Greetings, all I hope someone on the list has some expertise in North Carolina estate and property laws in the late 1800s. Here is the situation . Rutherford County, North Carolina William Lovelace and Cintha Lovelace, M. R. Lovelace [son of William and Cintha] and wife U. J. Lovelace, B. W. Philbeck and wife E. A. Philbeck [daughter of William and Cintha], and M. P. Green [daughter of William and Cintha], to George Lovelace [son of William and Cintha] for $150 the said William and Cintha do bargain and convey to the said George Lovelace, to hold at their death, and the said [siblings] their interest in a tract of land . And there follows the metes and bounds description of the parcel, a 40 acre tract. Signed by all parties on 21 October 1879, witnessed and signed by a justice of the peace. The Clerk of Superior Court adjudged the document to be correct and ordered it to be registered on 15 February 1889. The document was filed for registration on that day. Question: Does the registration of this general warranty deed imply that William and Cintha had died? A later deed: M. R. and wife Jane Lovelace and Wm Lovelace to John Walker for $158.67 ½ cents, a parcel adjoining the parcel in the first deed. Signed by all parties on 17 Jan 1883. Does Cinthas absence from this deed imply that she was dead by this date? Thanks for any insight Peace, Part of the Tree, Greg