An Explanation of Common Colonial Terms Dealing With Land Acquisition & Estates

1. Entry - a man staked out land, and then went to the land office
and made an entry with the Clerk there.

2. A Warrant - was issued, giving him the right to have the land
surveyed, and a sketch or plat made and returned to the land office.

3. A Patent or grant - was issued, which gave the party who
entered the land the right to live on the land or have someone else
live on it who was assigned by the party. It did not necessarily
establish the date of the settlement of the land.

4. An Indenture or deed - Within a reasonable time, the patentee
made or had someone else make certain improvements on the
land and paid the price set by the land office The deed was drawn
up - witnessed and recorded - giving the person the absolute
ownership of the land. Otherwise, in a certain period of time, the
property could pass to another person.