This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DZB.2ACI/2478.1.1.1.1.2 Message Board Post: David, You are right about the cost of ordering a large number of films. The key in deed analysis is to determine the minimum number of films and in what sequence to get the info you want. For a single person, this usually means a minimum of four films: 1-a grantee [buyer] index for the time period when the purchase was made 2-a deed record film for the purchase 3-a grantor [seller] index for the time period when the property was sold 4-a deed record film for the sale. The deed index films for Licking Co. in the 1800's cover 12-40 years on each film. The info in the index for each transaction is: 1-Grantor [seller] name 2-Grantee [buyer] name 3-Town & Range numbers [or village/city name if it is a city lot] 4-Section number & acres for most [not all] transactions 5-Book & page number for the actual deed record Once the book & page number is known, the film that contains that book can be ordered. The deed for the sale of property usually has the potential to hold the most genealogical info. This includes the seller, where he lives, and his wife's first name, if he is married. The deed for the purchase generally has the the buyer's name [but not his wife], and where he lives. All the deeds should have a full description of the property and the amount paid and how it was paid. Every so often the deeds contain some unexpected goldmines: found one deed that included the name of the deceased owner and the names of all of his heirs and where they were living; found another where two brothers or cousins bought property jointly and when they sold, their names and the names of there wives were included. This helped establish, in general, by when they were married [added info to help replace the lack of marriage records for Licking Co. prior to 1876]. The Bureau of Land Management site is easy to use and has great quality online images of the original purchase. The original purchase info includes the name of the buyer, where they live, and a complete description of the land. This is great if your ancestor is an original purchasor and you want to know where they were living at that particular time [not necessarily the same location as the land being purchased], or you want to document who has owned a particualar parcel over the years. However, there is usually the potential for more genealogical info in a deed for a subsequent sale. Jerry