Johnsons quit-claim their 12 acres to John Chadwick for $1, indenture and deed, transcription (New York Land Records, 1873-07-08).jpg
Dublin Core
Title
Johnsons quit-claim their 12 acres to John Chadwick for $1, indenture and deed, transcription (New York Land Records, 1873-07-08).jpg
Description
John Johnson to Chadwick (Index of Deeds) 161:78 (Lot 10) 12 Acres - On July 8, 1873, John and Hannah sell the land to Chadwick for $1.
AI summary:
In July 1873 Johnson quit-claims to Chadwick everything he has—both his right to the land itself and his right to force Fonner to give him a deed—by signing over his interest for a nominal one dollar. A “quit-claim” deed is simply a way to say, “I’m giving you whatever I have in this property,” without any promise that I actually own it free and clear. In this case, Johnson isn’t selling new land; he’s handing off his existing claim—the referee’s finding that he paid for and should get the twelve acres—so that Chadwick can be the one to finish the job of recording the decree, demanding the deed, and taking possession.
Johnson uses this tactic for a few clear reasons. First, Chadwick and Sherman have been fronting the court costs, handling filings, and managing the lawsuit for months; they’re the ones with both the money and the drive to push it all the way through. By quit-claiming, Johnson makes Chadwick the official party in charge—Chadwick no longer has to rely on Johnson’s health, schedule, or wallet to see the case to its end.
Second, a quit-claim avoids a tangle if Johnson were to die or fall ill: rather than Chadwick having to open an estate or ask a judge’s permission to take over Johnson’s side of the suit, the deed instantly transfers Johnson’s rights to Chadwick, who can step in unchallenged.
Third, because the deed recites only “one dollar” as consideration, it meets the simple recording requirements without any big cash transfer. It’s a cheap, straightforward way to make sure the courthouse records show Chadwick as the holder of both the lawsuit and the land interest.
Once that quit-claim is on file, Chadwick holds both the “equitable title” (the right a court already said Johnson had) and the “legal title” power to demand and record the final deed from Fonner or the sheriff. In short, this move bundles up all of Johnson’s hard-won rights and hands them to the person best positioned to convert them into a clear, recorded ownership.
AI Transcription:
This Indenture, made this Eighth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, BETWEEN John Johnson and Hannah Johnson his wife, of the Town of Wheatfield, Niagara County, New York, of the first part, and John Chadwick of the same place, of the second part, WITNESSETH, that the said party of the first part, in consideration of the sum of One Dollar and other valuable consideration to them in hand paid by said party of the second part (the receipt whereof is hereby confessed and acknowledged), have bargained, sold, remised, and QUIT-CLAIMED, and by these presents do bargain, sell, remise and quit-claim unto the said party of the second part and to his heirs and assigns, ALL that tract or parcel of land situate in the Town of Wheatfield, Niagara County and State of New York, and being the northwest part of Lot number ten, Township number twelve and Range eight of the Holland Purchase (so called), bounded and described as follows:
“Commencing at the northwest corner of said Lot Ten; thence running east along the north line of said lot ten chains; thence south on a line parallel to the west line of said lot at a distance of ten chains east therefrom about twelve chains and forty links to the present line fence; thence west along the line of said fence and parallel with the north line of said lot to the west line of said lot ten chains; thence north along the west line of said lot about twelve chains and forty links to the place of beginning, containing twelve acres more or less.”
Whereas an action was commenced in the Supreme Court of the State of New York wherein John Chadwick, John Johnson and David A. Sherman were plaintiffs and John Fonner and Elizabeth Fonner his wife, Pamelia P. Houghton, Miriam D. Ransom, Mary A. Rowland and William Rowland her husband, and Jesse F. Locke were defendants, to compel a specific performance, among other things, on the part of said defendants to convey the title of the above-described premises to the said John Johnson; and which cause was at issue and duly tried and a Report made by the Referee therein; among other things the Referee found that said John Johnson is entitled to a judgment in this action that the defendants John Fonner and Elizabeth his wife execute and deliver to said Johnson, at his expense, a deed of the premises described in the complaint (the same above described) with a covenant against all liens created by them or either of them; and that the defendants Pamelia P. Houghton, Miriam D. Ransom, Mary A. Rowland and William Rowland her husband, and John Fonner and his said wife, Jesse F. Locke, be forever barred and foreclosed of all interest and title in said lands described in the complaint between them and the said John Johnson, his heirs and assigns; and also that the said John Johnson recover his costs of this action against the defendants John Fonner, Elizabeth Fonner, Pamelia P. Houghton, Miriam D. Ransom and Jesse F. Locke.
And now for value received, I John Johnson hereby sell, assign, set over and transfer to the said John Chadwick, his heirs and assigns, the above-mentioned decree with the judgment to be entered in said action, with all my title and interest in and to the same, as fully as I could do the same with full right to execute the judgment and enforce the same in my name or otherwise as he shall deem advisable; and I hereby grant and convey to said Chadwick, his heirs and assigns, all the lands described in said Report of said Referee, with full right to occupy and possess the same and to bring all suits and actions of every nature to enforce and maintain his right, title and interest in and to the premises above conveyed, as fully as I could do before this conveyance.
In witness whereof the party of the first part has hereunto set his hand and seal the day and year first above written.
*John Johnson* (Seal)
State of New York, Niagara County, ss.: On this 23rd day of November in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, before me the subscriber personally appeared John Johnson, to me known to be the same person described in and who executed the within instrument, and acknowledged that he executed the same.
```
Recorded November 24th 1854 at 8 P.M.
L. S. Payne, Clerk
J. Huntley, Justice of the Peace
```
AI summary:
In July 1873 Johnson quit-claims to Chadwick everything he has—both his right to the land itself and his right to force Fonner to give him a deed—by signing over his interest for a nominal one dollar. A “quit-claim” deed is simply a way to say, “I’m giving you whatever I have in this property,” without any promise that I actually own it free and clear. In this case, Johnson isn’t selling new land; he’s handing off his existing claim—the referee’s finding that he paid for and should get the twelve acres—so that Chadwick can be the one to finish the job of recording the decree, demanding the deed, and taking possession.
Johnson uses this tactic for a few clear reasons. First, Chadwick and Sherman have been fronting the court costs, handling filings, and managing the lawsuit for months; they’re the ones with both the money and the drive to push it all the way through. By quit-claiming, Johnson makes Chadwick the official party in charge—Chadwick no longer has to rely on Johnson’s health, schedule, or wallet to see the case to its end.
Second, a quit-claim avoids a tangle if Johnson were to die or fall ill: rather than Chadwick having to open an estate or ask a judge’s permission to take over Johnson’s side of the suit, the deed instantly transfers Johnson’s rights to Chadwick, who can step in unchallenged.
Third, because the deed recites only “one dollar” as consideration, it meets the simple recording requirements without any big cash transfer. It’s a cheap, straightforward way to make sure the courthouse records show Chadwick as the holder of both the lawsuit and the land interest.
Once that quit-claim is on file, Chadwick holds both the “equitable title” (the right a court already said Johnson had) and the “legal title” power to demand and record the final deed from Fonner or the sheriff. In short, this move bundles up all of Johnson’s hard-won rights and hands them to the person best positioned to convert them into a clear, recorded ownership.
AI Transcription:
This Indenture, made this Eighth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, BETWEEN John Johnson and Hannah Johnson his wife, of the Town of Wheatfield, Niagara County, New York, of the first part, and John Chadwick of the same place, of the second part, WITNESSETH, that the said party of the first part, in consideration of the sum of One Dollar and other valuable consideration to them in hand paid by said party of the second part (the receipt whereof is hereby confessed and acknowledged), have bargained, sold, remised, and QUIT-CLAIMED, and by these presents do bargain, sell, remise and quit-claim unto the said party of the second part and to his heirs and assigns, ALL that tract or parcel of land situate in the Town of Wheatfield, Niagara County and State of New York, and being the northwest part of Lot number ten, Township number twelve and Range eight of the Holland Purchase (so called), bounded and described as follows:
“Commencing at the northwest corner of said Lot Ten; thence running east along the north line of said lot ten chains; thence south on a line parallel to the west line of said lot at a distance of ten chains east therefrom about twelve chains and forty links to the present line fence; thence west along the line of said fence and parallel with the north line of said lot to the west line of said lot ten chains; thence north along the west line of said lot about twelve chains and forty links to the place of beginning, containing twelve acres more or less.”
Whereas an action was commenced in the Supreme Court of the State of New York wherein John Chadwick, John Johnson and David A. Sherman were plaintiffs and John Fonner and Elizabeth Fonner his wife, Pamelia P. Houghton, Miriam D. Ransom, Mary A. Rowland and William Rowland her husband, and Jesse F. Locke were defendants, to compel a specific performance, among other things, on the part of said defendants to convey the title of the above-described premises to the said John Johnson; and which cause was at issue and duly tried and a Report made by the Referee therein; among other things the Referee found that said John Johnson is entitled to a judgment in this action that the defendants John Fonner and Elizabeth his wife execute and deliver to said Johnson, at his expense, a deed of the premises described in the complaint (the same above described) with a covenant against all liens created by them or either of them; and that the defendants Pamelia P. Houghton, Miriam D. Ransom, Mary A. Rowland and William Rowland her husband, and John Fonner and his said wife, Jesse F. Locke, be forever barred and foreclosed of all interest and title in said lands described in the complaint between them and the said John Johnson, his heirs and assigns; and also that the said John Johnson recover his costs of this action against the defendants John Fonner, Elizabeth Fonner, Pamelia P. Houghton, Miriam D. Ransom and Jesse F. Locke.
And now for value received, I John Johnson hereby sell, assign, set over and transfer to the said John Chadwick, his heirs and assigns, the above-mentioned decree with the judgment to be entered in said action, with all my title and interest in and to the same, as fully as I could do the same with full right to execute the judgment and enforce the same in my name or otherwise as he shall deem advisable; and I hereby grant and convey to said Chadwick, his heirs and assigns, all the lands described in said Report of said Referee, with full right to occupy and possess the same and to bring all suits and actions of every nature to enforce and maintain his right, title and interest in and to the premises above conveyed, as fully as I could do before this conveyance.
In witness whereof the party of the first part has hereunto set his hand and seal the day and year first above written.
*John Johnson* (Seal)
State of New York, Niagara County, ss.: On this 23rd day of November in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, before me the subscriber personally appeared John Johnson, to me known to be the same person described in and who executed the within instrument, and acknowledged that he executed the same.
```
Recorded November 24th 1854 at 8 P.M.
L. S. Payne, Clerk
J. Huntley, Justice of the Peace
```
Date
1873-07-08
Collection
Citation
“Johnsons quit-claim their 12 acres to John Chadwick for $1, indenture and deed, transcription (New York Land Records, 1873-07-08).jpg,” North Tonawanda History, accessed August 9, 2025, https://nthistory.com/items/show/4164.