More information on ages for witnesses, deeds, etc. Betty Pace --------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ginny Atwell <Ginny.Atwell@wcom.com> To: ROWANROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 11:03 -0500 (EST) Subject: [RowanRoots] Age for signing as a witness? Message-ID: <0G8P001F9GP3D4@dgismtp04.wcomnet.com> If a child was deeded land, especially a girl, it generally means that that child was an orphan (ie their father had died ... their mother could still be living). An individual may own land when they are one day old, but cannot sell land until they are 21. There were also laws concerning female ownership of land, a woman's land became her husbands property upon marriage. Only single women (Orphans, spinsters and widows) could own land. _________________________________________________________________ Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 07:36 -0500 (EST) From: Pat Perkins <caviness@conninc.com> To: ROWANROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Age for signing as a witness? Would a 9 year old ever have been named as a executor in a will ? caviness@conninc.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 03:04 -0500 (EST) From: Betty A. Pace <bapace2@juno.com> To: POOLE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Age for signing as a witness? Someone had asked how old a male had to be to witness a deed, etc. This is an answer. Betty Pace Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 00:31 -0500 (EST) From: John Coates <john@coates.net> To: ROWANROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Age for signing as a witness? Rick- Have you encountered a minor female being deeded land without a guardian? I have an ancestor who is deeded land at the age of 10 and then again at the age of 13. In both cases I have been unable to establish a connection grantor. Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks John Coates John@Coates.Net Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 23:47 -0500 (EST) From: Fredric Z. Saunders <fzsaund@ix.netcom.com> To: ROWANROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Age for signing as a witness? Fourteen was also the age for a male to testify in court. I agree that if given a choice, most likely the owner of the land would choose someone over 21 to prove the deed in court. I don't know that I have ever seen a case of someone known to be that young prove a deed, but I have seen cases of males not much over 14 give testimony in civil court cases. Rick Saunders http://genealogypro.com/fsaunders.html Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 23:21 -0500 (EST) From: John Coates <john@coates.net> To: ROWANROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Age for signing as a witness? While this holds for a witness, if the person was '"proving" a deed they would most likely be 21 or older. John Coates John@Coates.Net Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 20:18 -0500 (EST) From: Fredric Z. Saunders <fzsaund@ix.netcom.com> To: ROWANROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Age for signing as a witness? Age 14 for a male to witness a document. [Arlene Eakle and Johni Cerny, " The Source," (Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry Publishing Co., 1984), 186] Rick Saunders http://genealogypro.com/fsaunders.html Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 19:56 -0500 (EST) From: Marla Webb <marlawebb@inquo.net> To: ROWANROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Age for signing as a witness? This list has always be so knowledgeable and willing to share information. I have an ancestor who signed as a witness to a land deed transaction in 1798. I have an approximate year of birth for him which has been 1780. However, I am wondering what age a person had to be in order to sign as a witness? Do they have to be of legal age (21) ? This may help give a better idea of his year of birth. If anyone can help with the answer. I would appreciate it very much Thank You. Marla ==== ROWANROOTS Mailing List ==== The list administrator can be reached at john@coates.net. ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.