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The reviews are the opinion of the editor (unless indicated otherwise). They are solely for the aid of our readers. Reviews appear in every issue of the journal. If you would like to subscribe or order any back issue, please click here. To return to the master index of reviews, please click here.
This review was published in 2009
Heritage Books , 100 Railroad Ave. – Ste. 104, Westminster MD 21157-4825, publishes the following books. Phone orders can be placed at 800-876-6103 or online at www.heritagebooks.com. Postage for the first item is $7 and $2.50 for each additional item.
Essex County Deeds 1675: Abstracts of Volume 5 Copy Books, Essex County, Massachusetts (Westminster, Md., 2008), softcover, 104 pp., index. $17.00.
This is the second book in hopefully a long series of abstracts of Essex County deeds [see MD, 53 [2004]: 85-86]. These records are recorded from 1678 to 1681. The date on the cover is misleading and the error is derived from the first document which was created in 1675 (though recorded in 1678). Not noted in the first review, these abstracts are made from a copy of the original volumes in 1855 under the direction of the County Commissioners. This copy was “examined and corrected” by the registrar in 1875. Each abstract first list the grantor and grantee in bold with the citation following that. The abstract includes phrases from the deeds that name the parties with the description of the land. The end of each abstract ends with who signed the deed (and if by mark), date of the instrument, witnesses, date of acknowledgement, and date of recording. An all-name index rounds out the book. Having deeds abstracted like this provides access through indexing to abutters, witnesses, and spouses co-signing deeds that are not available to a researcher who visits the registry of deeds in person. Hopefully this worthy project will continue with great speed and inspire others to start similar projects.
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