Many of you have copies deeds from your various ancestors. Have you actually read through the deed, word for word? It’s amazing what interesting tidbits one can find – and it’s more interesting than 100 acres for $100. Today I want to share a deed from 1765 in Charles County, Maryland, from Peter Carrico, Senior, my 5th great-grandfather, to Samuel Hanson.
In this particular deed we find that Peter Carrico is listed as ‘Planter’ – a person who owns and manages a plantation in the cultivation of crops like tobacco or cotton. Tobacco was the going crop in the early colonies. It was used as money – since there was very little actual money in circulation. Tobacco, after harvesting, was dried and packed into large, round wooden casks and floated down streams and small rivers on specially designed boats called bateaux. The tobacco casks were taken to warehouses until ready to be shipped to England. Credit was given to each farmer or planter which was used to purchase goods when the ships came back to the colonies.
Samuel Hanson is listed as ‘Merchant’ – a person who imports goods and sells them for a profit. This deed was recorded January 9, 1765. The Stamp Act of 1795 took affect March 22, 1765, which imposed a tax on many printed materials sent to the colonies from London. This included legal documents, magazines, playing cards, newspapers, etc. This was one of the first examples of ‘taxation with representation.’ Did Samuel Hason have many items he brought to the new world that were taxed? It is hard to say.
Let’s talk a bit about the price of 10,175 pounds of crop tobacco. Online I found that in 1765 this amount of tobacco was about 84.79 pounds British currency. In today’s money that amount would 19,152.05 pounds. For 100 acres that sounds like quite a bit of money!
Peter Carrico’s tract of land was called Maidstone. Before the Revolutionary War it was generally the case in Maryland that land would be named, and that name carried down through all owners of the property. Maidstone consisted of 100 acres of land. The first mention of this land was when George Austry purchased Maidstone August 18, 1674. It began at a bound hickory of Alexander Gallent’s tract of land called Aberdeene. Land rights were assigned by Alexander Gallent due him for transporting himself and Richard Parker into the Province. In the early days of the colonies a person that brought themselves, and sometimes others, to the new world were given 50 acres of land for each person. It could be you, your wife, your children, brothers, etc. Or it could be you and ten individuals who had to work for you for a specified period of time to pay back their passage.
Maidstone adjoined the following land tracts Hunt’s Venture, owned by Thomas Hunt, and Canterbury, owned by Robert Yates.
Pershes is a term of measurement in the early days of the colonies. A Gunter’ chain, invented by mathematician Edmund Gunter in 1620, is formed by 100 links measuring 66 feet total. A chain is subdivided into four parts – each made up of 25 links measuring 5 ½ yards or 16 ½ feet – called rods, perches or poles. I have seen all three terms used in various deeds.
Demesne is a term originally meaning land attached to a manor and retained for the owner’s own use, but later used to mean legal possession of land as one’s own
Indefeasible estate land not to be lost, annulled or overturned.
Margaret, Peter Carrico’s wife, is ‘examined apart from her husband.’ Women were expected to say if they relinquished their right of dower – since that could be part of her inheritance at the death of her husband.
And now, the actual deed. Notice the beautiful penmanship – not always the case!
Deed of Peter Carrico to Samuel Hanson
Charles County Maryland – Land Records 1761-1765 – Pages 580-582
At the request of Samuel Hanson, the following deed was recorded this 9 day of January anno Domini 1765
This Indenture made this eighteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty four between Peter Carrico, Senior, of Charles County in the Province aforesaid, Planter, of the one part, and Samuel Hanson of the same County and Province, Merchant, of the other part. Witnesseth that the said Peter Carrico, Senior, for and in consideration of the sum of ten thousand one hundred and seventy pounds of crop tobacco to him in hand paid by the said Samuel Hanson before the sealing and delivery of these presents, the receipt whereof the said Peter Carrico, Senior, doth hereby acknowledge and himself to be therewith fully satisfied, contented and paid from every part and parcel thereof doth
fully, clearly and absolutely exonerate acquit and discharge the said Samuel Hanson, his heirs, executors and administrators and every of them hath bargained, sold, aliened, transferred, confirmed and made over, and by these presents doth bargain, sell, alien, transfer, confirm and make over unto the said Samuel Hanson, his heirs and assigns forever, a tract of land lying and being in Charles County aforesaid, called the Maidstone. Beginning at a bounded white oak, a bound free of Thomas Hunt’s land, called Hunts Venture, running thence North twenty perches to a bounded gum, thence west side of a fresh run, thence binding upon a parcel of land called Canterbury north and by west two hundred perches to a bounded white oak, thence south west one hundred perches to a bounded red oak, thence east southeast twenty perches to a bounded white oak of Robert Yates, then south east binding upon Yates one hundred and thirty perches to abounded white oak, thence south and by west fifty perches to a bounded beach of the said Hunts, thence to the first bound tree containing one hundred acres more or less, to have and to hold the aforesaid tract of land and premises with their and every of their rights, members and appurtenances with the several buildings and improvements thereon as aforesaid unto him the said Samuel Hanson, his heirs and assigns forever and the said Peter Carrico, Senior, doth for himself, his heirs, executors and administrators covenant, promise and agree to and with the said Samuel Hanson, his heirs and assigns, that the said Peter Carrico, Senior, is in full possession and is firmly seized in his demense of an indefeasible estate of inheritance in fee simple in the before bargained land and promises that he hath full power, good right and lawful authority to alien, sell and assure the same, and that the said Samuel Hason, his heirs and assigns shall and may at all times hereafter have, hold, possess, occupy and peaceably enjoy all and singular the before bargained, premises with the appurtenances thereunto belonging, without any eviction, ejection or molestation of him the said Peter Carrico, Senior, his heirs or any other person or persons whatsoever, claiming by from or under him, them or any of them, or by his or their title means or procurement and the said Peter Carrico, Senior, the before bargained land and premises with all and singular the appurtenances unto the said Samuel Hanson, his heirs, assigns against him the said Peter Carrico, Senior, his heirs and
Assigns and against all others whatsoever shall and will warrant and forever defend by these presents, provided nevertheless and it is the true intent and meaning of these presents and every article and clause therein contained that of the said Peter Carrico, Senior, his heirs, executors or administrators do and shall well and truly pay unto the said Samuel Hanson, his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns the quantity of ten thousand one hundred and seventy pounds of crop tobacco of that years inspection that it is paid and in hands of one thousand and forty pounds with the allowance for casks with legal interest thereon from the date hereof after the following manner to wit, one third part thereof by the 21st day of May 1765, one other third by the 21st of May 1766 and the balance by the 21st of May 1767, then this deed to be utterly void, otherwise to stay, remain and be in full forced power and virtues in law. In witness whereof the said Peter Carrico Hath hereunto set his hand and seal the day and year first above written, sealed and delivered in presence of us
Peter Carrico, his seal
Richard Harrison, Josiah Hawkins
On the back of the foregoing deed was thus endorsed
Charles County to wit the 18th August 1764 – came Peter Carrico before us, the subscribers, two of his Lordship’s the Right Honorable, the Lord Proprietary’s Justices of the Peace for said County and acknowledged the within to be his act and deed and the land and premises therein mentioned to be the right title and estate of the within named Samuel Hanson, his heirs and assigns forever according to the purport, true intent and meaning of the said deed and at the same time came Margaret, the wife of the said Peter, who being by us examined apart from and out of the hearing of her husband, relinquished her right of dower to the land within mentioned and acknowledged that she did the same freely and voluntary and the she was not induced thereto by any threats or ill usage from her said husband or from any apprehensions of his displeasure. Taken and acknowledged the day and year aforesaid.
Before Richard Harrison, Josiah Hawkins
Categories: Family Stories
