Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

John M Camron
To
John M^cNamar

This Indenture made and entered into this 9th day of December in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty one between John M Camron and Polly his wife of the county of Sangamo and State of Illinois of the first part and John M^cNamar of the county and State âforesaid^ of the second part Witnesseth that the said party of the first part for and in consideration of the sum of two hundred Dollars in hand paid by the ^said^ party of the second part the Receipt where of is hereby acknowledged, have granted bargained sold Remised Released and forever Quit claim ând by these presents do hereby grant bargain sell remise and forever quit claim^ unto the said party of the Second part his heirs and assigns all their Right title interest claim & Demand of in and to a certain tract of land or lot of Ground situate lying & being in the county and State aforesaid as follows (to wit) the north half of the East half of the south East Quarter of section twenty Eight in township nineteen north of Range Seven west in the District of land offered for sale at Springfield Îllinois^ containing forty acres1 according to the division of Said half Quarter and according to the Return of the surveyor general being as above described Bounded by Section 27 and lands owned by John Jones on the East and on the South by South half of Same half quarter owned by James Rutledge west and north by public lands. To Have and To Hold the aforesaid

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tract of land or lot of Ground together with all and Singular the rights profits tenaments hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise thereunto appurtaining to the only proper use benefit and behoof of the Said John M^cNamar the said party of the second part his heirs and assigns foreverAnd the said party of the first part do covenant to and with the said party of the second part that they will warrant and forever defend the said tract of land from the claim of John M Camron and Polly his wife the party of the first part their heirs & assigns and against the claim or claims of any other person or person whomsoever

And the said Polly doth relinquish her dower in the Same.2 In testimony whereof the party of the first part have hereunto set their hands & seals the day and year first above mentioned
John M Camron seal Polly Camron seal

[ certification ]
Lincoln, Abraham (President)Maltby, Charles

Sealed signed and delivered in presence of
A Lincoln Charles Mallby

[ certification ]
12/09/1831
Green, Bowling

Sangamon County
State of Illinois

This day personally appeared before the undersigned a justice of the peace in and for said County John M Camron and Polly his wife who are personally known to said Justice to be the real persons who Executed the foregoing Deed of conveyance and who then before said Justice acknowledged that they signed sealed and delivered said Deed freelly and voluntary for the uses and purposes therein mentionedGiven under my hand and seal this 9^th Dec^r AD 1831
Bowling Green seal

1The land described here lay in Sangamon County in 1831, but is now situated in the northern part of Menard County.

2“Dower” is a term that refers to the legally protected lifetime right of a woman to one-third of her husband’s real estate. Dower was intended to provide for the support of a widow and her children. Thus, a woman had to relinquish her dower right in order for her husband to sell real estate.
Christopher A. Schnell, “Wives, Widows, and Will Makers: Woman and the Law of Property,” in In Tender Consideration: Women, Families, and the Law in Abraham Lincoln’s Illinois (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2003), 129; Joan R. Gundersen, “Women and Inheritance in America,” in Robert K. Miller Jr. and Stephen J. McNamee, eds., Inheritance and Wealth in America (New York: Springer Science and Business Media, 1998), 94.
“Dower” is a legal term that refers to the provision which the law makes for a widow, out of the lands of her deceased husband, for the support of herself and her children.