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TYPICAL  GLO  LAND  PATENT

Posted by Neal McLain
September 2002

This page illustrates a typical land patent issued by the General Land Office.   This particular patent is for my great-great-great-grandfather's farm in Raisin Township, Lenawee County, Michigan.






A transcript of this patent follows:

                                                            385

Certificate No. 1273

                The United States of America

    To all to whom these presents shall come, Greetings:

Whereas, Fulton Jack of Livingston County New York has deposited 
in the General Land Office of the United States, a certificate 
of the Register of the Land Office at Monroe whereby it appears 
that full payment has been made by the said Fulton Jack 
according to the act of Congress of the 24th day of April, 1820,
entitled "An act making further provision for the sale of
the Public Lands," for the North East Quarter and East half
of the North West Quarter of Section Ten, in Township Six South
of Range four, East, in the District of Lands subject to sale at 
Monroe, Michigan, containing Two Hundred and forty acres,
according to the official plat of the survey of the said Lands,
returned to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General,
which said tract has been purchased by the said Fulton Jack.

NOW KNOW YE, That the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in consideration 
of the premises, and in conformity with the several acts of 
Congress, in such case made and provided, have given and 
granted, and, by these presents, do give and grant, unto the 
said Fulton Jack, and to his heirs, the said tract above 
described: To Have and to Hold the same, together with all the 
rights, privileges, immunities and appurtenances, of whatsoever 
nature thereunder belonging, unto the said Fulton Jack, and to 
his heirs and assigns forever.

In testimony whereof, I, Andrew Jackson, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED 
STATES OF AMERICA, have caused these Letters to be made Patent, 
and the seal of the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed.

Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the eighth day 
of February in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred 
and thirty one, and of the Independence of the United States the 
fifty fifth.

              By the President, A.J.

              E. A. [?] Commissioner of the General Land Office



In modern terminology, we would describe this parcel as follows:
       NE Quarter Section 10 Town 6 South Range 4 East
                          and 
       East Half of NW Quarter Section 10 Town 6 South Range 4 East
The location of this property is identified on the following map:

Source: United States Geological Survey Topographic Map (7½-minute series) of the
Tecumseh South (1972) Quadrangle.