Robert Nelson purchased about four acres of property on the Red House Tract in Steubenville Township, Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1858 from Matthew Nicholson and his wife Hellena. The boundaries of the property are identified in metes and bounds.
Transcription:
Matthew Nicholson To Robert Nelson
Know all men by these presents, that we Matthew Nicholson and Hellena wife of said Mat-
thew Nicholson of the County of Jefferson & State of Ohio, in consideration of the sum of Two
hundred and six dollars and twenty five cents, in hand paid by Robert Nelson of the same
place, have bargained and sold, and do hereby grant, bargain, sell and convey, unto the
said Robert Nelson, his heirs and assigns, forever, a certain tract or parcel of land, being
a part of the Red house farm, with the appurtenances, situate, lying and being in
the Township of Steubenville County of Jefferson Ohio, in range No one (1) Township No
Two (2) and Section No Thirty four (34) and described as follows, to wit, beginning at a
stake in Odberts run where a beech tree 10 in Diam, bears S. 63 ½o E. 8½ links, the same being
the N. W. corner of said Nicholson tract of land, running thence S. 8½o E. 19 perches
to a rock in the run, thence N. 75¼o E. 40 perches to a stone top of the hill, thence N. 31o
W. 5 7/10 perches to a hickory tree, thence N. 17o W. 10 4/10 perches to a small White oak in Mecnes [? illegible]
and Scotts South line, thence S. 79 4/10o W. 36 3/10 perches to the beginning, containing four
acres & one eighth be the same more or less. To have & to hold said premises, with the
appurtenances unto the said Robert Nelson his heirs and assigns forever. And the
said Matthew Nichelson for himself & heirs doth hereby covenant with said Robert
Nelson his heirs & assigns, that he is lawfully seized of the premises aforesaid, that they
are free & clear from all incumbrances, and that he will forever warrant & defend the
same against all lawful claims whatsoever. In testimony whereof the said Matthew
Nickelson & Hellena his wife have hereunto set their hands & seals this " day of May A. D. 1887
Executed in the presence of
James Melvin }
Alexander McFarland }
[to the right] Mathew Nickelson (seal)
[to the right} Hellena her X mark Nichelson (seal)
The State of Ohio Jefferson County ss
Before the subscriber a Justice of the peace within and for said County personally
[page 323]
appeared Matthew Nicholson and Hellena his wife, the above named parties of the first
part and acknowledged the signing & sealing of the above conveyance to be voluntary act &
deed, and the said Hellena wife of the said Matthew Nichelson being at the same time esc- [ex-]
amined by me separate and apart from her said husband, and the contents of said instru-
ment made known to her by me, she then declared that she did voluntarily sign seal and [????]
acknowledge the same, and that she is still satisfied therewith. Witness my hand this 2nd day of May A.D. 1857.
[to far right] James Melvin (seal) Justice of the peace
State of Ohio Jefferson County ss Recorded September 18th 1858. George Beatty Recorder
Citation Information:
Deed Record: Jefferson. Volume G2, Deeds 1857-1859, Recorders Office, Jefferson County Courthouse
FHL Film 004021964, Item 2, Image 166, volume pages 322-323. Viewed, saved 3 Jun 2025
Direct link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-892H-K1J4?view=fullText&keywords=Robert%20Nelson%2CNelson%2CRobert%2CJefferson%2COhio%2Cor&lang=en&groupId=]
Notes and Comments
- Robert Nelson's wife was not named as one of the purchasers of this property.
- In both this deed and the 1859 deed of sale for the coal under this property, the wives of the men selling the property were included in the ownership and were taken aside and asked independently if they understood what was happening and if they agreed to it. Might they have been pressured to agree, or was property generally in the realm of the male in 1858?
- Was there a house already built on this property, or was it already a coal mine, or was it uninhabited woodland?
- Robert Nelson owned this property until at least 1859, when he sold the coal under it. When he purchased it, did he realize there was coal in the ground? Did he mine part of the coal before he sold the rest in 1859? (I'll probably never know the answers to these questions but I do wonder.)
- Four and 1/8 acres for $206.25 makes the cost about $50.00 per acre. Today's value of $50.00 is nearly $2,000.00.
- I find it interesting that there are two dates on this deed. The first is near the middle with a date of May, 1887, and the last is at the end with a date of September 18th 1858. I don't yet know why.
—Nancy.
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