On his TransylvanianDutch blog, John Newmark defines an amanuensis as “a person employed to write out what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.” For more information about this daily blogging prompt, see John’s post Amanuensis – Why?.
I have amassed quite a collection of scans of handwritten documents related to my ancestors—primarily marriage records, deeds, and wills. As I have been transcribing these documents, it occurred to me that most of these documents were not actually written by my ancestors, but rather dictated to someone else, and then transcribed by a clerk into official records.
In 1853, my 2nd great-grandfather, David Snider, removed from Marshall County, Virginia (now West Virginia), to Union County, Ohio, purchasing 219 acres of land from Thomas Jameson and his wife Nancy Jameson. Following is a transcription and image of the deed from the Union County, Ohio, records.
“Thomas Jameson )
To
Deed )
David Snider )
Know all men by these presents that we Thomas
Jameson and Nancy Jameson wife of said Thomas Jameson
of the County of
Harrison Ohio
eration of the sum of Fourteen hundred and Seventy Eight
Dollars, in hand paid by David Snider of the county of
do hereby grant bargain, sell and convey unto the said
David Snider, his
heirs and assigns forever, the following premises, situate
in the county of
and described as follows, Being part of Survey No
3691, Beginning at a
stake in centre of Bokes creek, witness a lym[?] on the
South Bank of the
creek, and the North west
west line of said Walters land S. 8o W. 324
poles to a Stake, witness a small
hickory in the original South line of said Survey, and
Southwest corner
of said Walters land, then N 85o 45'
W 48, poles to a Stake, and Stone, thence
N.8o.E. 80 poles to a Hickory
100. poles to a Stake and Stones, thence S, 8O,
E, 163 5/10 poles
to a Stake in
the centre of the creek, witness a buroak and elm on the
North bank of
the creek, thence down the creek with the meanders thereof
to the place of
beginning, containing Two Hundred and Nineteen acres, be
the same
more or less. To have and to hold said premises with the
appurte-
nances unto the said David Snider his heirs and assigns
forever, and
the said Thomas Jameson for himself and heirs doth hereby
cov=
enant with the said David Snider his heirs and assigns,
that he is
lawfully seized of the premises aforesaid, that the
premises are free and
clear from all incumbrances whatsoever, and that he will
forever war=
rant and defend the same with the appurtenances unto the
said David
Snider his heirs and assigns, against the lawful claims of
all persons
whomsoever. In Testimony whereof the Said Thomas Jameson
&
Nancy Jameson, by John Maskil their attorney in fact have
here=
unto set their hands and seals this the first day of
December, in the year
of our Lord one Thousand Eight Hundred and fifty three.
Executed in presence of ) Thomas
Jamison {seal}
Jared O Jewett
) Nancy Jamison
{seal}
Adaline Maskill
) by John Maskill their atty in fact {seal}
The State
of Ohio Union
County
Before me Jared O Jewett a Justice of the peace in and for
said county, appeared
the above named Thomas Jameson and Nancy Jameson, by their
attorney in fact
the above named John Maskill, and acknowledged the signing
and
sealing of the above conveyance to be their voluntary act
and deed, this
the first day of December A D 1853. Jared O Jewett
Justice of the
peace
{seal}
Filed and
recorded March 28th A D 1854
Wm.
M.Robinson recorder"
 |
| [Source: Union County, Ohio, Deed Books, 17: 361, Deed, Thomas Jameson to David Snider, 28 March 1854; FHL microfilm 572,552.] |
© 2011 Denise Spurlock
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