{"product_id":"1735-colonial-pennsylvania-vellum-deed-baldwin-family-to-richard-barry-1708-chain-of-title-three-seals","title":"1735 Colonial Pennsylvania Vellum Deed — Baldwin Family to Richard Barry — 1708 Chain of Title — Three Seals","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eAn exceptionally early and visually commanding Colonial Pennsylvania land indenture, executed on \u003cstrong\u003eDecember 4, 1735\u003c\/strong\u003e, conveying approximately \u003cstrong\u003e25 acres in Chester County\u003c\/strong\u003e from members of the prominent early Baldwin family to \u003cstrong\u003eRichard Barry\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grantors were \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Baldwin of Philadelphia\u003c\/strong\u003e, identified as a joiner and the only son and heir of Joseph Baldwin, and his mother, \u003cstrong\u003eElizabeth Bond of Chichester\u003c\/strong\u003e. Elizabeth was the widow of Joseph Bond and had formerly been married to Joseph Baldwin. For £30 in Pennsylvania currency, mother and son conveyed the 25-acre property, together with its buildings, improvements, woods, waters, rights, privileges, and appurtenances, to Richard Barry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe deed preserves an even earlier chain of ownership. It recites a conveyance dated \u003cstrong\u003eNovember 20, 1708\u003c\/strong\u003e, through which \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Baldwin\u003c\/strong\u003e, a Chester County blacksmith and early Pennsylvania settler, transferred the property to his son Joseph Baldwin. Following Joseph’s death, title descended to his only son, John, subject to his mother Elizabeth’s rights in the estate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis exact transaction is recorded in published histories of early Chester: John Baldwin and his mother Elizabeth Bond conveyed to Richard Barry approximately 25 acres previously granted by Thomas Baldwin to Joseph Baldwin in 1708. The document therefore provides a tangible connection to some of the earliest generations of English settlement in southeastern Pennsylvania.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Baldwin and Elizabeth Bond have each signed the deed beside an impressive original \u003cstrong\u003eblack wax seal\u003c\/strong\u003e. The instrument was witnessed by Richard Weaver and others and was acknowledged before Chester County justice \u003cstrong\u003eCaleb Copeland\u003c\/strong\u003e on May 30, 1738.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse preserves extensive colonial recording endorsements from 1738 and 1739, together with a remarkable embossed paper-and-wax \u003cstrong\u003eChester County seal\u003c\/strong\u003e. The Latin legend surrounding the seal reads in part \u003cem\u003eSigillum Comitatus Cestriae\u003c\/em\u003e, identifying it as the official seal of the County of Chester. Large county seals of this type are seldom encountered so substantially intact on surviving private deeds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHandwritten in dense eighteenth-century legal script on an unusually long sheet of vellum, the document begins with a bold and beautifully flourished “This Indenture” heading. Its early date, architectural and genealogical content, three surviving seals, and documented connection to the Baldwin family give it exceptional display and research appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Original storage folds, general toning and soiling, darker discoloration across portions of the reverse, scattered rubbing and fading, several small holes or edge losses, and a more substantial irregular loss along the lower edge. The two black personal seals remain substantially intact with age cracking and minor losses. The large Chester County seal and its folded paper surround are remarkably well preserved. The principal text and signatures remain legible.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52810529014042,"sku":null,"price":1100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2927.jpg?v=1788707077","url":"https:\/\/www.thearchiveauthority.com\/products\/1735-colonial-pennsylvania-vellum-deed-baldwin-family-to-richard-barry-1708-chain-of-title-three-seals","provider":"Signature Documents LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}