PA State Archives Hours, Directions, & Fees Research Topics Online Catalog Land Records

 

 

 


Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Pennsylvania State Archives


RG-17
Records of the Land Office
WEST SIDE APPLICATIONS (Register), 1766-1769. {series #17.40}

*Images of Each Register Page*


Below are links to the indexes and interfaces for the scanned pages of the West Side Applications register, which contains complete abstracts of all 5,595 West Side Applications--representing a new application system for patents that was implemented in 1765 and was first used for settling unwarranted land on the western side of the Susquehanna River. The purpose of the new process was to avoid overloading the Land Office, and the first step in the process was making a formal application. The applicant was to appear in person at the Land Office in Philadelphia, at which time the application was recorded in a special book. Copies of applications were sent to the surveyor general who noted their receipt and assigned orders for surveys of each to be completed within six months. After the survey was completed and the applicant produced a certified statement regarding the land and paid the receiver general, a warrant was sent to the surveyor general who then sent a return of survey back to the Land Office for issue of a patent. Information contained in each application abstract shown on these scanned pages includes the date, application number, applicant name, number of acres, description of property, and the township and county (at the time of application, that is) in which it was located.

The West Side tracts lie inside the present day counties of York, Adams, Franklin, Fulton, Bedford, Blair, Huntingdon, Cumberland, Perry, Juniata, Snyder, Union, and the southern portions of Mifflin and Centre.

The West Side Applications Register has two sections, links to which appear below:

a NAME INDEX of West Side Land Grant Applications
a NUMERIC LISTING of West Side Land Grant Applications

Full information for each application is given only in the numerical listing of applications. If the application number is not known, consult the name index first. The name index is arranged alphabetically by the surname of the applicant.. More specifically, entries are grouped by the first letter of a person's surname, and thereunder arranged chronologically in rough numerical order by application number.

Steps for Using the scanned West Side Application pages:
  1. If you know the West Side application number, you can work directly with the Numeric Listing.
  2. If you only know the applicant's name, begin with the Name Index.
  3. Once you've clicked on the Numeric or Name link, follow the directions at the top of the interface page that comes up. Links to the scans themselves will be found in the table below the instructions.
  4. Please note: The scanned page images are in Adobe pdf format and require the Adobe Acrobat Reader to be viewed and printed. The software is available for download free of charge from Adobe's website.
  5. Trouble? Use this email link to contact an archivist.

PA State Archives Hours, Directions, & Fees Research Topics Online Catalog Land Records