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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
William Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

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and
James Whitehead

12 Apr. 1813–27 July 1898. Clerk, farmer. Born in Roughhay, Fulwood, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Whitehead and Mary. Married first Jane Marshall Hindle, 25 Jan. 1837, in Preston, Lancashire, England. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day...

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; 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
William Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

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or
James Whitehead

12 Apr. 1813–27 July 1898. Clerk, farmer. Born in Roughhay, Fulwood, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Whitehead and Mary. Married first Jane Marshall Hindle, 25 Jan. 1837, in Preston, Lancashire, England. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day...

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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
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

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, authorizing him to record and certify official deeds for land transactions. JS appointed
William Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

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as recorder for the Nauvoo registrar, and by mid-April 1842 Clayton began recording deeds into this record book.
James Whitehead

12 Apr. 1813–27 July 1898. Clerk, farmer. Born in Roughhay, Fulwood, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Whitehead and Mary. Married first Jane Marshall Hindle, 25 Jan. 1837, in Preston, Lancashire, England. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day...

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was doing general clerical work for the church beginning in April 1842 and was appointed a private secretary to JS on 11 June 1842.
1

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


Comprehensive Works Cited

Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.

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.
2

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


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.
3

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


Comprehensive Works Cited

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

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.

Historical Introduction

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

Page 91

acknowledge that they had executed the said conveyance, for the uses and purposes herein mentioned. And the said
Mary Aldridge

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having been by me made acquainted with the contents of the said Deed, and examined separate and apart from her
husband

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, acknowledged that she had executed the same, and relinquished her dower to the premises therein conveyed, voluntarily, freely, and without compulsion of her said
husband

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. Given under my hand and seal, this thirteenth day of January in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and forty two.
E. Robinson

25 May 1816–11 Mar. 1891. Printer, editor, publisher. Born at Floyd (near Rome), Oneida Co., New York. Son of Nathan Robinson and Mary Brown. Moved to Utica, Oneida Co., ca. 1831, and learned printing trade at Utica Observer. Moved to Ravenna, Portage Co....

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J. P. L. S.
342

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


 
No. 96
Deed
William Speers

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to Joseph Smith for Lots 1, 2, 3 & 4 in B 1 of Speers addition to
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

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343

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


This Indenture made and entered into this eighth day of August in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and forty two between
William Speers

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of the county of
Hancock

Formed from Pike Co., 1825. Described in 1837 as predominantly prairie and “deficient in timber.” Early settlers came mainly from mid-Atlantic and southern states. Population in 1835 about 3,200; in 1840 about 9,900; and in 1844 at least 15,000. Carthage ...

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and State of
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

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of the First part, and Joseph Smith, as sole Trustee in Trust for the
church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

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, of the county of
Hancock

Formed from Pike Co., 1825. Described in 1837 as predominantly prairie and “deficient in timber.” Early settlers came mainly from mid-Atlantic and southern states. Population in 1835 about 3,200; in 1840 about 9,900; and in 1844 at least 15,000. Carthage ...

More Info
, and State of
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

More Info
of the second part, Witnesseth, that the said
William Speers

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party of the First part, for and in consideration of the love and good will he bears to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, of which the said Joseph Smith, party of the Second part, is sole Trustee in Trust, and also for the sum of one dollar, to him in hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, do hereby grant, bargain, sell, convey, and confirm unto the said Joseph Smith, as sole Trustee in Trust for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, party of the Second part, his successors in office and assigns forever, all these tracts or parcels of Land, situate and being in the county of
Hancock

Formed from Pike Co., 1825. Described in 1837 as predominantly prairie and “deficient in timber.” Early settlers came mainly from mid-Atlantic and southern states. Population in 1835 about 3,200; in 1840 about 9,900; and in 1844 at least 15,000. Carthage ...

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in the State of
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

More Info
known and described as follows, to wit: Lotts Noone, two, three, and four, in Block Number one, of Speers addition to the City of
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
. together with all and singular the appurtenances thereunto belonging, or in any wise appertaining. To have and to Hold the above described premises unto the said Joseph Smith, party of the Second part, his successors in office and assigns forever. And the said
William Speers

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party of the First part <​his​> heirs and assigns, the aforesaid premises, unto [p. 91]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 91

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. [342]

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

  2. [343]

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

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