Deed of Stephen T. Logan, America Logan, Abraham Lincoln, and Mary Lincoln to Charles
Dresser, 23 April 18441
| A. Lincoln & S. T. Logan | } | |
| To | Deed | |
| Charles Dresser– |
This Indenture Made and entered into this Twenty third day of April AD 1844 between
Stephen. T. Logan & America his wife & Abraham Lincoln & Mary his wife of the County of Sangamon and State of Illinois of the first part, and Charles Dresser of the County of Sangamon and State of Illinois
of the second part. Witnesseth, that the said party of the first part for and in Consideration
of the sum of three hundred Dollars, in hand paid by the said party of the second
part, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged Have granted bargained and sold,
and by these presents do grant bargain and sell, unto the said party of the second
part his heirs and assigns, a Certain Tract of Land, situate lying and being in the
County of Sangamon and State of Illinois known and Designated as follows. to wit–
the East half of the West half of Lot number Six in Block number fourteen in the (late)
Town, now City of Springfield Illinois being the same Lot on which stands the building now occupied by Hamilton A. Hough as a Shop–
To have and to hold the aforesaid Tract or parcel of Land together with all and
singular the privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging, or in anywise appertaining
to the only proper use and benefit of him the said party of the second part his heirs
and assigns forever. And the said party of the first part for themselves their heirs
Executors and administrators do Covenant to and with the said party of the second
part, that they are lawfully seized have full right to Convey and will forever warrant
and defend the said Tract of land from the Claim of them the
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Said party of the first part their heirs and assigns and against the claim or claims
of any other person whomsoever–
In Testimony whereof the said party of the first part have hereunto set their hands
and Seals the day and year aforesaid–
S. T. Logan seal A. T. Logan seal A. Lincoln seal M. Lincoln seal [ certification
]
05/02/1844
05/02/1844
| State of Illinois | } | SS[Scilicet] |
| Sangamon County |
Before me the undersigned a Justice of the peace for the County aforesaid personally
came Stephen T. Logan, America T. Logan Abraham Lincoln & Mary Lincoln who are known
to me to be the real persons by whom and in whose names the above Conveyance was Executed
and By whom and in whose names said Conveyance is proposed to be acknowledged and
acknowledged that of their free will that they Executed Said deed for the purposes
therein Expressed– And the said America T. & Mary wives of the said Stephen T. &
Abraham being by me first Examined separate and apart from their said husbands and
the contents of said Conveyance being first made known to them– Acknowledged that
they freely and voluntarily and without any compulsion or coercion from their said
husbands they Executed the same and forever relinquish all their right and claim
of Dower in and to the lands and Tenements in said Conveyance described–2
Given under my hand and Seal this 2nd day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand
Eight hundred and forty four
Wm Lavely J P[Justice of the Peace] seal 1This deed was recorded in the county deed record book. The Logans and Lincolns conveyed
this lot to Dresser as part of the purchase price of the Lincolns’ Springfield home,
which they contracted to purchase from Dresser in January 1844. This lot had been
previously owned by Lincoln’s in-laws, Ninian W. and Elizabeth P. Edwards.
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 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,” Robert K. Miller Jr. and Stephen J. McNamee, eds., Inheritance and Wealth in America (New York: Springer Science and Business Media, 1998), 94.
Handwritten Transcription, 2 page(s), Sangamon County Deed Book V, 301-2, Illinois Regional Archives Depository, University of Illinois at Springfield (Springfield, Illinois).