You may remember the old deed that hung in the den at Bellview, the document with the big rumpled seal hanging from it. No one knew exactly what it was; Father used to say it "must have something to do with Grandmother Streett's Farm."
It has taken a while, but I think I've more or less figured it out.
The "deed" is a patent, issued fairly late in the process: the year 1771. Most of the writing on it is printed material, explaining that the document is a patent and giving the authority under which it was issued. The pre-printed document has spaces left in it to be filled out by a clerk. I had looked it over a few years ago, and been puzzled by its being made out for a "John Johnson." There's no ancestor of that name in our family. It also describes the property being surveyed as being on the north side of Deer Creek, Baltimore County, which didn't sound like anything I knew as Streett property. Grandmother Streett's farm was in Harford County. So what the "old deed" might have had to do with us was a mystery. It was while I was researching Colonel John Streett that the light began to dawn on our land patent.
I found that Col. John Streett's house was located on Deer Creek, in Harford County. That sounded familiar, but I was still puzzled by the Baltimore County of our patent. Then, I began finding genealogies online giving the birthplaces and marriage places of old time Streetts as "Baltimore County, later Harford County," and it all became clear. A little googling quickly told me Harford County was created in 1774, of land that had been Baltimore County. So when our patent was written in 1771, its Deer Creek in Baltimore County could well have been the Deer Creek on which Colonel John Streett's house was built! Now I wondered if John Johnson's land was part of the Streett properties. I looked at our patent again, and yes, it was for land surveyed for a John Johnson, in 1771, on Deer Creek in Baltimore County, and moreover the property was named "Johnson's Third Addition." I knew that the immigrant Thomas Streett had aptented properties named "Streett's Happy Hunting Ground," and "Streett's Pleasant Hills," and that his will left to his wife and various of their children a dozen or so different properties, all with these kinds of names. I looked at the reference material I had found, and did some googling, but couldn't match a Johnson's Third Addition to the Streets. So I called in the big guns, and the transcripts of that adventure are given below.
To: Mr. Henry Peden
Subject: Patent document for Johnson's Third Addition
Message:
Dear Mr. Peden,
I've just had a very pleasant and helpful conversation with one of the directors of the Harford County Historical Society, whose name I unfortunately did not get. She has directed me to you, in hopes you can answer a quick question.
After our mother passed away the contents of our family home were disbursed, and I came to have the "deed" to a property alleged in family lore to have "something to do with the Streett farm in Harford County." (I'm a very collateral descendent of Colonel John Streett.) What I have is a patent--survey date of April 4th, 1771--for a property sold to John Johnson, called the "Third Addition." It is described as being on the north side of Deer Creek, Baltimore County, but of course that was before Harford County existed as such. I have found a reference to a Johnson's Third Addition in the online MD State Archives, Tax Assessment for 1783:
James Deaver Johnson's Third Addition, 72 acres HA Deer Creek Upper Hundred p. 100 MSA S 1161-6-6 1/4/5/49
I hope you don't mind my asking two quick questions! Does this patent have anything to do with the Col. John Street House property? If so, the Historical Society should have it. If not, is there any reasonably easy way to determine just where Johnson's Third Addition was, and who owned it after James Deaver? This would be of interest--albeit perhaps only a little, since the patent had been on the wall in Glyndon for decades without anyone paying it the least attention--to we siblings and our cousins.
Any help you could give me with this will be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for your time and consideration in this small matter.
Yours truly,
Bucky Edgett
Received From: "HENRY PEDEN" <pedenroots@msn.com>
Subject: Third Addition
Mr. Edgett,
Regarding the tract "Third Addition" the historical society has abstracted copies of many early land tract surveys and I know someone who is mapping them (about 4,000-5,000 tracts altogether in the part of Baltimore County that became Harford County in 1774), a lengthy and on-going project indeed. I have made an inquiry and he has already located your tract. As for ownership of the land after Johnson had it, the land records at the courthouse will have to be searched. I can go there and look into it. There will be a fee for this tract and mapping research. If interested we can discuss it further.
Henry Peden
Genealogist
Harford County, MD
Received From: "HENRY PEDEN" <pedenroots@msn.com>
Subject: Re: Third Addition
Dear Mr. Edgett,
I am sending to you (by separate e-mail) a map showing "Third Addition" located on the west side of Route 24 just north of Bush's Corner in Harford County. The land owned by the Streett family is located a few miles to the southeast of "Third Addition" at the community known as Streett (also known as Highland by some). The Historical Society of Harford County always welcomes documents and artifacts pertaining to the county and its people. Your contact there is Maryanna Skowronski, Administrator, at (410) 838-7691.
Please send a $25 check payable to the historical society for the research done on "Third Addition" to my attention at their headquarters at 143 N. Main Street, Bel Air, MD 21014. Thank you for your interest in preserving our Harford County history.
Henry Peden
Genealogist
Received From: "HENRY PEDEN" <pedenroots@msn.com>
Subject: Fw: Fw: Land Tract
Mr. Edgett,
Tract info as promised.
Henry Peden
----- Original Message -----
From: [Mike Pierce]
To: [Henry Peden]
Cc: [jshagena]
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 4:48 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Land Tract
In a message dated 2/13/2006 10:05:02 AM Eastern Standard Time, [jshagena] writes:
I've received an inquiry via the historical society from someone who is looking for where the tract "Third Addition" was located.
Henry,
The plot of "Third Addition" patented to John Johnson in 1773 for 74a is attached. It is just north of Bush's Corner. I am sure about some of the bounds (on the south and west end) and am making a good guess on the others. What I have drawn calculates as 93 acres. This plot based on the adjacent parcels.
The certificate for "Third Addition" is not among the online certificates for Harford County. It is recorded in BC&GS#46:52 (patent) and BC&GS#47:367 (certificate). It is included in the Baltimore County Certificates as #4850 6 Apr 1773, but a copy is not online. If needed, I will put it on my list to get a copy next time I am at the Archives.
There is another "Third Addition" in Harford County, but it is not this one.
The attached plot includes parts of the current parcels of 10/95, 10/108, and 17/1 (on the tax map). I traced back each of these, and parcel 10/95 goes back to deed 340:589 which says "composed of Third Addition and Harry's Delight". Parcel 17/1 goes back to 27:17 (1842) which begins at the begin of "Third Addition", although it does not say it includes "Third Addition". This beginning point would be behind the property at 4822 Rocks Rd (Route 24) as I have plotted it.
Mike Pierce
To: Henry Peden
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 5:58 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: Land Tract
Dear HENRY,
Wonderful! Now, what--in addition to the $25 already due--would it cost to get the names, dates, etc of the owners of Johnson's Third Addition? Or is that something I should try to do myself? I'm a completely ignorant rank amateur, remember, trying to figure out how JTA fits into family history that's already been mostly lost. Thanks for all your help.
Yours truly,
Bucky Edgett
Received From: "HENRY PEDEN"
Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: Land Tract
Bucky,
Title searches can be challenging. The land records for Harford County are in the courthouse in Bel Air, so have a go at it. Good luck!
Henry
P.S. As for the $25 due, send a check payable to Historical Society of Harford County and mail it to my attention at 143 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD 21014.
To: HENRY PEDEN
Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: Land Tract
Message:
Dear HENRY,
Challenging, but I take it, not much fun. Ah, you old hands, always so encouraging to we johnnies come lately. All right, that will be number--well, I've lost track of the numbers--on my To Do List. Prhaps I'll dragoon my Father into helping. When we're bivouaced at the courthouse, we'll make a point of dropping in on my ancestor Colonel John Streett ( http://lovebunnies.luckypro.biz/genealogy/histories/hist_02_retreat.php ).
Where's the best place to get lunch near the courthouse? As an old time Baltimore attorney, Father's spent plenty of time at the courthouse, but it never hurts to get a second opinion.
Yours truly,
Bucky Edgett
P. S. You've been a marvelous help in clearing up an old family mystery, and are now going to become part of the ongoing legend. I'm just in bouyant spirits over the success of my detective work. Thank you very, very much for your patience with an amateur. You're a gentleman and a great scholar.
Date and Time Received: 24 Feb 2006; 16:14:57
Received From: "Richard and Bea"
Subject: Call to HSHC
Mr. Edgett,
Maryanna Skowronski asked me to contact you concerning an original Land Patent for Johnson's Third Delight that you would like to donate to the society. We are fortunate to have several other original Patents and would be pleased to accept yours. We will store the document in an acid free folder in a locked container to assure its preservation and availability for future researchers.
If you can come to the society at 143 N. Main Street, Bel Air on a Wednesday, I will be willing to accept your gift and provide a Gift Agreement for you to sign. We are open from 8:30 AM. to 2:00 PM. We will be open tomorrow from 10 AM. to 2 PM as it is the fourth Saturday of the month. If these are a problem for you I will try to make other arrangements for you to come in.
Thank you for considering us as the recipient of your document.
Richard Sherrill
Chairman of the Archives Division
That's where we are as of the end of March, 2006. I haven't done any title searches. (You'll note from the emails above Mr. Peden sort of bowed out of that chore.) When The Ghostly Cavalier is done, I'll get back to Johnson's Third Addition. Perhaps you'd like to drive out to Harford County and find it?
April 6, 2006. I've had a nice visit with Father, and gone over the relevant pages in the ADC map book for Harford County. Alas, great Grandmother Streett's farm cannot have been associated with J'sTA. Her farm was just north of Hickory, and that would be some miles from J'sTA. It looks like we'll end up at the Bel Air courthouse shuffling through the old land titles one of these days after all.
August 2009. Some time back, Loie and I had an expedition. It included finding Johnson's Third Addition. You may read about that in the Letters section, at The Birthday Present Day of Colonel John Streett.
You may also view a map of the Addition here.
You may also download a PDF of the text of the Patent: Old Patent document
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