There’s no shortage of history buffs here at MHC! Laura and Shannon were diving into some old deeds the other day when we stumbled upon one from the 1800s. Its elegant handwriting and language got us wondering – what’s the oldest deed in the State of Maine?
Turns out, it’s the Trelawny Black Point Deed, and we were amazed to learn it has ties to Scarborough. I would’ve guessed Northern Maine! That stunning calligraphy? Swoon.
Deed History
In medieval England, title to land was conveyed in fee simple by a feoffment with livery of seisin. The essence of this was a public ceremony, performed before witnesses, called a livery of seisin. The seller and buyer (feoffer and feoffee) met on the land, where the seller gave to the buyer something symbolic of the land like a twig or handful of earth, and made an oral statement transferring the land. No type of document was needed for this sort of transaction until 1677, when the Statute of Frauds required one for all transfers of land titles.
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About the Author: Michael
