Original Patent from John Penn

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This is the original land patent obtained by Jacob Good (GC2) for his homestead along Muddy Creek in Brecknock Twp. of Lancaster Co., PA. The patent is signed by John Penn, and the object attached to the bottom through Penn's signature is the Penn family seal. The back of the patent states that it was "Recorded in the Office for Recording Deeds for the City and County of Philadelphia" on January 24, 1764.

This patent identifies the following four tracts of land.

Date        Acres  Acquired by
1738 Jun 15   208  Warrant
1749 Mar  3    77  Warrant
1749 Aug 30    61* Warrant
1754 Jul  1   312  Purchased from
                   Peter Asshleman
            -----
              658*
(*) plus 34 perches

The patent then states that Thomas and Richard Penn "do give grant release and confirm unto the said Jacob Good his Heirs and Assigns the said four several Tracts containing Six hundred and twenty eight [628] Acres and thirty four Perches of Land," and the patent is signed by John Penn.

This patent illustrates that, even in 1764, people had problems with arithmetic. The four tracts contain a total of 658 acres, but a total of only 628 is written into the patent. This error is corrected in the subsequent inheritance deed from Jacob the father to Jacob the son. (1) However, the erroneous 628 acres has been carried into even such prominent histories of Lancaster Co. as Ellis and Evans. (2 p674)

Pennsylvania State Archive Copy

Transcription p447

Transcription p448

Transcription p449

The Pennsylvania State Archives also has this hand-made copy of the patent.

The originals of the digital images of the patent signed by John Penn were produced by the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society in 2010 under the direction of Carolyn Wenger.

The copy of the copy at the State Archives and its transcription were provided by Romaine Stauffer, 2007 Jan 9.