Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Tho^s F. Dowel
to
Joseph Watkins

This Indenture made This Thirteenth Day of July in The year of our Lord one Thousand eight hundred and thirty three between Thomas F. Dowell & ann his wife of The county of Sangamon and State of Illinois of The one part & Joseph Wakins of the county & State aforesaid of The other part Witnesseth that the said Thomas F. Dowell & ann his Wife for & in consideration of The sum of seventyfive Dollars to them in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged have given granted Bargained & sold & by these presents do give grant Bargain & sell all their right title interest & estate in and to the South half of The east half of the south East quarter of Section eight in Township Eighteen North in Range seven west in The District of Lands offered for sail at Springfield Illinois containing forty acres1 To have & to the said Joseph Watkins his heirs & assigns forever the above described tract of Land together with all & singular the privileges & appurtenances thereunto Belonging & The said Thomas F. Dowell and ann his wife do covenant to & with the said Joseph Watkins to warrant and Defend the Title of said land against the claim or claims of any & all person or persons whomsoever

In Testimony Whereof The said Thomas F. Dowell & ann his wife have hereunto set their hands & seals the day and year first above writen
Tho^s F. Dowell seal Anna Dowell seal

[ certification ]
Lincoln, Abraham (President)Green, Bowling

Done in Presence of
A Lincoln B Green

<Page 2>

[ certification ]
07/13/1833
Green, Bowling

State of Illinois
Sangamon County

Personally came Thomas Dowell & anna His wife before The undersigned an acting Justice for The county & State aforesaid both personally Known to said justice to be the Identical Persons that executed the within deed & acknowledged the Signing & Sealing Thereof to their act & deed for the purposes therein Contained & anna his wife Dowell being examined seperate from her husband and after being examined made acquainted with the contents Thereof acknowledged the same without the pursuaision or compulsion of her said husband as a relinquishment of her right of DowerGiven under my hand & Seal This 13 day of July 1833.2
Bowling Green seal J.[Justice of the] Peace

[ docketing ]
03/18/1834
Recorded March 18 1834

1The land described here lay in Sangamon County in 1833; in 1839, the General Assembly carved out the northern part of the county to create a new county called Menard. The land described here is now situated in the west-central 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 lands and personal property. Dower was intended to provide for the support of a widow and her children. Because of this, a husband could not convey property without the consent of his wife.
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, 133; 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.