In a message dated 9/1/02 2:24:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: > "In the lower left corner of most old deeds you will find two to four > witnesses. The first one is always from the husband's side, the next two > from the wife's side. I refer you to a Forysth County deed that was handy dated 10 August 1854 http://www.rootsweb.com/~gaforsyt/gagen/deeds/deed14_254.html Talbot Strickland 1. a brother to Oliver Strickland the first Clerk of Superior Court who by the date of this deed was not the Clerk 2 local businessman and real estate speculator 3 taker of the 1860 Forsyth census W. B. Hutchins J.I.C. Wiley B. Hutchins served a term as Justice of the Inferior Court 08 Jan 1853 24 Jan 1854 Looks to me like he just went to town and got someone to draw the deed. Maybe at the courthouse or at a lawyers or to someone who was educated. Then they asked whoever was handy to witness it. As to dower rights, frequently I have seen separate affidavits stating that the wife was interviewed and understood that she was giving up her rights. Currently Georgia laws require 1 notary and 1 independent witness. Donna