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
