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.
While in Salt Lake City in October, I focused on trying to find records of my Yawman ancestors. I found the following deed in which my 2nd great-grandfather Andrew Yawman and his wife Catherine Sitterly Yawman sold a piece of property to Nicholas Yawman, Andrew’s brother. I did not find the deed representing the original purchase. This typewritten transcript was likely prepared by a clerk many years after the purchase.
“THIS INDENTURE,
Made this Twenty Second day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and Forty eight BETWEEN Andrew Yawman and Catherine his wife of the
City of Rochester County of Monroe and State of New York of the first part, and
Nicholas Yawman of the same place of the second part,
“WITNESSETH,
That the parties of the first part, in consideration of the sum of Seven hundred
Dollars to them duly paid, have sold, and By these Presents, do grant and
conveyto the said part of the second part, his heirs and assigns, all that
tract or parcel of
LAND, situate in
the said of Rochester and know and distinguished upon a certain map Recorded
in Liber sixty two (62) of deeds page two hundred forty one (241) in the Clerks
office of the County of Monroe as lot number twenty three (23) being a
subdivision of that part of great lots Forty six (46) and Forty seven (47)
lying west of the Erie Canal and which said lot twenty three (23) contains
ninety two hundredths of an acre of land more or less & being the same
premises conveyed by by the Albany City Bank to the said Andrew Yawman
by deed bearing date the Tenth day of August 1848.
“WITH THE APPURTENANCES,
and all the estate, title and interest therein of the said parties of the first
part. And the said Andrew Yawman doth hereby convenant 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 DEFEND, against
any persons 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 in Presence of
Thomas Moran Jr. Andrew
Yawman (L.S.)
HER
Catharine
X Yawman (L.S.)
MARK
“State of New York )
Monroe County
ss: ) On
the 27th day of December 1848 personally appeared before me the subscriber
Andrew Yawman and Catherine his wife to me known to be the persons described
in the above
instrument who acknowledged that they executed the same and the said Catherine
on a private examination apart from her husband acknowledged that she executed
the same freely and without fear or compulsion of her said husband.
A true copy of
the original recorded ) Jeremiah
Cutler Comr. of Deeds
Sept. 5, 1850 at
2 O'Clock P.M. & Exam'd.)
John T.
Lacey Clerk”
 |
| Source: Monroe, New York, Deed Books, 92: 130, deed, Andrew Yawman and wife to Nicholas Yawman, 5 Sep 1850; FHL microfilm 825,856. |
© 2011 Denise Spurlock
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