Jacob and Gabe Kerr Purchase Land
I left off on my last post, A Look At A Few Of Jacob Kerr's Neighbors, with a question. Was Jacob Kerr, my 3rd great grandfather, able to purchase land during his lifetime? Well, you already know from the title of my current post that the answer was ...
If you recall from my post on Jacob's son, Henry Kerr, Henry purchased land in 1873 from a white man named John D. Kerr. John's father was a James Kerr (b. March 10, 1800--died Oct 4, 1872.) In 1871, James Kerr created a bond for my 3rd great grandfather Jacob, and another son of his named Gabriel "Gabe Kerr." Payment of the bond would allow for Jacob and Gabe to be issued a deed for the land. James Kerr died in 1872 leaving his son Charles S. Kerr and wife Jane E. Stevens Kerr to handle his estate. After paying off the bond in March 1873, Charles and Jane Kerr executed a deed and Jacob and "Gabe" Kerr became landowners. If you have ancestors who owned land in Sampson County, NC, you may be able to find their deed right online. Here's the link to the Sampson County Register Of Deeds Remote Access Site: http://www.sampsonrod.org/Opening.asp
This deed information is from Book 38 Page 515
Deed from Charles S Kerr Exec & Jane E Kerr Executrix
To Jacob Kerr & Gabe Kerr
Seal of North Carolina
Sampson County
This Indenture made the sixth day of March A.D. 1873 between Charles S. Kerr and Jane E. Kerr Executrix of the last will and Testament of James Kerr deceased of the first part and Jacob Kerr and Gabe Kerr both colored of the second part witnesseth that the same parties of the first part by virtue of the power and authority to therein given in and by the said last will and testament and for land in consideration of the sum of thirteen hundred and seventy five dollars.
and eighty eight cents lawful money of the United States of America to them in hand fair and for the further consideration that the said James Kerr did on the second day of January AD 1871 execute to the said parties of the second part a bond to make a deed binding his heirs and executors by said bond to make said deed upon the payment of the thirteen hundred and seventy five dollars and eighty eight cents by the said parties of the second part have by the said parties of the second part the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged and the said parties of the first part have by these presents granted bargained sold aliened released conveyed and confirmed unto the sale parties of the second part and their heirs and assigns forever all the following lands on the East side of South river and being in Sampson County Beginning at a small pine on Luther Cromartie's corner near the road leading from the mill to Dr Sloane's thence south said Luther Cromartie's line No 87 E 370 poles to a pin on east side the branch in Treadwell's line thence No 17E 17S south said line 135 poles to a stake in edge of bay thence W 188 poles to a stake on the sand hill thence No 45
W 30 poles to a stake in sand hill thence No 45 E 40 poles to a pine on side of bay thence through the bay No 45 W 218 poles to a stake thence No 47 E 28 poles to a stake in the bay thence with Smith's line No 18 W 68 poles to a stake thence through a bay W 86 poles to a stake over a school house thence S 65 E 80 poles to a lightwood stump thence So 25 W 60 poles to a stake in a bay thence through the bay S 65 E 48 poles to a stake thence S 31 W with Dr Sloan's line (erassing mill?)branch 220 poles to a stake in (entry?) of some Junipers thence S 40 E 65 poles to a small pine thence S 7 E 16 poles to the beginning containing five hundred seventy-seven acres more or less To have and to hold together with all and singular the heriditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging with the remainder and remainders reversion and reversions thereof and also all the estate right title interest claim and demand whatsoever both in law and equity which the said testator had in his lifetime and at the time of his decease and which the said parties of the first part hath by virtue of the said last will and testament And the said parties of the first part do for themselves their heirs and assigns covenant to and with the said parties of the second their heirs and assigns to forever defend this title against all persons claiming under any right
title or interest of said parties of the first part
In Witness where of we have here with set our hands and seals signed sealed and delivered in presence
of Edwin W Kerr Charles S Kerr Executor {Seal}
Jane E Kerr Executrix {Seal}
577 acres at a purchase price of $1375.88. In today's dollars, $1375.88 would translate into $28,550 based on an average rate of inflation of 2.16% per year.
I did the best that I could to transcribe this. Old hand writing can be hard to decipher. I put in parentheses a segment that I was quite certain of what it said. If anyone who reads this sees an error in what I transcribed, please let me know.
Now I am going to go find my eyeballs. They fell out of my head from staring at this deed for so long.
If you recall from my post on Jacob's son, Henry Kerr, Henry purchased land in 1873 from a white man named John D. Kerr. John's father was a James Kerr (b. March 10, 1800--died Oct 4, 1872.) In 1871, James Kerr created a bond for my 3rd great grandfather Jacob, and another son of his named Gabriel "Gabe Kerr." Payment of the bond would allow for Jacob and Gabe to be issued a deed for the land. James Kerr died in 1872 leaving his son Charles S. Kerr and wife Jane E. Stevens Kerr to handle his estate. After paying off the bond in March 1873, Charles and Jane Kerr executed a deed and Jacob and "Gabe" Kerr became landowners. If you have ancestors who owned land in Sampson County, NC, you may be able to find their deed right online. Here's the link to the Sampson County Register Of Deeds Remote Access Site: http://www.sampsonrod.org/Opening.asp
This deed information is from Book 38 Page 515
Deed from Charles S Kerr Exec & Jane E Kerr Executrix
To Jacob Kerr & Gabe Kerr
Seal of North Carolina
Sampson County
This Indenture made the sixth day of March A.D. 1873 between Charles S. Kerr and Jane E. Kerr Executrix of the last will and Testament of James Kerr deceased of the first part and Jacob Kerr and Gabe Kerr both colored of the second part witnesseth that the same parties of the first part by virtue of the power and authority to therein given in and by the said last will and testament and for land in consideration of the sum of thirteen hundred and seventy five dollars.
and eighty eight cents lawful money of the United States of America to them in hand fair and for the further consideration that the said James Kerr did on the second day of January AD 1871 execute to the said parties of the second part a bond to make a deed binding his heirs and executors by said bond to make said deed upon the payment of the thirteen hundred and seventy five dollars and eighty eight cents by the said parties of the second part have by the said parties of the second part the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged and the said parties of the first part have by these presents granted bargained sold aliened released conveyed and confirmed unto the sale parties of the second part and their heirs and assigns forever all the following lands on the East side of South river and being in Sampson County Beginning at a small pine on Luther Cromartie's corner near the road leading from the mill to Dr Sloane's thence south said Luther Cromartie's line No 87 E 370 poles to a pin on east side the branch in Treadwell's line thence No 17E 17S south said line 135 poles to a stake in edge of bay thence W 188 poles to a stake on the sand hill thence No 45
W 30 poles to a stake in sand hill thence No 45 E 40 poles to a pine on side of bay thence through the bay No 45 W 218 poles to a stake thence No 47 E 28 poles to a stake in the bay thence with Smith's line No 18 W 68 poles to a stake thence through a bay W 86 poles to a stake over a school house thence S 65 E 80 poles to a lightwood stump thence So 25 W 60 poles to a stake in a bay thence through the bay S 65 E 48 poles to a stake thence S 31 W with Dr Sloan's line (erassing mill?)branch 220 poles to a stake in (entry?) of some Junipers thence S 40 E 65 poles to a small pine thence S 7 E 16 poles to the beginning containing five hundred seventy-seven acres more or less To have and to hold together with all and singular the heriditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging with the remainder and remainders reversion and reversions thereof and also all the estate right title interest claim and demand whatsoever both in law and equity which the said testator had in his lifetime and at the time of his decease and which the said parties of the first part hath by virtue of the said last will and testament And the said parties of the first part do for themselves their heirs and assigns covenant to and with the said parties of the second their heirs and assigns to forever defend this title against all persons claiming under any right
title or interest of said parties of the first part
In Witness where of we have here with set our hands and seals signed sealed and delivered in presence
of Edwin W Kerr Charles S Kerr Executor {Seal}
Jane E Kerr Executrix {Seal}
577 acres at a purchase price of $1375.88. In today's dollars, $1375.88 would translate into $28,550 based on an average rate of inflation of 2.16% per year.
I did the best that I could to transcribe this. Old hand writing can be hard to decipher. I put in parentheses a segment that I was quite certain of what it said. If anyone who reads this sees an error in what I transcribed, please let me know.
Now I am going to go find my eyeballs. They fell out of my head from staring at this deed for so long.
How cool finding them online! You have sleuthing skilz Andrea. Love it
ReplyDeleteThanks Victori! I have to for now do most of my searching on-line or via mail. Having a young family equals momma has to stay close to home. I try to find as much as I can this way until I can save up to do some genealogy travels.
DeleteMake that "crossing " and "center." Metes and bounds descriptions are so much fun to read. I guess they made sense at one time but you have to wonder why anyone thought such descriptions were good for the long term.
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy! I think you may be right. Thanks for your help! :)
DeleteHey Andrea
ReplyDeleteThis is Finley again. I'm reading all of your amazing stuff just now, so know I may be off base with some of my earlier comments. But. One more thing is that there is a published diary of a woman named Elizabeth Ellis Robeson - her husband died and she ran the plantation on the Cape Fear near what is now Tarheel. She kept a diary for years - mostly on the business aspects, like how many sewing contracts she took to make ends meet. I believe one of the slaves was named Rage. If its the same man, that might make him Rage Robeson.
Wow! Thank you so much for reading my blog and for the new lead. I will have to look into this diary.
DeleteHi Andrea
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated by your search for Ella, and still have not finished reading blogs, so don't know how much you've found out. I think my first comment did not go through, but I come from Bladen County and my grandmother came from the area along Black River that forms the boundary with Sampson County. The unincorporated town of Kerr is right there, as is Dr. Kerr Rd. I was reading the voting rolls from an election during reconstruction. For the entire County (Bladen) one person of color voted in that election and his name was Kerr. He had to pass a literacy test to vote. It's my mom's book, so I don't have it to refer to for his first name, but he was registered in Lake Creek Township, which is very near Colly Creek, and runs along the Black River.