Frederick Broils Land Grant
Do you have photocopies of old land deeds tucked away in your research files? When I opened my BRILES–North Carolina folder, I discovered four such photocopies—unfortunately without any source information.
My first thought was that FamilySearch’s Full Text Search capability would quickly help me track them down and create proper citations. I tried searching for both Fredrick Broils and Frederick Broils, but none of the results seemed to match my photocopies.
Digging a little deeper into the folder, I came across a photocopy of the Grantees Index with handwritten notes beside some of the BRILES / BROILS / BROYLES entries. Thankfully, I had written down the microfilm numbers. Using those notes, I went to the Randolph County, North Carolina records, expanded the land records section, and located the correct book. There, on page 169 of Book 3, I found a land grant for 100 acres issued to Frederick Broils.
Since the very next page contained a land grant for Adam Broils, I decided to test the Full Text Search again—and this time, I easily found Adam’s deed. Unfortunately, Frederick’s deed proved much harder to locate. The only way I could bring it up in the Full Text Search was by entering a very specific phrase:+"seven hundred" +"eight seven" +"one hundred acres"
This little exercise was a good reminder that, while powerful, full-text searching isn’t foolproof. Sometimes the old-fashioned indexes are still the most reliable way to uncover the records we need.
n the end, this search reinforced the value of those little details we sometimes overlook—like scribbled microfilm numbers or photocopies of index pages. Even in the age of powerful digital tools, those older research habits and notes can make all the difference in finding the record we’re after. Combining modern technology with traditional methods often provides the clearest path to uncovering our ancestors’ stories.