Collateral Ancestors: Land Records

Land records can be invaluable to your research. Your ancestor could be mentioned as a neighbor in another's deed or be a witness.

With the early metes and bounds deeds, neighbor's property was frequently mentioned in the property description. Your ancestor could be that neighbor. For the bulk of the states that used the township - range format, you would need to check a plat map from the time period you think your ancestor lived in a given county. Families tended to travel in groups. Oftentimes neighbors did the same. If you find a relative or neighbor, your ancestor could be close by. Also check the deeds. Your ancestor may have purchased a tract of land from a relative or neighbor.

When checking for a name in the deed indexes, be aware that a deed may have been recorded 5-20 years after the transaction. If you are looking for a deed from 1770, it may not have been recorded until 1784.