Amanuensis Monday~Deed, W. A. Purvis to James L. Edwards, 1871

Amanuensis Monday is a genealogy blogging theme. It was started by John Newmark who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog.

His definition of Amanuensis is:
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Today’s posting is a 1871 Trust Deed between William A. Purvis and James L. Edwards.

21 December 1871
W.A. Purvis to James L. Edwards
This indenture made this the 21 December 1871 between W. A. Purvis of the first part and Jas. L. Edwards of the second part both of the county and State of North Carolina witnesseth whereas the said W.A. Purvis is justly indebted to the said Jas. L. Edwards the sum of two hundred and forty-seven 80/100 dollars and whereas the said W. A. Purvis is desirous to secure the payment of the said debt now therefore this indenture witnesseth that for and in consideration of the promises together with the further consideration of the sum of one dollar in hand paid to the said W. A. Purvis by the said Jas. L. Edwards the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged he the said W. A. Purvis hath granted, bargained & sold and by these presents do bargain grant & sell unto the said Jas. L. Edwards a certain tract of land lying and being in the county of Anson and the State of North Carolina on the waters of Westfield Creek and bounded as follows: beginning at a stake in the state line 4th corner of R. Gaddy's tract & runs No. 15 Wst 38.35 Chs to a stake in McGugans line 3rd corner of the Gaddy tract then No. 88 Wst 11.40 Chs to a stake one pine pointer then So. 37.50 Chs to a stake in the state line then with the state line East 21 Chs to the beginning containing sixty (60) acres being the same land conveyed by Isham Wallace to Jas. L. Edwards to have & to hold the said land & promises and all & singular the premises, hereditaments, woods ways waters, rents, improvements, profits and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining thereto to him the said Jas. L. Edwards, his heirs, executors, administrators in fee simple forever free & discharged from any & all incumbrances whatever in special trust & confidence that the said Jas. L. Edwards shall & will hold, keep, use & apply the same in the use intended following and no other that is to say if the aforesaid debts and every part thereof together with the lawful interest that may have accrued & if the same shall not be (fully) paid off and satisfied by the said W. A. Purvis on or before the first day of January 1873 then and in that case it shall be lawful and shall be at the pleasure of Jas. L. Edwards having first advertised the same at the Court House in the town of Wadesboro and three other public places in the county of Anson the space of twenty days to proceed to sell the said land & premises at public auction to the highest bidder for cash money or such credit the said Edwards may think proper and convey the same by proper & sufficient assurances to the purchaser and all the proceeds and money arising from said sale to retain all necessary expenses of this trust and then payoff and discharge to himself the said debts and interest specified in the foregoing part of this trust that he shall pay all as such part as shall remain unpaid at the time of the sale & the over plus if any he shall pay or return to said W. A. Purvis or his representative in testimony, whereof the said W. A. Purvis doth set his hand & seal the day & date above written.
                                                                                               his
                                                                                       W.A. X Purvis Seal
                                                                                              mark
Signed, Sealed & Delivered in the presence of
S. J. Edwards

Anson County. In the Probate Court Dee 30th 1871. Then the due execution of the foregoing Deed of Trust was proved by the oath of S. J. Edwards, the subscribing witness thereto let the deed with this certificate be registered.
J. M. Covington
Probate Judge

Anson County. Jany 3rd 1872. This day the following Deed of Trust was duly registered in Trust Book No.2, Page 360.
John Stacy
Register of Deeds

The essence of this deed is that my 2nd Great Grandfather W. A. Purvis borrowed $247.80 from James L. Edwards for which my 2nd Great grandfather provided 60 acres of land for security of the mortgage, due on 1 Jan 1873.

These types of mortgages were used to buy farm supplies and seed in order to plant a new crop in the following months. Great Grandfather William borrowed this $247.80 so that he could purchase the necessary material to plant and harvest a crop in 1872.

As time progressed we find that the lender wasn't just happy with getting the money he loaned back; he begin to insist on a portion of the crops and interest on the loan.

Between the years 1871 and 1886; William entered into agreements with local businessmen a total eighteen (18) known times. Farming in the 1870-1880 was very demanding with little return on investment. Until his death between September 1899 and May 1900 he continued to farm or sharecrop the land.






_________________________
[1] Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, Trust Deed Vol. 2: pages 363-365, "W. A. Purvis to James L. Edwards" ; microfilm, GS #1689098, LDS Family History Library, LDS Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah : copied 1980).