LAND RECORDS

Zettlemoyer Deeds Berks Co PA 1752-1874

I received copies of these deeds some years ago but have only recently typed them. Craig Long, a Zettlemoyer family member, had hired someone to obtain these for him, and he was kind enough to share them with me.

It is clear that not all early Zettlemoyer deeds are recorded. For example, none of these involve the immigrant Jacob Zettelmeyer, yet he listed land for taxes. His son and my ancestor Jacob was mentioned in one of the deeds as having obtained a grant for a small tract, but that grant is not among these deeds.

I am not familiar with land registration laws for Pennsylvania, but I recall from law school that there are two kinds of state laws – race and notice. In North Carolina, a race state, there can be a race to the courthouse – that is, I can make two deeds for the same property and sell it twice, and the first grantee to record their deed is the legal owner. (Of course the other will be able to sue me to recover the money paid to me.) In notice states it is sufficient that others are on notice that a certain person owns the land in question. Perhaps that is true in Pennsylvania. It may also be that many people did not trust the government and so did not entrust their deeds to the registrar's office.

1. Deed Book 18 page 382 – dated 11 September 1801 – George Adam Zettelmyer, Administrator of the estate of Adam Zettelmyer, paid dower (£ 57:19:9) to John Willfong, attorney in fact for Jacob Mitchel and wife Maria, widow of Adam Zettelmeyer.
2. Deed Book 23 page 157 – dated 2 September 1802 – John and Catherine Adam deed to Martin Zettelmyer for a house and lot.
3. Deed Book 57 page 638 – dated 4 April 1815 – Henry Meyer deed to George Adam Zettelmyer.
4. Deed Book 64 page 672 – dated 1 April 1837 – Henry Seidel deed to David Zettelmeyer for 80 acres and 137 perches, Windsor Township.
5. Deed Book 64 page 675 – dated 28 October 1839 – deed from Godfried and Maria Seidel to David Zettelmoyer for 18 acres and 80 perches.
6. Deed Book 88 page 647 – dated 27 May 1837 – deed from Martin and George Zettlemoyer, Executors of last will of George Adam Zettlemoyer, to George Michael Zettlemoyer for 124 acres, Windsor Township.
7. Deed Book 104 page 374 – dated 30 April 1791 – deed from Joseph Weibel to Martin Zettelmayer for 295 acres, Greenwich Township.
8. Deed Book 104 page 376 – dated 1 April 1810 – deed from Martin Zettelmyer to John Zettelmyer for 295 acres, Greenwich Township.
9. Deed Book 130 page 466 – dated 28 November 1818 – deed from George Adam and Christina Zettlemoyer to George Zettlemoyer for saw mill and two tracts of 123 acres and 12 acres (plus a parcel to join the two), Greenwich Township.
10. Deed Book 130 page 468 – dated 18 March 1834 – deed from George and Barbara Zettelmoyer to George A. Zettelmoyer, Jr. for 137 acres.
11. Deed Book 130 page 469 – dated 27 May 1837 – deed from Martin and George Zettelmoyer, Executors of last will of George Adam Zettelmoyer, to George Adam Zettelmoyer, son of deceased, for 150 acres, Greenwich Township.
12. Deed Book 130 page 471 – dated 25 May 1831 – grant from State of Pennsylvania to George Settlemoyer for 125 acres and 37 perches, Greenwich Township.
13. Deed Book 130 page 472 – dated 27 March 1811 – deed from Abraham and Magdalena Bailey to George Adam Zettelmoyer for 150 acres, Greenwich Township.
14. Deed Book 130 page 474 – dated 1 April 1874 from Elias and Eliza Baver to William Zettlemoyer for 117 acres and 106 perches, Greenwich Township.