Metes & Bounds Land Plats Solve Genealogical Problems

This session provides a brief overview of metes and bounds land descriptions seen in deeds, mortgages, patents, grants, and other land documents. The land descriptions are an essential part of land research. This presentation discusses metes and bounds land descriptions and how the metes and bounds can solve genealogical problems.

Presenter: Gerald (Jerry) Smith, CG, researches in Pennsylvania families. He is the IGHR and SLIG course coordinator for the week-long land platting course. He is on faculty for IGHR, SLIG, and GRIP teaching topics in the military, maps, and land record institutes. He has published a number of books and articles, including abstracts of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, Court of Quarter Sessions records. While he resided and researched for many years in Pennsylvania, he recently moved to Illinois to make sure his granddaughter grows up appreciating her family history.