Land Records

Collection Information

Land records provide two types of important evidence. First they often document family relationships. Second, they place individuals in a specific time and place, allowing you to sort people and families into neighborhoods and closely related groups. One of land records’ most important qualities is that they are sometimes the only records that distinguish one person of a common name from another. Bounty land warrants can alert you to your ancestor’s military service and can contain details about the military unit in which he served.

Land records have been kept for centuries, and are often available when other record types are not. They can be separated into two groups: those created by a government granting land to a single person or group, and those created to document a sale or transfer of land between two or more private parties.

These records typically document the names of the individuals or groups participating in the sale or purchase of land, as well as the spouse's name and a detailed description of the property location at the time of purchase.

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