I found a Deed of Conveyance, dated August 12, 1838, in which the land of Jesse BALDWIN, deceased, is being conveyed to his heirs. An excerpt from the deed says, "Jesse Baldwin...possessed by Will of his Father being and living in the County of Roane...and in the Hiwassee purchase first Range East of the meridian..." Does anyone have info on this Jesse BALDWIN. He's my direct ancestor, and I would love to find out who his father was. The heirs listed are Francis J. BALDWIN, William E. POPE, Thomas J. BALDWIN, Joseph LANE, and Nancy BALDWIN. I would also like to find out more information and details on the Hiawassee purchase (such as who the signers were). I did several internet searches and came up with very little. Also, what is the "meridian"? It is mentioned in several deeds that I have. Thank you for your help. Ann

RChory wrote: > first Range > East of the meridian..." > > > Also, what is the "meridian"? It is mentioned in several deeds that I have. > > Thank you for your help. > Ann > Hi, Ann, I can't help with your Baldwin line, but 'meridian' refers to the survey map of the area of question. It's the vertical line on maps, and is used in this way in land surveys: I will speak of current practices, because I don't know what was used in the period. The NCGS (National Coast and Geodetic Survey), the national authority on maps, has established Base points across the country. Here in Northern California, it's the Mt. Diablo Base and Meridian that are used in all property descriptions, the Meridian being a theoretical circle around the globe at that point that passes through the North and South Poles. A theoretical description might read as follows: T5N, R3E, Mt. Diablo B&M. (There would be other language ahead of this describing the exact location and dimensions of the property). T5N = Township 5 North. Township, as used in surveying, is a specific block of property, 36 square miles in size, which is divided into quarter section, etc.) Township 5 North would be the 5th Township North, (144 to 180 miles north) of the MDB & M, which established one component of its physical location as north of the Base. The East-West. component is the Range, so Range 3 East establishes that it in the third Township East of the Meridian. So your description "First Range East of the Meridian" gives you it's location in the East-West dimension. If you can find a map for the time of issue of the deed (or older) you can probably locate this in relation to the County where the property was located. From the written description you quote, the North-South location is not known, but you may find that the entire County is located in one Range. What would be most helpful would be a surveyor's plat map of the area in question--perhaps in old County records, or County or State Historical collections. If it's near a town, many of them have been 'platted', or laid out by a surveyor, when the town was established. The office of County Surveyor, or State Surveyor was established early on in many jurisdictions. Remember, George Washington was engaged in surveying 'Western lands' before the outbreak of the Revolution. In decoding property descriptions, I find it helpful to sketch out on paper a rough diagram of each known part of the description. From your quotation of the description, I would surmise that the "Hiwassee purchase" predates the date of your ancestor's acquisition of the property, and may be depicted on maps of a slightly earlier period. You might want to look at other Roane County deeds for clues-- Hope this has been helpful, and not too convoluted-- Mary Evelyn GLENN Young GLENN, SMITH, O'SULLIVAN, HEADLEY