1839 Large Vellum Indenture and Mortgage Deed, Surrey England
DESCRIPTION
An extensive vellum indenture executed in 1839, documenting a mortgage and property conveyance in the county of Surrey, England.
The document titled “This Indenture” records an agreement between Elizabeth Frances Ireland, widow, and William Ireland and Richard Joseph Ireland. Written in a formal legal hand in iron gall ink, the document follows the established structure of early Victorian conveyancing, opening with the parties and date before proceeding into the full legal terms governing the estate.
The text explicitly secures a mortgage for the sum of £2,600, a substantial amount in 1839, equivalent to roughly $300,000 to $400,000 USD today. The document details the transfer of property rights as collateral for this loan, using standard legal phrasing such as “to have and to hold,” and carefully outlines repayment obligations, rights of possession, and remedies in the event of default.
Execution and Administrative Record
At the foot of the document, multiple signatures and red wax seals attest to its execution, while the verso carries later docketing prominently labeled “Mortgage,” along with registry-style annotations referencing acreage in Surrey. These endorsements indicate that the document remained in active administrative use and was formally recorded within a local registry system, preserving the transaction in official records.
This indenture represents a definitive example of early Victorian property law in practice, illustrating how land functioned as both asset and security within the English financial system. Large-format vellum deeds of this nature, retaining their seals, signatures, and clear docketing, remain increasingly scarce and offer a direct and tangible record of 19th-century landholding, credit, and legal formality.
CONDITION
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