August 2022 Program
Using Online Deeds in Family History Research
Presented by Lynn Nelson, CG®
Deeds are one of the most valuable but underutilized resources for family history research! These days, with the wide availability of deeds online, you can research them from the comfort of your own home. Learn how deeds can break down brick walls, reveal your ancestors’ stories, help you trace the history of your property, and more. An overview of deeds, tips for using them, and a live, step-by-step demonstration using York County deeds online will show how easy it is to use this wonderful resource to grow your family tree.
Program review by Becky Anstine:
Our first program of the 2022-2023 was a presentation by Lynn Nelson on “Using Online Deeds in Family History Research.” Using deed books for family research is an often-overlooked source of information. Even if a family did not own property; there are many other business dealings which can be recorded in the books. Deeds can be used to identify parents and other family members, maiden names, prior or current residences. There are a variety of documents that can be found to add to a family history, such as: marital separations or prenuptial contacts, transfer of personal property, manumissions, power of attorney, etc.
Individuals can use the books to trace back the ownership of their property, establish boundaries or location, and sometimes find a description of buildings, fields, woods, etc. that are located on the property. A deed may not be recorded at the moment of the transactions, especially if they are passed down through inheritance. The actual recording of a deed may not occur for many years – sometimes when the property is sold to someone outside the family. Components of a deed were defined, and the steps involved in obtaining property were discussed.
Lynn demonstrated how to use the IQS website for early York County deeds. Lancaster county deeds are available through the Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds (they use the IQS and have a guest registration).
Deed research can help flesh out your family’s history and give background to their lives.
Presenter - Lynn Nelson, Certified Genealogist®, specializes in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Italian research. A former IT professional with decades of personal family history research experience, she turned her favorite hobby into her early retirement job. Lynn is an associate of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and other groups. She volunteers at the library and archives of the York County History Center, where she was a 2020 Volunteer of the Year.
Program review by Becky Anstine:
Our first program of the 2022-2023 was a presentation by Lynn Nelson on “Using Online Deeds in Family History Research.” Using deed books for family research is an often-overlooked source of information. Even if a family did not own property; there are many other business dealings which can be recorded in the books. Deeds can be used to identify parents and other family members, maiden names, prior or current residences. There are a variety of documents that can be found to add to a family history, such as: marital separations or prenuptial contacts, transfer of personal property, manumissions, power of attorney, etc.
Individuals can use the books to trace back the ownership of their property, establish boundaries or location, and sometimes find a description of buildings, fields, woods, etc. that are located on the property. A deed may not be recorded at the moment of the transactions, especially if they are passed down through inheritance. The actual recording of a deed may not occur for many years – sometimes when the property is sold to someone outside the family. Components of a deed were defined, and the steps involved in obtaining property were discussed.
- York County Deeds can be found online through familysearch.org.
- The York County Archives has deed indexes online, but the actual deeds are only available at the archives or by ordering.
- Deeds can also be searched and read through IQS @ https://www.searchiqs.com/PAYOR/Login.aspx. Printouts of the deeds are available for a fee. Several other counties and states are available through IQS.
- Landex webstore covers deeds from 1948 to the present. The deeds are free to search and read, but there is a fee to print or download.
Lynn demonstrated how to use the IQS website for early York County deeds. Lancaster county deeds are available through the Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds (they use the IQS and have a guest registration).
Deed research can help flesh out your family’s history and give background to their lives.
Presenter - Lynn Nelson, Certified Genealogist®, specializes in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Italian research. A former IT professional with decades of personal family history research experience, she turned her favorite hobby into her early retirement job. Lynn is an associate of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and other groups. She volunteers at the library and archives of the York County History Center, where she was a 2020 Volunteer of the Year.