Jim, A good starting point for learning about the warrant/patent terminology is at the PA Archives website: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/land_records/3184. Basically, the 5-step warrant/patent process transferred title of the land from the Commonwealth to a private citizen. From that site: "Application - a request for a warrant to have a survey made; usually a slip of paper that does NOT bear applicant's signature. Warrant - certificate authorizing a survey of a tract of land; initiates title of a property and provides the basis for legal settlement, but does not convey all rights to the property. Survey - sketch of boundaries of tract of land with exact determination of total acreage. Return - verbal description of property boundaries; function is similar to that of a patent; internal document sent from Surveyor General to Secretary of the Land Office Patent - final, official deed from the Penns or the Commonwealth, which conveys clear title and all rights to the private owner." I'm assuming that you may have already been to this site, based on the fact you have the information and dates from these warrants and patents? If not, you can find them indexed on that site also, as well as the copied survey books which show the two Centre County properties. For an in-depth reference source, I would recommend "Pennsylvania Land Records" by Donna Bingham Munger. It will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about them! I think there might be a preview on Google books. Looking at the description of the older property, it is not the same area as the newer warrants. The older warrant was in Cumberland County in 1769, but is probably in Huntingdon or Fulton County now, depending on exactly where it was located. Sideling Hill Creek runs roughly along the borders of Huntingdon and Fulton Counties, turning south through Fulton County. Based on this description of Raystown Crossing and the Lincoln Highway (http://books.google.com/books?id=PlYMAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22raystown%20crossing%22&lr&as_brr=1&pg=PA66#v=onepage&q=%22raystown%20crossing%22&f=false), it would seem likely that the property was somewhere near or in the Buchanan State Forest (near Breezewood). The two properties in Centre County appear to be in what is now Clinton County, one along Beech Creek, the other along the Tangascootack. Chris Staats ________________________________ From: "j.calvert@comcast.net" <j.calvert@comcast.net> To: pacentre@rootsweb.com Sent: Fri, May 28, 2010 5:07:26 PM Subject: [PACENTRE] Land Survey Request and Description The following description is given of a piece of land "on Sideling Hill Cr ne of Raystown Cr". Can anyone identify this description? Is it in Spring Township? Is it a part of Bald Eagle township under Mifflin County before the establishment of Centre County? The warrantee at this time--June 9, 1769-- is Thomas Calvert. He apparently dropped his request for a survey. Later, December 12, 1828, a Thomas Calvert, warrantee, requests a survey of two pieces of property in Bald Eagle Township of Centre County. I would assume this would be in Spring Township today. The property described in the subsequent survey has a creek running through it. It is described as N 23 W 202 on the North West, S32 E148 on the South West, N23 W202 on the North East of an irregular piece of property. Could the property in the second request be the same describe in the first request? The terms Warrantee and Patentee are used in the survey requests. What are the legal definitions of these terms? Jim Calvert j.calvert@comcast.net