I found these "Washington County Discharge Papers" in the online version of the Observer-Reporter http://www.observer-reporter.com/ under "Sources," but I don't know what they might be. They appear to be church records from the 19th century in which there are a "grantor and a grantee," and many familiar Washington County names appear there as the Grantees. What were these records for? What is a discharge in relation to a church and grantors/grantees? The names of the churches appear. http://www.o-ronline.net/PDFs/discharge.pdf is the link. Thanks for any information you can give. Cindy McWreath

Hi, These are NOT church records. The PDF shows 10 pages of a Grantee-Grantor Index. Anytime you see those words, it has to do with the SALE and PURCHASE of LAND (not just for churches, but anyone in the county).. Churches had deeds throughout the 1800s. But often, churches or trustees had few actual deeds for *the time* of the actual buy-- or had not taken them to the court house to be recorded. In early 1900, churches had to Incorporate. So, very often in Grantee-Grantor Indices, you will see the *first* evidence of a RECORDED deed AFTER 1900--- even though the church was built, say, in 1805. Or the land was "bought" or given in 1795. By Trus on this record-PDF means By the Trustees of the Church making the deed. If you see your ancestor in the Trustee list, you've gotten a piece of history-- there may not be Church Minutes that list Trustees and when those positions "changed hands." Also researchers need to know that the name of a church *MAY* have changed from the original time the land was bought or given.... and the Incorporation is a totally different or altered church name. This is because (1) some church denominations were "loose" with their "formal names" in early years OR (2) the "headquarters" of th denomination voted on a nationwide name change. ALSO, be aware that the Incorporation Name used on Deeds or Incorporation Papers -- or on deeds alone-- may differ from what "locals" called the name, from how cemetery-readers recorded the name, or from how you've always heard the church called. I'm not sure on the ones marked United States "to" (an individual) why those are marked "discharge." Maybe it has to do with finalization of the sale? Judy Florian On 11/18/07, Cynthia McWreath <bartleby749@verizon.net> wrote: > > I found these "Washington County Discharge Papers" in the online version > of the Observer-Reporter http://www.observer-reporter.com/ under > "Sources," but I don't know what they might be. They appear to be church > records from the 19th century in which there are a "grantor and a grantee," > and many familiar Washington County names appear there as the > Grantees. What were these records for? What is a discharge in relation to a > church and grantors/grantees? The names of the churches appear. > http://www.o-ronline.net/PDFs/discharge.pdf is the link. Thanks for any > information you can give. > > Cindy McWreath > > **** > Please visit http://www.chartiers.com/pages-new/pawashin.html for list > information, particularly the bottom of the page. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > PAWASHIN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Washington County PA Websites: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~florian/ http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~florian/ http://freepages.religions.rootsweb.com/~florian/ http://www.rootsweb.com/~pawashin/