Hi, Ms. Nel.  Good/interesting question!  All that can be stated with a measure of certainty is that the witnesses were almost surely in the presence of the grantor when he executed the deed; the law required that presence by those who signed as witnesses.  The only occasional exceptions were in those instances where a grantor signed the deed in the presence of witnesses in one location, and then later at still another location he affirmed his signature on that deed before additional witnesses.  

So, the only way you can be rather sure is to learn WHERE each of those witnesses resided (check the deed/tax/etc. records), since you know that those people surely did not travel great distances to be witnesses to a garden-variety deed, no matter how close the relationship. Let me know what you learn.  Paul 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: nel 
  To: Paul Drake 
  Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 1:59 PM
  Subject: Just another question..........


  HATCHER DNA Project: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~nhatcher/hatDNA.htm
  "Genealogy Without Documentation is Nothing" - Paul Drake

  Happy Monday, Mr Paul........

  ....Obviously John Tisdale owned land in Lunenburg and probably lived there prior to moving, so we know he migrated to SC at some time..what else can be said concerning the residence of the witnesses? Was everyone in VA when this deed was written, or was Mackey of Lunenburg in Craven Co with the deed being written there and witnessed by SC residents? I realize the deed must be recorded in the county where the land is located but I've seen other records of this nature where I know the seller was not in the recording county when the transfer of property was made. What, if anything, can be culled from this deed?

  Cheers,
  Nel
  =========
  Lunenburg Deed Book 11, p 30-32: 15 Apr 1767, John Tisdale of Craven Co, SC to Michael Mackey of Lunenburg, 40 pound, 237 acres Lunenburg Co, branches Reedy Creek, adj: Richard Hanson, Joshua Winfield, Roland Ward, John Hopson
  Sig: John Tisdale
  Wit: Thomas Colley, Edward Goode Hatcher, Jonathan Patterson Jr, Daniel Comer.
  Recorded 15 April 1767.

  The above record was also recorded in:
  The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research
  SCMAR, Volume X
  Number 2, Spring, 1982
  Some Migrations from Virginia to South Carolina (Continued from Vol. X, p.53)

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