Land records are probably one of the most important tools a genealogist can use. However, they are also one of the most overlooked resources. Land records can tell us many things. They tell us who our ancestors lived near, their business associates, whom they trusted, and many other items as well. Below you will find the importance of using land records in your research. Even if you think your ancestors did not own land, check these records anyway – you never know!

What are land records? Land records are, for the most part, exactly what they sound like. These are the records that record the transfer of property form one individual to another. Land records also describe the land that is being transferred. There are several ways of determining the land boundaries in older records. The first is courses and distances. Courses and distances are measured in degrees. Ordinal directions are also given (east, west, north, and south, etc.). A typical description of a property using metes and bounds will read something like "… starting at the north corner of the My Ancestors property line, the north line is west 10 degrees south for a distance of 310 feet. … "This is not an exact description of any particular property line; it is just an example of the wording you will find. Another way of measuring property lines is metes and bounds. In this type of record properties are sometimes described in rods and chains. In order to plot these out accurately, one needs to know what a rod is exactly. A rod was a measurement used by the English and others to measure land. It is equal to 5.5 yards or 16.5 feet. A chain is 66 feet long. The typical surveyor's chain also known as Gunther's chain is 4 rods long. The chain was divided in 100 links. A Gunther's chain is a hand measuring tool because an acre is exactly 100 chains square. This is the chain used by the British during colonial reign. There is another type of chain which is a Ramsden's or engineer's chain. This differs from the Gunther's chain due to the fact that it is 100 feet long. Currently this is what is used in the US. When researching more current land records, be sure to know which chain measurement was used. Knowing this measurement will help you tremendously in determining where the boundaries of your ancestor's properties are. Another way of measuring metes and bounds is with property descriptions. It was not very accurate but it would read something like"… at the north corner of the My Ancestor property, head south 5 rods to the large oak at the river's bend. Go west following the river for 200 chains, then turn north at the crooked pine next to the boulder, bordering the property of Nay Boors for 12 chains 3 rods… "as you can see, this gets very hard to follow. The large oak at he river bend is most likely not there anymore. They almost never tell you what river it is. So although you can get a good idea of the boundary if they mention rods and chains, it is still very hard to tell the starting place of the property line. Now that we understand how this was measured, we can look at what was recorded. Any transfer, sale, gift, inheritance, foreclosure, bankruptcy, and so on were all recorded in the land records. The land was stated who the previous owner was, the current owner, and who the land is being transferred to. It may state that the land belonging to My Ancestor, formerly owned by Your Ancestor, was sold to May B. Cousin for the sum of $12. (on colonial records it may state pounds).

What can land records tell me? These records tell you who owned land, where the got it from and who it went to. You may think that you ancestor never owned land. However, a search for land records may turn up that they rented land to someone else, that they actually did buy and sell land, or that they received land through a court action (they sued someone usually over money owed) or through an inheritance. Land records will tell you who your ancestor's neighbors were. You should not be surprised when you find the same names as witnesses on other records. They tell you how much the land was acquired for. If you see a land transfer of $1.00 or gifted to or just deeded to, you know that the parties involved were most likely related. Many times an older son was deeded land by his father as an early inheritance. Then the will records him receiving a nominal amount of money such as $1.00. These records also tell us how large the property was and about where it was located. Sometimes you have to plot out many of the neighboring tracts if the land is described without measurements or a permanent marker for the starting point. Land was divided. Land grants were given to those who served in wars and by the King of England when the US was being colonized. If you find your ancestors name on a land grant that gives you even more information. Land grants were often transferred to family later on. These transfers are traceable. Another form of land grants was land given to settlers through the Homestead Act. this was a way of getting people to settle the western lands as they were acquired. The land was free, but you had to farm it and live on it for 5 years in order to keep it.

Where do you find land records? You can find land records at the local courthouse, State Archives, NARA (has some photographs) and the Bureau of Land Management. If you are searching for land records in the UK, you would need to check the PRO (public records office). Another area to look for land records is online. You can search online for a fee at genealogy.com, and ancestry.com. NARA has digitized images online and these can be searched for free by anyone with computer access. You can check the LDS online catalog and do a search for land records to see what microfilms are available at the main library in Salt Lake City and the Family History Centers. Another place to check for land records is major newspapers. The New York Times mentions sales and transfers of properties as well as development or redevelopment of certain blocks of property. Their archives can be searched for free; however, unless you are using a library with access to ProQuest, you will have to pay for copies of any articles you find. Many of the larger newspapers also mention sales of larger properties from when they first started publishing right up through today. In earlier US history, from the colonial time through the early 1900's, many local newspapers mention the sale of land.

The Bureau of Land management has Federal land grants and patents that belong to many individuals. A new feature is online images of surveys. They have a website, but it is not always functioning. Currently you can view the General Land Office website (a division of BLM) at http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/Logon/Logon_Form.asp . US residents will be asked to provide their zip code. International users can provide the first 6 digits of their postal codes. You can then choose to search either land records or surveys. If you do not need a certified copy, you can download and print the land records for free. If you require a certified copy there will be a charge for this. You can order a certified copy through the secure online shopping cart. What information can you find in these records? You will find land records for states that were not part of the thirteen original colonies of the US, and surveys for almost any state. These land records include the owner, what type of land grant or patent it was, and a description of the property (knowing how to read land descriptions will be helpful with these records). The surveys that are included show the actual survey of a property. This includes the maps and surveyors. There is a wealth of information to be had here. Even if you are not sure if your ancestor owned land you should check here. Many individuals took advantage of the Homestead Act. If you have family ties to areas west of the original 13 colonies, you should examine these records for clues. If you find an ancestors name in these records, be sure to read it thoroughly and compare the information to other records that may offer locations such as city directories or census records.

Land records tie us to our ancestors. They anchor them in a time and place. In colonial and post Revolutionary US history, a person had to be a land owner in order to vote. It is through complete and thorough scrutiny of these records that we can tell when our ancestors arrived in an area, when (or if) they left, who their neighbors and associates were, and who inherited or purchased their lands. Liens and financial difficulties are also revealed in these records. It is a shame to think that so many brick walls could be removed if one checks the land records. These important pieces of history are too valuable to pass by when researching our ancestor's lives.