Property agreements, Washington, DC

This collection consists of 48 indentures, or property agreements. These documents date from 1809-35. Most of the documents have the term "indenture" appearing in the first sentence, although they are variously described by city officials in the agreements themselves as deeds, bills of sale, leases, and agreements. They contain the required signatures of the partners to the agreements and of city officials such as justices of peace and the clerk of the circuit court, but only two of them have any seals. In other cases circles are drawn for the placement of seals, but they are not present.

These agreements concern property of several types: real estate, household goods, chattel and slaves. They dating and signing by William Brent is the one element common to all pieces in the collection; this recording was the last step for property transactions; the clerk's date was always the latest one found on each agreement.

Each listing includes the date when recorded by Brent, the name of the seller and then the buyer, the type of agreement, and the lot and square numbers if mentioned. During the time of these agreements, the District of Columbia was comprised of Washington County and Alexandria County; Washington County included Washington City and Georgetown. Please bear in mind that for the most part land in Georgetown and in the various additions to Georgetown was designated by lot numbers whereas land in Washington City was designated by square and lot numbers.

The spelling of names varies even within the same indenture. For the most part the spelling and version of the name used here is that which appeared in the section appearing before Brent's signature.