Description Deed Alexander Matheson and Wife to John McLeod, and letter

Outside:

“Deed
Alexander Matheson & Wife
To
John McLeod”

Inside:

            “This Indenture made this thirteenth day of November in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy four between Alexander Matheson of the Four Mile Brook of Pictou in the County of Pictou and Province of Nova Scotia, Farmer, and Ellon Matheson his wife of the one part and _____ McLeod of the same place, Shoemaker of the other part. Witnessesth that the said Alexander Matheson and Ellon Matheson his wife for and in consideration of the sum of one hundred dollars of lawful money of the Dominion of Canada to them duly paid by the said ____McLeod at or before the ensealing and delivery of theses presents the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged.

            Have granted, bargained, sold, aliened, enfeoffed, remised, released, and confirmed and by these presents Do grant, bargain, sell, alien, enfeoff, remise, release and confirm unto the said John McLeod, his Heirs and assigns a certain lot of land situate and being at the Four Mile Brook in the County aforesaid, bounded and described as follows that is to say Beginning at the north east corner of the aforesaid John McLeod’s farm lot and on the north boundary line of one John Herrin’s farm to run thence north forty five degrees east sixty four rods thence north forty five degrees west eighty one rods thence south forty five degrees west forty seven rods to the line bounding the north east side of the aforesaid John MacLeod’s farm lot thence southeasterly the various of said John McLeod’s line to the place of beginning to contain twenty four acres more of less together with all the improvements thereon ways, waters, watercourses, woods, trees and appurtenances to the said lot of land belonging or in ay wise appertaining to Have and To Hold the said premises hereby granted and sol, unto him the said John McLeod his Heirs and assigns to his and their own proper benefit and behoof forever.

            And that he the said Alexander Matheson and his Heirs the said land and premises and every part thereof to the said John McLeod, and his heirs and assigns against the lawful claims and demands of every person or persons whomsoever shall and will forever warrant and defend (The alteration of the name Alexander Matheson to John McLeod in the nineteenth line from the beginning of this Deeds was done before the signing and sealing thereof).

            In Witness whereof the parties to these presents have hereunto subscribed their names and affined their seals the day and year first before written.

            Signed, Sealed & Delivered,
            in presence of                         }

 

 

$100
            Received on the day of the date of the foregoing Deed of Indenture from the [written?] named John McLeod the sum of one hundred Dollars of lawful money of the Dominion of Canada being the full consideration money therein mentioned.

            Witness

 

Personally appeared before me the subscriber one of Her Majesties’ Justices of the Peace for the County of Pictou Ellon Matheson whose name is subscribed to the foregoing Indenture and being examined by me separate and apart from her husband, acknowledged that she did freely and voluntarily and without any compulsion from her said husband sign and seal the same for the purposes therein mentioned And that she did hereby relinquish and make over all the right that she now has or may hereafter have by Dower or otherwise in to or upon said property unto him the said John McLeod and his Heirs forever.

 

 

            County of Pictou S.S.

                                                                        I do hereby certify that on this ________ I personally appeared before me [then?] subscribers one of her Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Pictou ____ on of the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing Indenture who being sworn sayeth that he was present and saw the same signed and sealed and delivered.

 

We received your letter and was much relieved by it from her [amity?] about you having heard that you were very unwell by a letter that some of the Crockets had received from there She also Robert McLeod who came home last Fall from British [Columbia] he said you had been unwell but was able to attend to your business. He thinks very little of B.C. in his view it’s fit for mothering but Bears and Foxes. Times aren’t very good in Nova Scotia at present a great many [fulines?] among men of business. The stagnation of business in the United States has affected Nova Scotia a very much as the U.S. is our principle market. The coal trade of Pictou had fallen off nearly one half within then two years on account of dullness of business in the States and there is no prospect that it will be any better this summer. I suppose it is abut 16 years since you left Pictou if you were back now and view the country you would not [horae?] much difference in the appearance except in the barrens between Middle and East River a pretty large Town has spring up there with more inhabitants than New Glasgow. There has also some very good news buildings gone up in Pictou Town and some of the old inhabitants dead namely William G. John Ives William Hatton and in New Glasgow Roderick McGregor and Captain George [MacKenzie?]. Your Aunt Mrs. Smith and her two daughters Charlotte and Lizzie have been boarding at a Hotel, Charlotte is teaching a large school in Town and Lizzie teaches music both have a good salary [over?] $400 [for?] a year their brother George is clerk in a store in New York he pays his mother boarding. Your Aunt Mrs. Romans is very helpless she has to be fed and tended like a child. Your Aunt Mary is with her waiting upon her.”