When using land records, always note the consideration listed on the document in addition to the real property being transferred. The “consideration” was what was given in exchange for real property. Token amounts ($1, a few shillings, or some similar value) may suggest a relationship between the parties. “Love and affection” or some phrasing indicating a personal connection between the seller and the buyer may also be stated. Small consideration amounts compared to other deeds for similar properties may also suggest a connection between the parties involved.
Generally speaking, a “reasonably exhaustive” search is one that searches for every record that a genealogist, familiar with and experienced with records in the time and place of the problem, would search in an attempt to answer the question at hand. It does not always mean to look for every scrap of paper ever created that could mention the ancestor. For the most part (with exceptions), I’ve usually done this–sometimes using a more extreme approach I call “brute force” genealogy which means look for EVERYTHING that could possilby mention the ancestor’s name. Of course not all records are created equally—some are more credible than others. It’s up to the researcher to decide which records to give credence to, which ones to take with a grain of salt, and […]
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