As we learned in Lesson II, there are two basic methods used in the United States for measuring land property. In the state-land states, for the most part, the "metes and bounds" measurement system was employed, while in the federal-land states, the "Township and Range" method was used. The metes and bounds approach to measuring land is as old as the colonies and was so deeply ingrained in those areas that it would have been impossible to try to convert them to using the Township and Range system, which is far easier to understand and use, once the principles are mastered.
"Metes and bounds" really refers to specific distance measurements(metes) and definite boundary markers(bounds). In many areas of the country, this same system is in use today, although we now use permanent iron pins and stakes, rather than relying on natural landmarks, as did those living in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was not uncommon to have disagreements in these earlier days about the correct property boundaries, and a process known as processioning was used to help avert these disagreements. Neighbors would walk the boundaries together, to ascertain that the markers were still intact and visable.
When working with metes and bounds land descriptions, the genealogist must be aware of several basic things. The survey lines as described in the deed will have distance and direction, such as "S30W 50 poles". The direction is always based upon compass readings, but the distance can be described in varying units, such as poles, chains, rods, perches, links, etc. There will be names of adjacent property owners, as in this example, "...along and with Smith's line...". You will also find a description of the physical boundary points of the land, such as trees, and even large rocks, as in "...corner to three white oaks...". Very often, if there is a creek, stream or river along one boundary of the property, you will see the term meanders in the deed, as in this example: "...thence along the meanders of said river to 2 pines on the bank...". There is usually no distance shown in such descriptions. The directive in the deed or survey is simply to "follow the river" from the given point to the other given point. You should also be aware of such language in the deed or survey as "lower", and "upper". For example, if there was reference to "Jones upper tract...", this would be indicative of a tract more upstream than some other tract owned by the same party. You should also watch for descriptions in connection with the meanders of a creek, stream, or river which indicate whether the measurement goes "up" the stream/creek/river or "down" the stream/creek/river. The term "down" means with the direction of flow of the water, while "up" would be in the opposite direction of the flow of the water. Attention to this detail can make the locating of the property much easier.
The method by which land described in the metes and bounds system is placed on paper is known as plotting. A protractor and graph paper are the basic tools used to plot the property from the description in the deed or survey. There is always a point of beginning, from which the first line is measured. When plotting land, a scale must be used to accurately reflect the design of the land(e.g., 80 poles to the inch). Surveyors most often used the Compass Degree method of setting headings(as in ..."North 32 degrees east...'), although you will occasionally see the Compass point method(which used the 32 points of the compass). This latter system would have descriptions such as, "...South by West one quarter point south...".
The instructor can provide some additional guidance and reference materials to those individuals who wish further direction in plotting from land descriptions in the metes and bounds system.
With that basic understanding of what is involved in the metes and bounds system, we now turn to the Township and Range method of land measurement and description as used in the federal-land states. The basic unit of this system is the section, which contains 640 acres and contains one square mile. From the section, we go to the township, which contains 36 sections, in a 6 by 6 quadrant, measuring 6 miles by 6 miles. The range of a township is determined by east or west measurements from a principal meridan, and range lines are the boundary lines of a township which run north and south, while township lines mark the boundaries of a township running east to west. The principal meridian is used as the beginning mark for measuring ranges east or west of that meridian. The base line is the beginning measuring point to indicate north or south townships. The following illustration may help:
By looking at the above example, you can see that townships north of the base line are termed as "North"or "N", while those south of the base line are deemed "South"or "S". Ranges east of the Principal Meridian are shown as "East"or "E" , while those arrayed to the west, or left of the Principal Meridian are shown as "West" or "W". Since each township contains 36 sections, each one mile square, each section must be numbered. In this system, the numbering starts at "1" in the uppermost NE section and proceeds west to section 6, then south one section, which is section 7, then east again to section 12, south one section to section 13, then west again to section 18, and so forth. The following example may help:
When you see a description in a deed which says, for example, "...the NE quarter of Section 11, Township 2N, Range 1E...", you can locate the property by using a map available from the National Archives which shows all of the principal meridians and base lines in the US. By finding the meridian which transects the area in which the land will be located, and the corresponding base line, you can easily determine exactly where the parcel of land is located. In the above description, you will see that it refers to the "...NE quarter..." of the section. Within each section, there can be subdivisions of half sections and quarter sections, and you will occasionally see a deed in which there is noted a "quarter of a quarter", such as, "...the SE quarter of the NE quarter of Section 11...". Occasionally, in the smaller land transactions, you will also see metes and bounds descriptions of the parcel of land in question, in addition to the township and range description.
Of use to genealogists are the Tracts Books in the National Archives. They are indexed according to land description(section, township and range)and not by the claimant's name. They are arranged by land office, and may contain some or all of the following information: Township, range and section numbers, name of claimant, purchase price, entry date, and final certificate number designation. Only Missouri and Alaska within the federal land system do not have complete tract books. All other states within this system are complete.
In the next lesson, we will briefly look at bounty land warrants and extant records associated with those warrants.