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/UeB.2ACI/3846 Message Board Post: I found this in the paper and thought some connected to these families might like to read it. Cathy SOURCE: Greenville Daily News, Page 5 DATE: March 7, 1912 FOUR ANCIENT DEEDS FOR 4,175 ACRES FILED RECORDED YESTERDAY IN THE OFFICE OF MESNE CONVEYANCE 4,175 ACRES AND PURCHASE PRICE $215 DEEDS DATED 1838 TO 1861 PLACED ON RECORD YESTERDAY - LANDS LIE IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS ON THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE LINE - WERE WRITTEN WITH GOOSE QUILL PEN ON PARCHMENT THAT IS NOW FADED AND ILLEGIBLE - OTHER DEEDS OF MORE MODERN DATE FILED Probably one of the oldest deeds to real estate as well as one representing the largest tract of land, that has been filed in the office of Register of Mesne Conveyance was recorded yesterday. There were really four rather ancient deeds, but one of them anteceded the others by nearly a quarter of a century. The particularly hoary deed filed yesterday was that of William Southerland to Ben Master, dated March 12th, 1838. Next Tuesday will round out the 74th year since the deed was executed. The transaction represented an exchange of 586 acres of land for $50, the real estate lying in the Blue Ridge mountains, bordering onto the North Carolina State line. Another ancient deed filed, and a right large one, was that of Ben and Rebecca Masters to W. Perry Masters. This was for the transfer of 1,589 acres of land in the Blue Ridge mountains, on the North Carolina state line, for the sum of $5. This was, of course, a conveyance from Father and Mother to son. Still another old deed filed yesterday was that of Stephen D. Keith to Ben Masters, for 1,000 acres of land in the Blue Ridge mountains on the North Carolina State line for the sum of $100. This deed bears the date of Dec. 12, 1861. Another old deed was that of John H. Masters to S.D. Keith, for 1,000 acres of land, for $60. This tract lay in the Blue Ridge mountains, on the North Carolina State line. The deed is dated December 12, 1861. Three of the four ancient deeds were in a bad state of preservation, in fact, they were in tatters, and so faded that it was almost impossible to read them. The writing was done with a goose quill pen. The deeds evidently had been through both fire and flood. They presented the appearance of having been soaked in water. The parchment upon which the deed was written was so rotten that when unfolded the paper cracked in several pieces. It being impossible to read some of the deeds, persons familiar with the wording of the instruments had transcribed the wording to other paper. And from this the Register will have to copy in recording the deed.