Last week we challenged you to answer questions about an 18th Century Deed.

Here are the answers to our challenge:

1. Where does Jeremiah Brown live?

Jeremiah Brown lives in Swansey [sic., the name is currently spelled Swansea], in the County of Bristol in the State Massachusetts Bay in New England.

2. How many sons does Jeremiah Brown have?

The correct answers is "at least two." Two sons are mentioned in this deed specifically by name, Samuel Miller Brown and Jeremiah Brown. Just because other sons aren't mentioned doesn't mean that Jeremiah Brown doesn't have them. At the time of this deed Samual Miller Brown was 27 years old and Jeremiah Brown was 25 years old. There were also three other sons ages 22, 13 and 11.

3. When was the land transferred?

The land was transferred 20 March 1778. "This Twentyeth Day of March A.D. 1778"

4. When was the deed recorded?

The deed was "Received May 18 1779 and Recorded"  That date is over a year after the land was transferred. This shows how important it is to note both the transfer date and the recording date because it can greatly impact your interpretation of events and facts.

5. Who are the witnesses? 

The witnesses are Peleg Shearman and Edward Luther. Witnesses should always be researched to determine if they are family, friends, neighbors or associates.

6. Who is Rebeckah Brown and how do we know?

Rebeckah Brown is the wife of Jeremiah Brown. She had a legal interest in the land because of her dower rights and therefore had the ability to reject the sale of the land. Her signature indicates her approval of the sale. For more on Dower Rights see "Dower Share, Dowry & Dower Rights" by William Dollarhide.

I hope you enjoyed this challenge! Let me know if you have any questions.

Marian Pierre-Louis is a genealogy professional who specializes in educational outreach through webinars, internet broadcasts and video. Her areas of expertise include house history research, southern New England research and solving brick walls. Since the rise in interest of genetic genealogy Marian has become addicted to using dna to help solve genealogy mysteries. Marian is the Online Education Producer for Legacy Family Tree Webinars where she produces online genealogy education classes. Once a month you'll find her as the evening host of Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Check out her webinars in the Legacy library.