Maine Land and Property

Maine Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

Record Types

Adoption Bible Records Biography Cemeteries Census Church Records Colonial Records Correctional Institutions Court Records Crime & Punishment Directories Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Online Collections Periodicals Plantations Probate Records Taxation Town Records Townships Vital Records Voter Records

Maine Background

Biography Further Reading Gazetteers History Maps Migration

Cultural Groups

African Americans Indigenous Peoples Cultural Groups Swedish American

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Find a FamilySearch center

United States

U.S. Land and Property

Maine

Land and Property

Maine Land

Online Resources

• 1718-1957 Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
• 1776-1780Maine, Revolutionary War Land Grants, 1776-1780 at Ancestry($)
• 1824-1861 Record of Deeds of the Land Office of Maine, 1824-1861(*) Manuscript on Film; Maine Land Office at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1824-1964 Maine, State-Wide Land Records, 1824-1964(*) Manuscript on Digital Images; Maine State Archives at FamilySearch Catalog - images only
• 1825-1874 Maine and Massachusetts State Wide Land Records, 1825-1874(*) Maine Land Agent; Maine State Archives at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1832-1853 Mass. and Maine Deeds, V. 1-2, 1832-1853(*) Maine Land Agent at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1835-1836 Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Applications, 1835-36 at Ancestry($)
• 1835-1838 Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications 1835-1838 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
• 1841-1884 Maine, Land Office Records, 1841-1884(*) Maine Land Agent; Maine State Archives at FamilySearch Catalog - images only
• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Maine Land Records

The value of land records lies in the fact that land was highly sought after and the transactions were recorded from the time settlers began to arrive. Therefore it is a consistent and continuous record of many ancestors lives. Land records can be used to learn where and when an individual lived in certain areas, as well as often revealing useful and interesting family information.

If you are new to land research, you may wish to read the Beginner’s corner and other articles included on the United States Land and Property page.

1622 - Sir Ferdinando Gorges and James Mason received a land patent for New England, including Maine.

1629 - Gorges and Mason divided the land, and Gorges retained Maine.

1652 - Maine became part of Massachusetts. Maine land records often were recorded in Massachusetts state land records and can be found in the Massachusetts State Archives.

1700 - Massachusetts created the 1st 'Committee for the Sale of Eastern Lands', including Maine.

1783 - Massachusetts created the 2nd 'Committee for the Sale of Eastern Lands', specifically to survey, appraise and sell land in Maine.

1819 - Maine separated from Massachusetts, but Massachusetts retained ownership of half the available land.

1853 - Maine bought the rest of the land still owned by Massachusetts within Maine borders.

Colonial Records

Land ownership in the colonial period can be traced to royal charters, proprietary grants, and Indian deeds. During this period, all of Maine was included in York County. You will find many of the early records for 1642 to 1737 in:

• York Deeds. 18 Volumes. (Portland, Maine: John T. Hull, 1887-1910). Each volume is well indexed. Volume (book) 2 is free on the Archive.com site. All 18 volumes are on the New England Historic Genealogical Society site ($). The FamilySearch Library has all 18 volumes FS Library Collection book 974.195 R2m; film 599904 item 3 through film 599914; on 186 fiche 6046839]. Volume 10 is on film and fiche only.

Post-Revolutionary War Records

In 1783 the 2nd Massachusetts Committee for the Sale of Eastern Lands was formed to sell unclaimed land and distribute grants to soldiers. In 1794 more than 2,000,000 acres were sold.

The Maine State Archives has the records of the Maine Land Office. A list of the principle collections with an index of the Revolutionary War Land Grants, 1830s is shown on the Web site.

• Massachusetts, Land Agent. Massachusetts Deeds, 1794-1860. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1954). On five FamilySearch Library FS Library Collection films starting with 010248 item 3. Each volume is indexed.

From 1820 to 1853, the state of Maine purchased the remaining land from Massachusetts and held auctions to distribute it. The Land Office of Maine was established in 1824 to distribute this land.

• Maine. Land Office. Record of Deeds of the Land Office of Maine, 1824-1861. Ten Volumes. Indexes are in the volumes. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1954). FS Library Collection films 10238-41.

After 1835, Revolutionary War veterans or their widows made applications to the Land Office for land. The following includes claims, applications, and declarations.

• Maine. Land Office. Revolutionary War Veterans Land Records. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1954). FS Library Collection films 010249-60].

A partial index to these records is:

• Charles J. House. Names of Soldiers of the American Revolution Who Applied for State Bounty... . 1893. (Reprint. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1967). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

County Records

After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were recorded by the register of deeds in each county. The addresses and a description of each county's records are in:

• Leclerc, Michael J., Editor. Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research. Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012. This is an excellent guide to Maine towns and counties, location of public records, and genealogical societies. FS Catalog book 974 D27g 2012

Maine Registers of Deeds Association Official Land Records Website

The following counties have two deed districts with specific towns in each:

• Aroostook County (this web site gives the areas served by each district) = Northern District and Southern District
  

• Oxford County = Eastern District serves all areas not served by the Western district, and Western District serves the towns of Brownfield, Denmark, Fryeburg, Hiram, Lovell, Porter, Stoneham and Stow.

The FamilySearch Library has copies of deed records for all counties, most to about 1900. See the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under MAINE, [COUNTY] - LAND AND PROPERTY.

• The Maine State Archives has the records of the Maine Land Office. A list of the principle collections with an index of the Revolutionary War Land Grants, 1830s is shown on the Web site.