In a message dated 4/8/2005 1:33:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time, MaryLAdams@comcast.net writes: What I've got is a copy of certificate # 1318 I got from the Gallia Recorders office found in V 19 P31 It's from the United States to Eben Donelson and filed in the Chillicothe office Sept 1, 1827. It grants patent to James Gilliland, the assignee of Ebenezer Donelson. I'm trying to understand what really took place with Mary, You gave the land descroption as: NE quarter of Sec 12 of Twp 6 Range 17, containing 160 acres of the lands directed to be sold at Chillicothe. Range 17 includes: in Lawrence Co. #1  Fayette, #3 Lawrence, #4 Aid, and #5 Symmes. Township #6 in Range 17 is Greenfield in Gallia Co. Madison Township of Jackson Co is #7 The townships listed above were all part of Gallia from 1803 until Lawrence and Jackson were formed about 1816/17. A standard township is six miles square, divided into 36 one mile square sections. In Range 17, they are numbered starting in the NE corner with #1, working across the north side to #6 in the NW corner. Drop down to the next row and number from west to east with #7 thru #12. Follow that pattern so that the section #36 is the SE corner. Sections 1-6 of Greenfield are part of Madison Twp in Jackson Co. The other 30 sections are part of Gallia. Therefore your section #7 is the NE section of what is now Greenfield Twp. Land in the sections is described by the dividing the section into quarters: i.e. NE, NW, SW, and SE. The standard one mile square section is 640 acres, a quarter section is 160 acres. This parcel of land ican be reached by following OH 141 from Gallipolis to OH 233. Proceed on 233 to a little wide spot called Gallia. Just north of Gallia, Gallia- Center Point road turns off to the east or right side. Follow that and between two and three miles from 233 you will be in the middle of the parcel. A creek runs from north to south thru the middle of the parcel. Rt 233 also connects with OH Rt 93 in Oak Hill The Ohio Auditor has a FREE booklet describing all Ohio lands and surveys, and info on reading descriptions.. Don Clark