Amanuensis Monday - 1842 Deed - Godfrey Tallinger to George Sitterley

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.

This week I have transcribed the deed by which my maternal 3rd great-grandfather Jurry Hendrik (George) Sitterly acquired a piece of property in Rochester, New York, in 1842. He purchased the property from his son-in-law and daughter, Godfrey and Deborah Anne Tallinger. I found it interesting that this deed describes the location of the property using street names as reference points. Several maps of Old Rochester, drawn by Silas Cornell, can be found here on The Erie Canal website.

“THIS INDENTURE, made this First day of September One thousand eight hundred and

forty two BETWEEN Godfry Tallinger and Deborah Ann Tallinger his wife of the City

of Rochester of the first part, and George Sitterley of the same place of the sec-

ond part, WITNESSETH, that the parties of the first part, in consideration of the

sum of Six hundred dollars to them duly paid, have sold, and BY THESE PRESENTS,

do grant and convey to the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns, ALL

that tract or parcel of land situate in the City of Rochester in the County of Mon-

roe and State of New York known and distinguished on a map made by Silas Cornell

on the Triangular Tract in the City of Rochester made for O. N. Bush and T. Mathews

as lot No. Twenty eight (28) and situate at the corner of William & Court Street

being Forty feet front on William Street and about Fourteen (14) feet in rear and

extending back to an ally Fifteen (15) feet in width.

“WITH THE APPURTENANCES, and all the estate, title, and interest therein, of the

said parties of the first part, And the said Godfrey Tallinger does hereby cove-

nant and agree to and with the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns,

that the premises thus conveyed, in the quiet and peaceable possession of the said

party of the second part, his heirs and assigns, he will forever WARRANT AND DE-

FEND against any person whomsoever lawfully claiming the same or any part thereof.

“IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties of the first part have hereunto set their hands

and seals the day and year first above written.

SEALED AND DELIVERED)           Deborah Ann Tallinger     (L.S.)

                                                )

IN PRESENCE OF                 )                 Godfrey Tallinger       (L.S.)

“Monroe County (ss) On the 8th days of October 1842 before me came Godfrey Tallinger

to me known to be the person described in and who executed the within deed and ack-

nowledged that he executed the same.

“A true copy of the original recorded                                   Nelson Hall

October 8, 1842 at 8 O'Clock A.M. & examined     Comr. of Deeds

                                                                        J.W. Smith Clerk”

[Source: Monroe, New York, Deed Books, 57: 598, indenture, Godfrey and Deborah Ann Tallinger to George Sitterley, 8 Oct 1842; FHL microfilm 82,582.]

© 2011 Denise Spurlock