Uncommon Indenture with Land Plat

"[Vellum Manuscript Indenture]",

This indenture serves as testament to the sale of land owned by the Walsall Wood Colliery to several members of the Macpherson family of Wyrley Grove, Lachlan Andrew Macpherson, his wife Elizabeth Macpherson, and George Macpherson. The land was sold for 1175 pounds with the contingency that the Walsall Wood Colliery retained the right to mine beneath the land. The Walsall Wood Colliery would not be permitted to enter the surface of the land, but could extend mine shafts from adjacent lands, without liability for any damage caused either to the surface of the land or any buildings upon the land.

A large plat is included on the indenture with a scale of 4 chains per inch, depicting the boundary lines of the land in the sale. A table at bottom describes each of the areas on the plat and indicates in which parish the areas reside.

The top of the indenture is cut in a jagged ("toothed") line, as was the common practice with indentures. The legal contract was duplicated on a single sheet, and then the copies were separated by a jagged edge, so that the two pieces could be fit together again to verify authenticity. The indenture include tax stamps, the red embossed stamp of the Walsall Wood Colliery Company, and five red wax seals.

References:

Condition: A

Minor toning and soiling.