Today’s record comes from my BRILES folder and includes both my original research notes and an image of a deed. I first located this record years ago while scrolling microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. At the time, those handwritten notes and photocopies were my only way to capture the information. Thanks to FamilySearch’s Full Text Search feature, I can now revisit this same deed from home—and even generate a full transcription with just a few keystrokes.
Below, you’ll find my original notes alongside the transcription created using FamilySearch’s powerful search capabilities.
Randolph County North Carolina
Record of Deeds, 1779-1963Deeds, v. 19-21 1831-1939
film 19637 DGS 7517640Image 287 – Book 20
page 295 (image 440)
This Indenture made this 28th day of January in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty six
between John Briles of the County of Randolph and State of North
Carolina of the one part & Jacob Briles Junr of County & state
aforesaid of the other part witnesseth that for and in consideration
of the sum of five hundred & fifty dollars to him in hand
paid by the said Jacob Briles Junr the receipt whereof he doth
hereby acknowledge hath this day bargained sold and delivered
unto him the said Jacob Briles junr a certain tract of land
on both sides of Uharie whereupon the said Jacob Briles Jur
now lives being so as to make the cross fence between him
the said Jacob Briles Jur & Dan Briles as the fence now
runs to be a divigning line between them so as for thepage 296
said Jacob Briles to have & to hold all that part of the south
end of the plantation as he has formerly had containing two
hundred & forty four acres be the same more or less together with
of woods waters ways mines minerals and appurtenances
thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining to have and
to hold or in any way belonging to him the said Jacob Briles Jr
his heirs or assigns forever & the said John Briles for himself
his heirs & assigns extrs & admrs will warrant & forever defend
the above named land & promises unto him the said Jacob
Briles Jur his heirs & assigns forever In witness whereof I
have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal the day
and year above written
John Briles (seal)
Signed Sealed in presence of us
Joseph Hoover senr
Joseph Hoover Jur
State of North Carolina
Randolph County
Court of please & quarter sessions
May term 1836
The execution of this deed was duly acknowledged in
open court & ordered to be registered
Hugh McCain CCC
Looking back, I’m grateful for the time spent in Salt Lake City turning microfilm readers and scribbling notes. Those efforts provided the foundation for my research, while today’s digital tools make it possible to revisit and expand on that work with ease. Having both sets of records—the handwritten notes from years ago and the searchable transcriptions available now—not only preserves the history but also highlights how far genealogy research has come.