The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-03
A Descendant of the Grantee
Thinks He Sees a For
tune Ahead.
MAY OWN AN EASTERN TOWN.
The Old Document Was Originally
Found in an Ash Barrel
In Berkeley.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL,l

9OS Broadway, Sept. z.
A letter was received by Attorney W. III.
Waste to-day that shows how the story of
an old deed found in Berkeley ash-barrel
has travelled East and has possibly revealed
to prominent merchant an avenue by
which he can gain a fortune.
About two months ago John Boyd, an
expressman of Berkeley, found an old,
torn, moldy document among some rub
bish that he was employed to move. He
noticed that the old deed was in a cheap
gilt frame, SO he picked it out of the debris
and saved it. Soon after it became the
property of Attorney Waste. In the course
of time the story of the find was published
in the newspapers and the deed was exam
ined by lawyers. It purports to be deed
to certain tract of land in New Jersey
from William Morris to William Grant.
1t is dated April, 1853. After examination
it was pronounced to be deed to the
property that is now the site of the present
town of Railway, N. J.
The deed reads as follows:
To all Christian people to whom these pres
ents snail come greetings, etc.: Know that /,
William Morris of Woodbridge, in the county OF
Middlesex and the province of New Jersey, for
and in consideration of the sum of one hundred
province aforesaid, to me in hand, well and
truly paid by William Grant of Raway, OF the
burrough of Elizabeth, county OF Essex and
province aforesaid, Cooper, before the .enseal-
ing hereof, the reception hereof to my full sat
isfaction, do hereby acknowledge and myself
herewith fully satisfied free and clear and
freely and clearly acquitted, exonerated and
discharged of and from all manner OF former
gifts, grants, bargains, sales, leases, mortgages,
wills, entails = doweries, and eontented
and thereof of every part and parcel thereof do
exonerate, acquit and discharge the said William
Grant, his heirs, executors and administrators
for ever, by these presents have given, granted,
bargained, sold, aliened, conveyed and con-
frmed. and by the presents do fairly, fully and
absolutely give, grant, bargain, alfene, convey
and confirm unto him, the said William Grant,
his heirs and assigns forever, one certain
messuage or piece of land lying and being in
Raway aforesaid, beginning at stake standing
by brook on the east side of road that leads
from the county road from Raway River.
utes east chains and IA links along the
aforesaid road, thence south 81 degrees east
IL chains to said brook, thence down said
brook the several courses thereof to the place
where II began, containing six acres, bounded
westerly by said road northeasterly by the
land of Richard Nichols, southeast by said
brook;
To have and to hold the said granted and
bargained premises, with all the appurte-
nances, privileges, commodities to the same
belonging and in any manner of ways apper-
tanning, unto him, said William Grant, his
heirs and assigns, forever to his and their only
proper use, benefit, behoof, forever; and /, the
said William Morris, for myself and my heirs,
executed and assign, do covenant, grant, prom
ise, agree. and with him, the said William
Grant, his heirs and assigns, that before the
ensealing hereof L am the sole and lawful
owner of the above bsrgained premises, and
am lawfully seized and possessed of the same
in my own proper right as good, perfect
and absolute estate of inheritance in fee
power and lawful authority to grant, bar
gain, sell, convey and confirm to the above
sale, premises in manner as above said,
and that the said William Grant, his heirs and
assigns, shall and mary from time to time, and
at all times forever after, by virtue of these
presents, lawfully, peacefully and quietly
said granted premises, with the appurtenances,
judgments, intruders, and troubles whatso-
ever; and /, the said William Morris, do further
covenant and bind myself, and my heirs, ex-
ecutors, and administrators, firmly by these
presents, TO warrant and defend the said VIII
liam Grant, his heirs and assigns, in quiet,
peaceable possession of all and singular the
said granted premises against any just and
lawful claim of any person whatsoever.
In witness whereof, l, the said William Nor
ris, have hereunto set my hand and seal this, the
first day OF April, seventeen hundred and fifty
three WILLIAM MORRIS.
SUSANNA MORRIS.
Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence
of US: THOMAS GRANT COOPER.
William II. Grant, business man of
Trenton, N. j., in his letter. received to-
day, seeks information regarding the deed
which the writer believes was made to his
grandfather. Grant says his family was
the only one of that name in New Jersey,
and there is an interesting coincidence in
the fact that the Christian name of his
father and his grandfather was William
the same as that of the grantee of the deed.
Attorney Waste never thought anything of
the deed except as relic of colonial times,
but now he thinks it may be worth more
than it cost him. The document was left
in Berkeley by family who moved away
from the university town three years ago.