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Nauvoo Registry of Deeds, Deed Record Book A, 1840–1843

Source Note

Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, Recorder, Deed Record, Book A, 18 Apr. 1842–2 Sept. 1843; handwriting of and ; 235 pages; CHL. Includes notations.
Commercially produced bound volume measuring 18¼ × 12 × 1½ inches (46 × 30 × 4 cm). The volume contains 246 pages, including pastedowns and flyleaves, each measuring 18⅛ × 11½ inches (46 × 29 cm). The endpaper, including three flyleaves and a pastedown in the front and one flyleaf and pastedown at the back of the volume, are not lined. The interior pages consist of ledger paper ruled horizontally with thirty-four preprinted blue lines and two red double lines, demarcating a row at the top of the page, and ruled vertically with two red double lines, demarcating a column to the right of each page, now faded. The volume is composed of fifteen gatherings, each of which contains eight leaves, except for the fourth gathering, which has ten leaves, and the last, which has six leaves. The recto of the final leaf of the last gathering was glued to the flyleaf. The boards are covered in marbled paper, now faded. The cover has a calfskin spine and corners. The spine bears two labels, the first of which reads: “DEED RECORD | NAUVOO | A”. The title page of the volume has an inscription in graphite: “No 1 or Book of | Entry”.
The first inscribed page was paginated with the numeral 3, and there is consistent pagination in the handwriting of or running to the last page, numbered 237, resulting in 235 inscribed pages. The top of the first inscribed deed was labeled with “No. 1”, and each inscribed deed thereafter was assigned a number in like manner, except that there are two deeds labeled “190”. The volume contains 216 items, mostly deeds, dating from 20 April 1840 to 28 August 1843, recorded between 18 April 1842 and 2 September 1843. Inserted into the book between pages 2 and 3 is a slip of paper inscribed with what looks like material for JS’s multivolume manuscript history; this inserted slip is not included here. The title page and the flyleaves of the volume show significant discoloration and dirt buildup. The wear pattern indicates that a smaller booklet, an index for the volume, was stored in the book. The entire volume shows significant discoloration due to water damage and mold damage, the boards and cover are deteriorated, and several pages have a central vertical tear between 2 and 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) in length from the top of the page.
On 5 March 1842, the Nauvoo City Council appointed JS registrar for the city of , authorizing him to record and certify official deeds for land transactions. JS appointed as recorder for the Nauvoo registrar, and by mid-April 1842 Clayton began recording deeds into this record book. was doing general clerical work for the church beginning in April 1842 and was appointed a private secretary to JS on 11 June 1842. His handwriting also appears in this record book, though it is often difficult to distinguish which handwriting is Whitehead’s and which is Clayton’s. Along with other records, this record book was kept in JS’s Nauvoo office and transported to Utah Territory, where it was kept in the Church Historian’s Office. The spine bears a red-bordered label that reads “02473R | 9 Fo”, likely placed on the record by Church Historian’s Office (now CHL) staff in the 1950s or 1960s.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    “Elder James Whitehead,” Saints Herald, 3 Aug. 1898, 485.

    Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.

  2. [2]

    Because Whitehead’s handwriting is difficult to distinguish from Clayton’s, no scribal handshifts are noted in the transcript below.

  3. [3]

    “Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th April 1855,” [2], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Deed to Martha McBride Knight, 2 February 1842 *Deed from Orson and Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, 10 February 1843 *Deed from Daniel H. and Eliza Robison Wells, 4 February 1843 *Letter from Horace Hotchkiss, 7 April 1843 *Deed to Emma Smith and Others, 12 July 1843 *Deed to Emma Smith, 13 June 1842

Page 55

that she had executed the same, and relinquished her dower to the primisespremises therein conveyed, voluntarily, freely, and without compulsion of her said . Given under my hand and seal, this fourth day of March in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and forty Two
J. P. L. S
for the city of
 
65
Deed
to Saml. Moore for Pt of L 8 B 3 in s add. to .
Know all me by these Presents that of the county of & State of has this Day for & in consideration of the sum of three Hundred Dollars in hand paid by Samuel Moore of the county of . & bargained and sold unto the said Samuel Moore a certain Lot or Piece of Land lying and situated in Kimbals addition to in the county of and State of , as will more fully Apear by refference to the Plat of said Addition being a Part of Lot No Eight in Block No three in said Addition to the Town of . Commencing on the North side of Ripley Street near Thomas Spears Blacksmith Shop and Runing sixteen Rods South on T Spearses line from thence ten Rods West from thence sixteen Rods North From thence to the Place of beginning. it being one acre To Have and to Hold the Above described Lot or Piece of Land with all and Singular the Apertenances thereunto belonging to him the said Samuel Moore his heirs and assigns forever. and the said for himself his heirs and asigns administrators executors do Warrant and for ever Defend the Title of the Lot or Piece of Land against every Person or Persons claiming by throug[h] or under him in any manner or any other Persons whatever In testimony Whereof he has hereunto set his name and affixed his seal this 26th day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight Hundred and forty two.
{Seal}
Wealthy [Eddy] Pratt L. S
Attest
Elizabeth A. Hills 
State of Illinois)
City of )
I an acting Justice of the peace in and for said do certify that and Wilthy his wife whose signatures appear to the within deed, and who are personally known to me to be the persons described in and who executed the same, did severally acknowledge that they had executed the same for the purposes therein mentioned and set forth, and the said Wilthy Pratt being by me examined seperate and apart from her said , did acknowledge that she had executed the same and relinquished her right of dower in the premises freely, voluntairly, and without compulsion of her said — Given under my hand and seal this 26th. day of Dec. 1842
J. P. LS
Alderman City of [p. 55]
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Source Note

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Page 55

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Nauvoo Registry of Deeds, Deed Record Book A, 1840–1843
ID #
13081
Total Pages
246
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • James Whitehead
  • William Clayton

Footnotes

  1. [237]

    TEXT: “L. S.” enclosed in a hand-drawn representation of a seal.

  2. [238]

    TEXT: The recorder added this notation in the left margin when copying the deed into the deed book.

  3. [239]

    TEXT: “L. S.” enclosed in a hand-drawn representation of a seal.

  4. [240]

    TEXT: “LS” enclosed in a hand-drawn representation of a seal.

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