. | |||
'''Lease and release''' Common method of selling land in the Colonial period. The deed was made for the consideration price of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppercorn_%28legal%29 ''one peppercorn''] or something similar. The next day another deed was made out naming the full selling price. This is not a deed of gift. | |||
'''[http://www.gloverfamily.com/docs/landmeasurements.htm/ Link]''' 7.92 inches | |||
'''Meander lines''' A term used in surveying to denote imaginary lines drawn on land which borders waterways in order to determine how much land is involved. | |||
'''Meridian '''An imaginary line running north and south; a meridian intersects with a base line | |||
'''Messuage''' Refers to a dwelling and other buildings | |||
'''Metes''' This term is used in land measurement and refers to the direction and distance of a line. | |||
'''Metes and bounds''' A combination of terms describing land measurement and features, mostly used in state land states | |||
'''Moiety''' An equal part | |||
'''Mortgage ''' Money borrowed from another using property as collateral | |||
'''Patent '''The legal document showing the initial transfer of land from the government | |||
'''Perch/[http://www.gloverfamily.com/docs/landmeasurements.htm/ Pole]/Rod''' 16 1/2 feet or 1/4 chain or 25 links or 198 inches | |||
'''Plat '''1) A small parcel of land, 2) a map or drawing of a land parcel | |||
'''Preemption '''A filing for the first rights of purchase for a parcel of land | |||
'''Range''' Townships in a line running from north to south. | |||
'''Rectangular Survey '''Measurement of land based on township and range descriptions, used in public domain states | |||
'''Reverse index:''' An index of those buying land. Same as grantee index. | |||
'''Seating land''' This term meant that the patentee planned to make certain improvements to the property within a given period of time. | |||
'''Section''' A measurement of land which consists of one square mile or six hundred and forty acres | |||
'''State-land states''' States which controlled and dispersed land owned by the state: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, <br>Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. | |||
'''Township''' 1) A measurement of land six miles by six miles, 2) Townships are measured in a north/south from a base line. 3) a governmental unit responsible for an area of approximately thirty-six square miles. | |||
'''Tract''' 1) A parcel of land, 2) a portion of a meridian section about twenty four miles square, containing sixteen townships<br><br> | |||
[[Image:Congressional Township Rectangular Survey Grid.png|649px|Congressional Township Rectangular Survey Grid.png]] | |||
== References == | |||
*Evans, Barbara Jean. ''A to Zax: A Comprehensive Dictionary for Genealogists and Historians, ''3rd ed. Alexandria, Virginia: Hearthside Press, 1995. | |||
*Hatcher, Patricia Law. ''Locating Your Roots: Discover Your Ancestors Using Land Records. ''Cincinnati, Ohio: Betterway Books, 2003.'' '' | |||
*Hone, E. Wade. ''Land & Property Research in the United States. ''Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Incorporated, 1997. | |||
<br> {{U.S. Land and Property}} | |||
[[Category:United_States_Land_and_Property]] | |||
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