Footnotes
Agreement with Isaac Hale, 6 Apr. 1829; Knight, Reminiscences, 3; Susquehanna Co., PA, Tax Assessment Records, 1813–1865, Harmony Township, PA, Tax Record for 1829, p. [12]; Tax Record for 1830, p. [12], microfilm 1,927,832, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.
Knight, Joseph, Sr. Reminiscences, no date. CHL. MS 3470.
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
An Act for the Better Confirmation of the Estates of Persons Holding or Claiming under Feme-Coverts [24 Feb. 1770], Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania, 329–332.
The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1801. Vol. 7, 1765–1770. [Harrisburg, PA]: Wm Stanley Ray, 1900.
An “indenture” is a deed or agreement executed in two or more copies, originally with edges correspondingly indented.
Underlining with leading and trailing spaces indicates handwritten portions of this preprinted form. Jesse Lane handwriting begins.
The addition of Elizabeth Hale’s name here, as well as the later date on her affirmation at the end of the document, suggests that Isaac Hale was not initially aware on 25 August that Elizabeth’s permission was needed for the transaction. It is likely that Justice Lane suggested the insertion before he witnessed the execution of the deed so that it conformed to existing legal requirements.
As a measure of length, a “perch” is equal to sixteen and one-half feet. As a measure of area, a “rod” is equal to 272¼ square feet. Eighty rods is one-half acre, so the deed is indicating the Hales transferred thirteen and one-half acres. The total acreage may have actually exceeded fourteen acres.
Signatures of Isaac and Elizabeth Hale.
TEXT: Stamped seal, “LS” (locus sigilli, the place of the seal). By 1830, Pennsylvania no longer required actual wax seals on deeds but still required this or a similar mark to be either printed or inscribed on the document next to the signatures.
TEXT: Stamped seal, “LS”.
Insertion in the handwriting of Jesse Lane. The insertion identifies words that were added after the initial completion of the document.
Signatures of John Whitmer and Jesse Lane.
TEXT: Printed form ends.