Prior to this year, a business directory was usually found at the end of the city directory. The 1929 and 1930 directories also have a street and house directory organized by street and number of the house, listing the residents of the address. The deed records held by the City Archives are very extensive. In addition to the major deed and mortgage book series starting in 1683, the Archives also has sheriff deed books from 1736-1905, partition deeds found within the Common Pleas and District Courts, warrants and surveys of the Province of Pennsylvania from 1683 to 1759, and miscellaneous instrument books. The deed books are organized more or less chronologically according to the date of recording, not according to the date of the deed.
Genealogists can find deeds very helpful in discovering family relationships.
The recital clause after the description of the property will list everything that has occurred since the last time a deed was executed. If a property stays within a family for more than one generation, or if an estate is selling the property, then many important family relationships will be revealed. This recital clause details the right of the seller or sellers to sell a property. Sheriff's deeds can be accessed through defendant and purchaser indices. The Sheriff will sell any property confiscated through a court action.