Have you been able to verify that any of your pre-1850 ancestors held a county office such as Justice of the Peace? If so, did you find it in a county history? That’s where I’ve normally found such information.
However, thanks to the new United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search feature on the FamilySearch site, I know that other genealogists recommend reading all of the county deeds to look for instances where an ancestor signed as a witness. However, I rarely have done that. Thus, this new tool helped me to locate a deed where Jonathan Fisk signed as a justice of the peace!
Cuyahoga County Ohio
Deed RecordsDeeds & Mortgages v. E-5-G-7 1824-1828
Film 1994221 DGS 008199823
Image 251 of 969Deeds F-6
page 22
To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting
Know ye that we Warren Youngs and Mary Young his wife of Brooklyn
Cuyahoga County and State of Ohio for and in consideration of five hundred
dollars received to our full satisfaction of Gershom Young of said Brooklyn Do
Bongan sell remise release and forever Quit Claim unto the said Gershompage 23
Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Deeds & Mortgages. Film #1994221 DGS 008199823. Jonathan Fisk, 28 Dec 1825; Y-23: page 22; digitized images, FamilySearch http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 2 August 2023.
Young the following described tract or parcel Situate in the Township of Brecken
being township number seven in the thirteenth range of townships in the Countice
Western Reserve in the State of this and which is the in the County of Cuyalman and
is known by part of lot Number 63 & 64 and is Bounded as follows Beginning on the
East line of Lot 63 19 chains 6 lks North of the S E corner of said lot thence N 1 degree 50
W 60 Chs 95 lks to the N E Corner of lot 64 thence on said Lot line 88 degrees [00] W 13 chs 75 lks
to an iron wood Stake and Stones thence S 1 degrees 50 Minutes E 40 chs 10 lks to a boxwood stake and stones
on the line of said lot thence S 89 degrees 00 W 2 chs 75 lks to to a Chesnut Stake and stone
thence S 1 degree 50 Min E 8chs 65 lks to a chesnut Stake and stone in lot 63 thence S 88 degrees 10 min W 2 chs
50 lks to a Chesnut Stake and Stones thence S 1 degree 50 E 12 chs 20 Lks to an iron wood State
and Stones on the N line of Mary Akin’s land thence N 88 degrees 10 min E 19 chs to the
place of beginning Containing [9]2 acres and 50/100 of on acre according to the
Survey of Edwin Foote Esqr to have and to hold the above described land and
premises with the appurtenances thereof unto the said Gershom Young his heirs
and assigns to his and then own proper use and behoof forever And I the said
Mary Young do hereby remise release and forever quit claim unto the said
Gershom Young his heirs and assigns all my right and title of Dower in the
above described premises in Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hand and
seals the 28th day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and twenty five
Warren Young (seal)
Mary Young (seal
Signed Sealed and Delivered
in presence of
Mary Young
Jonathan Fisk
Jeremiah Gates
The State of Ohio
Cuyahoga County SS
Be it Remembered that on the 28th day of
December AD 1825 personally came before me
the within named Warren Young the signer and Sealer of the foregoing instrument
and acknowledged the same to be his free act and deed Also personally appeared
the within named Mary Young wife of the said Warren Young and I having
fully made known and explained to the said Mary the contents of the above deed
having likewise examined her separate and apart from her said husband she
she declared that she did of her own free will and accord sign and seal and as her
act and deed deliver the same without the force coercion or compulsion of her
said husband In Witness whereof I hereto sign my name and affix my seal at
Brooklion in said County the day and year last above written
Before me Jonathan Fisk Justice of the
Peace
Received December 29 1825 Recorded January 6th 1856
Horaw Perry Recorder
