First, here is the warranty deed by which John Loy formally and finally secured the title to his land in 1765:
Pennsylvania Ss By the Proprietaries
<SEAL>
Whereas John Loy-- has applied to purchase from us a Tract of about Eighty ("acres of" covered by the seal) Land Situate near our Reserved Lands near Reading-- in the county of Berks-- whereon he has alleged he has made considerable improvements and hath now requested our warrant to survey and Layout the said Tract in order to agree with him for the purchase Money thereof. And we favoring his application aforesaid, These are to require you to survey or cause to be surveyed the said Eighty Acres of land at the place aforesaid joining lands of Peter Baltz, John Nicholas Fucks (sic. he was afterward know as "Fox") Ludwig Swerz and Casper Cook-- And make return thereof into the Secretaries (sic) office in order to agree with the said John Loy --for the purchase thereof on such terms as our Commissioner of Property shall agree upon with him the said John Loy and by your so doing this shall by our sufficient Warrant Given under my hand and the seal of the Land Office by virtue of certain powers given the said proprietaries at Philadelphia the sixteenth day of October the year or Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and sixty five. Olle
To Jno Luhms the Surveyor Genl
John Penn
This I am told by those working at the Pennsylvania State Archives was effectively the transfer of the rights in the land to John Loy. There was a further step of patenting and not everybody did it nor did it seem to be entirely necessary. John Loy did not patent this piece.
The fact that he had already made considerable improvements (farm and household) indictes that he had been on the land some years and tax records suggest he had been there since at least 1752 when Berks County was established.
The survey report for the land is dated 16 years later and was completed 13 August 1781. The following survey report from the Pennsylvania State Archives also contains information:
"Pursuant to a Warranty Deed dated October 16th 1765, Survey'd 12th month 27th 1765 the Above described tract of Land Situate in Brecknock Twp in Berks County.
Benjamin Parvin
Note:
A small House and Barn on ye premises, about 30 acres cleared, a small meadow well improved.
B(enjamin) P(arvin)
In the interveninnia ag years and through John Loy's improvements the 80 acres apparently increased to 95 acres and 127 p's and this correction was made in the survey report.
The cover page has the following interesting information:
16th October 1765 Berks
to agree for 80
John Loy
Return'd 8cca 13th August 1781
Does this mean the survey was returned or that the land was returned by John to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania? The Archivists at Pennsylvania Archives did not seem sure about this but thought it meant when the survey was returned. I will follow up but would appreciate (and credit in these pages) any information that explains what this final transaction in 1781 was. I note it is 2 years and 10 days after John Loy had bought his land in Virgnia.
Here is a the survey map of John Loy's farm from the Pennsylvania Archives.
Here is a detail from a warranty deed map from the Pennsylvania Archives that I have modified.
Here is a link to a topographic map of the same area
Here is a link to an 1860 map of Brecknock Township
Here is a modern map of Brecknock County showing some property lines
