These runaway ads provide a first-hand view of history, as well as valuable demographic information with the age, sex, height, place of origin, clothing, occupation, speech, as well as physical imperfections, etc. They often display attitudes of the owners, and personality traits of the runaway, such as a common affection for alcohol. Some ads give extensive vignettes of individuals with their perceived idiosyncrasies. They provide a bonanza of information...

Given to the Bryan Public Library by Eugene Edge III.

"Property title deeds are perhaps the most numerous sources of historical evidence but also one of the most neglected. While the information any one deed contains can often be reduced to a few lines, it can be of critical importance for family and local historians. Nat Alcock's handbook aims to help the growing army of enthusiastic researchers to use the evidence of these documents, without burying them in legal technicalities. It also reveals how...

"For the second half of the 1760's, the East Side Applications add to our knowledge of the settlement of colonial Pennsylvania east of the Susquehanna River. ... The application was the first document created in the process of transferring title from the Proprietors (the Penn family) to the private owner."--Foreword