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Baltimore County land papers manuscript collection

 Collection
Identifier: MS 2648

Abstract

This collection contains plats, surveys, deeds, rental contracts, and court case documents concerning land in the Baltimore County area.

Dates

  • 1685-1910
  • Majority of material found in 1716-1853

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

The reproduction of materials in this collection may be subject to copyright restrictions. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine and satisfy copyright clearances or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information visit the MCHC’s Rights and Permissions page.

Historical Note

Buck’s Purchase was a land tract in Baltimore County, Maryland which boundaries were disputed over in the early 1800s. This land tract intersected with the Selsed and multiple court documents details the dispute. Boundaries of Buck’s Purchase were out of the lines of Selsed and ownership of the land was disputed for years.

Rowland Thornburg’s patent for Selsed dates back to June 15, 1694. The land encompasses 900 acres located in Baltimore County on the northeast branch of the Patapsco River near the Jones Falls in the woods. He splits the land between himself and his sons, John and Francis. John Thornburg executes a deed with his attorney to convey 100 acres of Selsed, called Buck’s Purchase, to Nicholas Haile. This is where the controversial boundary issues begin, as there are multiple deeds for Buck’s Purchase with different acreage and to different individuals.

Regulation was originally two separate land tracts known as Port Mareen and Hunters Purchase. Owned by Thomas Carr, he obtained a land warrant and combined the two tracts into one to be called the Regulation. Regulation was then conveyed to Benjamin Bowen, who passed it onto family members after death. The Brice family came to own the Regulation, and its boundary lines were also disputed. John Brice owned land in Baltimore County around the northern side of the main falls of the Patapsco River on Diamond Ridge.

Extent

0.4 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of George F. Needham.

Scope and Contents

There are land deeds and conveyance papers from the Buck’s Purchase land dispute. There are partition degrees, conveyances, and cemetery lot titles. Multiple sketched maps illustrate the disputed boundaries between Buck’s Purchase, Selsed, and Regulation.

The collection also contains indentures and deeds for land transactions in the Baltimore County area, specifically near the Jones Falls and Patapsco River. There are multiple farming rental contracts in the collection, plats of land areas, and documents of court cases between land owners.

Creator

Title
Guide to the Baltimore County land papers manuscript collection
Status
Under Revision
Author
Delaney Hochrein
Date
2015-04
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Revision Statements

  • 2020-03-13: Manually entered into ArchivesSpace by Sandra Glascock

Repository Details

Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository

Contact:
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750