Latest finds -- SCA and Deeds

[jducoeur]

Today's main project has been digging through some files -- mostly because they are stacked in front of the next bookshelves that I want to deal with. So I'm finally continuing the great filing project that Niki started while she was living with me.

I just found the big archive of papers that goldsquare donated -- a mix of event stuff, formational paperwork for the Grand Council, and most of the key papers around the Crisis. So when it does come time to write up the history of What the Hell Happened in 1994, I know where the materials are.

But the really interesting bit was the manila envelope that has been sitting there for months and months, that I finally got around to looking into. Which is full of deeds. Mostly for land around Philadelphia. From around 1780. And I don't mean facsimiles -- I mean real cut indentures, on parchment, with wax seals on ribbons.

I *assume* these are related to Jane's genealogical research, but I'm not sure where they came from and I'm not certain whether they pertain directly to her family. (Niki, did you see any context for these?) But they are Incredibly Cool. ladymacgregor was over this afternoon, picking up cat stuff for a local shelter, and had great fun looking at one of them. These things are Legal Documents Dammit, written in utterly beautiful penmanship, some of them *big* -- like, a couple of feet across. They're all folded up (and look like they've *been* folded up for their entire 200+ years), so they have to be treated delicately, but the parchment is still in pretty good shape, and they're mostly legible.

So I have yet another fascinating mystery project here, and yet another case where I dearly wish I could ask Jane where the heck these came from. In the meantime, I've put them in the empty box labeled "acid-free", which I assume Jane bought for more or less this purpose...

Comments

[ladymacgregor.livejournal.com]

*pant* *pant* *drooooool*

PLEASE keep me in mind if the family doesn't want these . . . me and my RevWar friends would LOOOOOOOOOVE these . . .

*going off to find a napkin now*

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Huh. I'd sorry of figured that stuff was in a binder by now.

One of us should definitely fix that.

[dragonazure.livejournal.com]

You may want to consider having them photographed and transcribed for archival purposes. One of the local museums should be able to get you in touch with a photographer who can do the job properly.

Edit: Sorry that was supposed to be a direct reply to the entry with regard to the parchment deeds.

[lanome.livejournal.com]

So cool!

[turnberryknkn.livejournal.com]

Awesome!

Good luck pursuing that mystery. Looking forward to reading along to where it goes. :-)

[unicornpearlz.livejournal.com]

Dude, if I had seen that - you and everyone you let me tell would have known about them. Somehow I missed them entirely.

Too bad you don't know anyone in the Philadelphia area who focuses on late 18th century studies. (This, my dear, is sarcasm. THICK. If you want help, please ask.)

[jducoeur]

How odd. Now I'm wondering how they got there. There were sitting on top of the little bookcase in front of the secretary. So if you didn't move them there, I must have done so. I guess I was cleaning out a box, saw this crappy old manila envelope, and set it aside to look at later. (I'm sure it had been sitting there on top of the incoming CDs for months.)

And yeah, we'll have to find you an opportunity to look at them -- I'm sure you'd find them interesting...