Here is the text of the deed I mentioned in my last message, which shows what kind of information you may find in them. From this one we get a description of the farm, a specific reference to a prior deed, a list of the obligations due to the lord of the manor, and some rather detailed family information: "On the day and year subscribed below, this farm purchase contract was concluded between Jan Jenissta of Voderady, mentally incompetent, as seller, by his guardian Matey Cermak, and with the concurrence of his wife Dorota Jenisstova; and his son Jan Jenissta, who has now reached the age of majority, as buyer. The guardian, Matey Cermak, with the agreement of Dorota, wife of the seller and owner of that farm described according to the entry in the land register of Voderady from the year 1766, at folio 72, hereby conveys the farm, together with all of the manorial duties, to the aforesaid Jan Jenissta. This farm, Voderady No. 7, contains 114 merice in field land, 19 merice in meadow, pasture and garden land, and 85 merice of woodland. The farm is sold to the son Jan Jenissta for 800 fl, to be paid as follows: The new owner to pay to Matey Cermak, his father's guardian, and to his mother Dorota Jenissta, 600 gold florins, which he obtained as dowry from his father-in-law Joseph Wawrousek at the time of his marriage. The remainder, to be paid in installments by Jan Jenissta and his wife until the total is paid, being 200 fl. Total 800 fl. This sale is subject to a prior sale of part of the field land of this farm to Jan and Marie Pospisil, husband and wife; provided that if they or their descendants return that field land to the farm, the buyer shall be obligated to refund to them 100 fl. The seller will also receive from the new owner one-third of the harvest of the grain which he has sown. The new owner shall have the duty to provide to Jakub Jenissta, a retired peasant & farmer, the following: a room in the cottage, 10 merice of rye, 10 m. of barley, 6 m. of oats, 4 three-scores of cabbage, 6 three-scores of sugar-beets, use of the short part of the field for flax, 2 saih of firewood, 2 pines chipped into kindling, 8 quintals of hay, 4 quintals of aftergrass, 4 shocks of rye straw, and 4 shocks of oat straw, and the new owner's daughter must pasture the pensioner's 2 cows along with the new owner's herd of cattle. In addition, the pensioner will have the use of the garden below the cottage, one fruit tree above the cottage, and two cherry trees near the cottage, all to be provided or to his use, until his death. The new owner shall also have the duty to provide to his ill uncle, Josef Jenissta, as a provision of this contract, the following: one yearling foal, one cow, one heifer. He is to let him take care of and to reap 1 ½ acres of field for his brother. Should Josef marry away from the farm then he shall receive from the farmer as compensation, in lieu of the room and field, 50 fl. and the items needed for the marriage celebration, ie, his trousseau, and 1 m. of wheat, 2 m. of rye, and money for meat, salt and spices. The new owner will also assume the obligation to pay taxes to His Royal and Imperial Majesty the King and Emperor according to assessment, and is to pay to the owner of the manor according to custom the con- tinued interest: on St George's day 59 kr., and on St. Havel's day 14 kr; as well as to provide the manor with 2 three-scores of shingles. The new owner shall assume the robota duty to work 3 days per week with 1 horse on the county land, and to perform 13 days hand labor on the land of the lord of the manor between St. John's day and St. Wencel's day. This contract of sale is hereby confirmed by the office of the City of Litomysl for entry in the land register. Signed and subscribed to by the seller and buyer and by the witnesses at Voderady this the 28th of December 1829. Matey Cermak, guardian Matey Rozlilek, village bailiff xxx signature of Dorota Jenistova, Waczlaw Czermak, witness seller, by Jan Janeczek Confirmed and entered in the Register by the clerk of the office of the city of Litomysl, 2 May 1830" ------- PS If it helps anyone to follow what is going on in this deed, here are the somewhat complicated relationships of the people named: Jan Jenissta (Sr.), the seller, married first to Krystina Cermak, who was the mother of the buyer, Jan Jenissta, (Jr.), but had already died. Matej Cermak, the seller's guardian, was her brother. (He was also married to the seller's half-sister, Mariana Jenisstova. I am not sure which of these relationships was the basis for his selection as guardian, maybe both.) Dorota, mentioned in the deed, was the seller's 2d wife. As we learn from the deed, Jan Jenissta (Jr.), the buyer, had recently married a daughter of Josef Vavrousek (Mariana). Jakub Jenissta, the "retired farmer", was the prior owner. By his first marriage, he was the father of the seller Jan Jenissta (Sr.). He had sold him the farm in an earlier deed, reserving the same obligations to himself ("a room in the cottage" etc.). By a second marriage, Jakub was also the father of Josef Jenissta , who is mentioned in the deed as the buyer's uncle. For those interested, this farm was described in other records as a "big farm" for that time and place. It comprised under our system of measurement 54 acres field land, 8 acres of meadow, pasture & garden, and 40 acres of woodlands. >>> ETM <Chook@starpower.net> 7/7/2004 11:57:43 AM >>> Kevin, Thank you for this good post. I would be very interested in the translated deed. Elaine > If anyone is interested I can post a translation of a deed from 1829 > as an example of the kind of information you can get from them.