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Written by Russell Bracewell
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One of the most important genelaoyg tools are land records. By researching these records we know where our ancestors lived, who where their neighbors, and numerous other facts.
This project is designed to take that information along with nemerous other records and create a visual timeline map of our family ancestry. This project is created on google maps theirfore anyone with a free google account can help modify this project.
The following pages will help you get started:
Types of Records:
- Post 1785 records should contain the Township and Range discription. Sec22-T2S-R3E is an example of this discription. Township and Range discriptions can be accurate to 1/16 square mile.
- Books and Publications can also contain helpfull discriptions. 60 acres north of swamp creek may be a tipical discription. The accurady of this type of discription can be 36 square miles or more.
- Original documents such as land deeds and patents, census records, and marriage records can also provide varing discriptions and thus have varing acuracy.
How to:
If your record contains a Townahip and Range discription finding this location is simple. If your document only contians a township or post office then finding the location may take additional research. Keep in mind that towns and counties mover over time and todays location may be serveral hundred miles away.
Understanding Township and Range Descriptions:
Definitions and Terms
Witness Object: Any object such as a tree, rock, or body of water used in a discription.
Baseline: The east to west starting point.
Maridian: The north to south starting point.
Township: 36 square miles with 6 miles on each side containing 23,040 acres.
Section: 1 square mile containing 640 acres. 36 sections per Township.
1/2 Section: 1/2 square mile containing 320 acres.
1/4 Section: 1/4 square mile containing 160 acres.
1/2 of 1/4 Section: 1/8 square mile containing 80 acres.
1/4 of 1/4 Section: 1/16 square mile containing 40 acres.
Legal discriptions
Aliquot
Parts | Sec | Township | Range | Meridian | State | Counties |
| S½SW |
6 |
4-N |
24-E |
St Stephens |
AL |
Dale |
| NENW |
7 |
4-N |
24-E |
St Stephens |
AL |
Dale |
This is the legal discription for a land transaction in Dale Co, AL. The transaction included 120.11 acres of land in two sections of Township 4N from Range 24E.
For this example we will use the first location of S1/2SW-Sec6-T4N-R24E.
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Description
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Translation
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Map Location
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St Stephens
Meridian |
The North to South starting point.
From here we go east or west. |
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| R24E |
Range 24 East |
| T4N |
Township 4 North |
| Sec6 |
Section 6 (also written as S-6) |
| S1/2SW |
South 1/2 of the South West corner |
Marking the Location:
KEY:
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Bracewell land transactions
High accuracy (1-5 sq miles) |
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Bracewell land transactions
Medium accuracy
(Within this county) |
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Braswell land transactions
High accuracy (1-5 sq miles) |
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Braswell land transactions
Medium accuracy
(Within this county) |
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Marriage Location |
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Ship locaion or Immigration |
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Burned county corthouse |
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Military service location. Inlistment, battle, etc... |
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General information |
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Question |
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School house location |
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Video of this location exist |
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