Name/Title
June 1774 Indenture between Richard Bull & Peter BullEntry/Object ID
002550Tags
Richard G Bull, Peter BullScope and Content
This historical document is an Indenture of Mortgage dating from June 16, 1774, recorded in Orange County, New York. It details a financial and property agreement between two members of the Bull family, likely a common occurrence in colonial-era land management.
Below is a summary of the key details extracted from the two pages:
Parties Involved
Mortgagor (Borrower): Richard Bull, a farmer from the Precinct of Goshen, County of Orange, Province of New York.
Mortgagee (Lender): Peter Bull, a yeoman from the same county and province.
Officials: The document was witnessed and later acknowledged by Michael Jackson (Judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas) and Stephen Jackson. It was officially registered by Wm. Thompson.
The Transaction
The Debt: Richard Bull owed Peter Bull the sum of 41 pounds and 8 shillings (derived from a "penal sum" bond of 82 pounds).
The Collateral: To secure this debt, Richard Bull mortgaged a "piece or parcel of land" consisting of 25 acres in Orange County.
Location: The land is described as being part of the lot where Richard Bull lived, bounded by the road joining Samuel Sayre's land and a public highway leading from Goshen to New Windsor, near a schoolhouse.
Terms: If Richard Bull repaid the 41 pounds and 8 shillings (plus interest) by June 16, 1775, the mortgage would become void.
Key Dates
Execution Date: June 16, 1774.
Acknowledgement Date: March 10, 1775 (Richard Bull appeared before Judge Michael Jackson to confirm the deed).
Recording Date: March 13, 1775 (Registered in Orange County Records in Liber A, Page 478).
Noteworthy Features
Condition of the Document: The paper shows significant aging, with "foxing" (brown spots) and water damage along the fold lines, which is typical for 18th-century parchment or rag paper.
Legal Formalities: The back of the document (2550A.jpg) includes a "Be it Remembered" clause, which was the standard legal formula for a judge to certify that the person signing the document did so voluntarily.
The Red Seal: On the bottom right of the main page, Richard Bull’s signature is accompanied by a red wax seal, a required element for "sealing and delivering" a legal deed at the time.
