In a message dated 4/7/2005 10:58:40 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, MaryLAdams@comcast.net writes: Neil thank you for the reply. Do you know the difference between a warrant and a patent? Thanks Mary ----- Original Message ----- From: <NEILEL@aol.com> To: <OHGALLIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 9:50 PM Subject: Re: [OHGALLIA-L] Deed interpellation > > In a message dated 4/7/2005 9:44:55 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, > MaryLAdams@comcast.net writes: > > Would someone who understands old deeds explain to me what took place > with > this transaction. > > I have a copy of a Patent Deed from the United States to Eben Donelson > stating that James Gilliland assignee of Ebenezer Donelson having > deposited > in the General Land Office a certificate of the land office at > Chillicothe > whereby it appears that full payment has been made for the NE quarter of > Sec > 12 of Twp 6 Range 17, containing 160 acres of the lands directed to be > sold > at Chillicothe. > > What does this mean. It is very confusing to me. > > Thanks for the help. > > Mary > North Bend, WA > > > ==== OHGALLIA Mailing List ==== > Check the address you are replying to before sending your message. > > > > > It looks to me as if Eben Donelson obtained the original warrant for the > land and then probably sold the warrant to James Gilliland, who obtained > the > patent. You should be able to check for the patent on the Bureau of Land > Management (BLM) web site. _http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/_ > (http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/) > > In fact James Gilliland shows up as the patentee for that land. > > Incidentally I believe James Gilliland was one of the surveyors who > surveyed > the land of my great grandfather's estate. > > Neil E. > Folsom, CA > > > ==== OHGALLIA Mailing List ==== > Check the address you are replying to before sending your message. > > ==== OHGALLIA Mailing List ==== Please keep your topic related to genealogical research in Gallia County, Ohio. There were three steps that were required in order to obtain land from the federal government. 1. Survey. The applicant first had to apply to have the land surveyed. 2. Warrant. After the survey, a warrant was obtained. There was a fee involved. This gave the applicant access to the land. 3. Patent. A patent granted full title to the land and involved a final fee. Sometimes there was just a brief period between obtaining the warrant and getting the patent. Sometimes it was years or even decades. If the land was abandoned before obtaining patent, I believe the land would revert back to the federal government. Much of the land in Gallia County was initially obtained from the federal government by the Ohio Company, which in turn then sold it in much smaller parcels to settlers. The land that was not initially owned by the Ohio Company was acquired by settlers by the survey, warrant and patent process. Copies of the patents are available from the BLM web site. For a small fee, you can even obtain certified copies, and the very earliest patents (I think before about 1840 ) even bear the actual signature of the president of the United States. Neil E. Folsom, CA