I copied the records from the original books in the Southern District.  They are wonderful.  The maps are fabulous, as the deeds refer to lot numbers, and the maps show all the lot numbers in the Soujth 11,000 acres.   Barbara L. de Mare, Esq. Attorney, historian, genealogist, grandmother 155 Polifly Road Hackensack, New Jersey 07601 (201) 567-9440 office http://historygenealogyesq.blogspot.com/ ________________________________ From: Cornelia Andrus <nini_andr@yahoo.com> To: MABERKSH@rootsweb.com Sent: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 7:34:17 AM Subject: [MABERKSH] Proprietor (land) records available through LDS I've written before about Berkshire County proprietors' (land) records. I recently discovered these have been filmed and are available through LDS, the Mormon Church. In 1920-1921, the county registry of deeds offices compiled the earliest land records for each of the 3 registry districts. A 10-page introduction describes the first land grants and land sales in western Massachusetts for all of present-day Berkshire County, including areas once in Hampden County or in other states (NY, VT or CT). This summary precedes each of the separate district records; then records for each town are listed. The names and locations of these first owners - called (first) proprietors - are traced from the 1730's through 1788 when the county registry system was established. These fist owners had no deeds, and these early transactions (grants, sales, property subdivisions, etc) for the most part do not show in the registry grantor & grantee indexes of land transfers. These colonial records include lists of the proprietors, the acreage and location of each plot, plot plans and notes of subsequent proprietor meetings and later subdivisions and updated plot maps. The degree of detail does vary from town to town. There are every name indexes. The proprietor records have a wealth of both historical and genealogical information. Cornelia Title: Colonial records and proprietary plans : a compilation of the proprietors lots, grants, plantations and colonial records of the middle, northern, and southern districts of Berkshire county Authors: Berkshire County (Massachusetts). Register of Deeds (Main Author) Notes: Microfilm of original records in the Berkshire County courthouse, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Includes index. Subjects: Massachusetts, Berkshire - Land and property Format: Manuscript (On Film) Language: English; Publication: Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1971 Physical: 2 microfilm reels ; 35 mm. Film Notes, Note - Location [Film] Middle district records -  FHL US/CAN Film  [ 876706  ] (Towns of Becket, Dalton, Hinsdale, Lee, Lenox, Otis, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Stockbridge, Tyringham, and Washington) Northern district records -  FHL US/CAN Film  [ 876706  ] (Towns of Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, Hancock, Lanesborough, New Ashford, North Adams, Savoy, Williamstown and Windsor) Southern district records, v. 1 -  FHL US/CAN Film  [ 876706  ] (Towns of Alford, Egremont, Great Barrington, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlborough, Sandisfield, Sheffield and West Stockbridge) Southern district records - v. 2 -  FHL US/CAN Film  [ 876707  ] ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MABERKSH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message