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COPIED FROM A REPRINT: FOUND AT YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY
REPRINTED FROM INTERNAL AFFAIRS MONTLY BULLETIN, VOL. 22/NO. 6/7, MAY-JUNE
1954, COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, HARRISBURG, PA
As Reading was laid out by the Penn family, lots in the original town
were sold in the same manner as any other land in Pennsylvania. A
prospective buyer was required to take out a warrant and then after
the proper fees had been paid, a patent was issued.
The staff of the Bureau of Land Records of the Department of Internal
Affairs recently (i.e., 1854-ed.) made an exhaustive search of the records
of provincial times to determine to whom the orginal lots were sold.
For many of the lots, neither warrants nor patents were ever issued as
far as the records in the Land Office show.
In making the survey, the researchers were aided by a list prepared by
the clerks of the Board of Property Commissioners in 1763. The names on
this list are given beside the names of the warrantees as shown in the
warrant register of the Commonwealth. in almost every case, the buyers
are the same although there are numerous instances of changes in spelling.
A map also was prepared showing the location of the lots. The numbers
on the map coincide with the numbers of the lots on the lists and locate
the property of these early residents of Reading.
It is interesting to note that the earliest patent to a lot in Reading
was that issued to Conrad Weiser for Lot. No. Two. The granting of patents
to land in Reading ended in 1776, shortly before the Declaration of
Independence. It is entirely probable that the unsold lots were
considered part of the personal property of the Penn family, so that
there would be no further record of lot sales maintained in the Land Office
of the Commonwealth, once the relationship between the Penn family and
Pennsylvania was broken at the time of the American Revolution.
Lot no. 1763 list Warrentee Patentee Date of Patent 1. Proprietor John Potts Thomas Rutter Jan. 21, 1771 2. Conrad Weiser same same Aug. 15, 1751 3. Conrad Weiser same same Feb. 6, 1752 4. Conrad Bower same same Feb. 11, 1752 5. Hans Martin same same Feb. 10, 1752 Gerrich 6. Michael Reis same same Feb. 10, 1752 7. Moses Starr same same July 14, 1752 8. Johannes Eppler same same July 14, 1752 9. Geo. Boone or same same Feb. 1, 1753 Douglas 10. Christian same same Oct. 13, 1753 Whitman 11. Daniel Daniel Daniel Oct. 1, 1751 Steinmetz Stonemets Stonemetz 12. 1/2 of 12 Daniel Daniel Daniel Oct. 1, 1751 Steinmetz Stonemetz Stonemetz and Jacob Morgan Daniel Daniel Oct. 1, 1751 Stonemetz Stonemetz 12. 1/2 of 12 Jacob Morgan same Same Nov. 9, 1752 13. Jacob & Francis Morgan Jacob Morgan Jacob Morgan Feb. 8, 1752 14. Peter Haws same same Feb. 11, 1752 15. Daniel Heister same same July 15, 1752 16. Proprietors Edward Biddle Edward Biddle Jan. 24, 1765 17. Proprietors Benjamin - - Lightfoot 18. Francis Parvin same same May 5, 1752 19. Conrad Weiser same same Feb. 6, 1752 20. John Lepo same same Feb. 10, 1752 21. Peter Weidner same same July 17, 1752 22. Proprietors Andrew Engle same July 16, 1763 23. Isaac Weidner same same Feb. 1, 1753 24. David Evans same same Feb. 11, 1752 25. Michael Smell Michael Schmell Michael Schmell Feb. 11, 1752 26. Benj. Parvin same same May 5, 1752 27. William Reasor William Reeser William Reaaser July 11, 1752 28. Christopher same same Feb. 11, 1752 Stump 29. Isaac Levan same same Dec. 5, 1751 30. William Parsons same same Feb. 11, 1752 be back
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