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From: Barbara Farthing Bonham <>
Subject: [WVBERKEL-L] FYI - Land Record Research
Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 13:55:05 -0400

This was posted on Roots-L and for those of you not subscribed there, I
thought it good information for all.

LAND SURVEY:
There are two types of land survey which vary chiefly by the part of
country in which you are located.

1. Along the Atlantic coastal states land surveys were at one time
strictly by metes and bounds. Thus you will see: "Beginning at an oak
tree in the bank of X creek, proceed North by East 27 degrees for 16
chains, 6 links, to a large stone; thence ......" This entire system
derived from the fact that people moved into the frontier and claimed
land, marked by natural boundaries, which were later surveyed.

2. The other system is based on the Geodetic Survey and makes use of the
latitude and longitude lines. This was in existence by the time US land
grants were being made (but not the British).

a. This system breaks down the area into squares within squares. The
largest square after latitude and longitude is located by Range (East or
West from a Meridian) and Township which are North or South of a line).
b. Each of these squares is broken down into sections, numbered in a
prescribed order.
c. Each Section is one square mile.
d. Now divide each Section into four equal parts with a + at the center.
Label these NE, SE, SW & NW.
e. Now divide each 1/4 into four equal parts the same way. Each will
contain 40 acres. Now lets describe the 40 acres in the NE corner of
the section: "NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4, Section Section 16, Range 2 West,
Township 3 North." A larger plot might be described as: "N 1/2 of the
NE1/4......" or "SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 and NW 1/4 of SE 1/4 of...."
Multiple 1/4's are each described before naming the section.
f. This is not to say that a surveyor might not at times follow other
lines but he was required to orient the plot by this system, and his
starting point will always be one of the corners in the system. In many
parts of
the country the four major corners of the section are marked with a
concrete marker, properly labeled.
g. Fortunately most of the US now uses this system. This also explains
why most of the lesser roads in a community run N-S or E-W with square
corners. The other side is that they did not have as many hills and
streams to go around.

With a deed and a topographical map, using the 2nd system you can walk
directly to the spot described. (In the former, you get into all kinds
of platting, and hope with enough research and knowledge of the
neighbors, you can find it.)

One problem is that the deed maker did not always spell out all the
words. Thus it helps if you know what he was abbreviating. Any good
topographical map dealer can help you get on the right map and point you
to the section.

EXPLANATION OF PERCH, ROD, POLE, CHAIN:
A "perch" equals 16.5 feet or one rod. It is sometimes called a "pole".
Surveyors also speak of a "chain" which is 66 feet or four rods (or
perches). A link - from the 1/100th part of a chain, is 7.92 inches.

A good page for US Public Land Survey methods:
<http://users.rootsweb.com/~mistclai/landsurv.htm>;

Shirley Hornbeck -
My Home Page: <http://www.s-hornbeck.com/home.htm>;
HORNBECK SURNAME RESOURCE CENTER:
<http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hornbeck/hsrc/home.htm>;
THIS & THAT GENEALOGY TIPS: <http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hornbeck>;

--
Barbara Farthing Bonham
Summerville SC
NodineNewsNetwork http://www.tfsweb.net
The Family Snitch's Web http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~bfbonha

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