Test Your Skills on an 18th Century Deed

Have you ever seen an 18th century deed? They look a little different than deeds of today. Old deeds can be tricky mostly because of the old style handwriting being used.

The deed below dates to 1795. Click on the image to enlarge it. (In image view click on the image again for the original size.) The original was on two pages and I cut and pasted it to appear on one page.

See if you can answer the following questions about the deed. If you can, try to transcribe the deed. Tomorrow I will post the answers and the next day the full transcription.

1. Who is selling the property?
2. Who is buying the property?
3. Who is the grantee?
4. Who is the grantor?
5. Where is the property located (town, county, state)?
6. Explain the profession of the buyer and seller in modern terms.
7. About how many acres does the property contain?
8. How much did the property sell for?
9. Is the house in the East or West part of town?
10. Bonus: What is Ichabod’s wife’s name?

Good Luck!

You can find the answers to this skill challenge here.