Bidspirit auction | 1836. French, William H. and

1836. French, William H. and Elizabeth B. Manuscript Real Estate Indenture, Philadelphia. (Signed) - This manuscript real estate deed, formatted as an indenture and dated May 18, 1836, records the legal transfer of property in the City of Philadelphia. The document facilitates the sale of a messuage and two lots of ground situated at the southwest corner of Locust Street and Schuylkill 6th Street (present-day 17th and Locust Streets) from William H. French, identified as a plasterer, and his wife Elizabeth B. French, to David B. Morgan. The document is handwritten in dark ink on a large sheet of heavy-weight paper and includes standard legal phrasing of the period, including sections headed This Indenture and To have and to hold. The manuscript is signed at the conclusion by the grantors, Wm H French and Elizabeth B French, and includes two applied diamond-shaped paper seals adjacent to the signatures. The transaction was witnessed by Chas: Harlan and Jno. C. Casho. A formal acknowledgment is signed by Philadelphia Alderman G. Heintzelman. The reverse of the document features a recording statement signed by C. Smith Rec., noting that the deed was recorded on May 10, 1841, in Deed Book G. S. No. 26, Page 639. The exterior cover panel is hand-titled with the names of the parties and the location of the property. Measurements: Approximately 25 inches wide (unfolded). The document exhibits signs of age and handled use consistent with mid-19th-century legal ephemera. Observable features include permanent creases from historical folding, minor foxing, and light overall discoloration of the paper. There is moderate wear to the edges and corners, though the document remains structurally sound. All handwriting and signatures remain dark and entirely legible.