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Rare 1766 Printed Philadelphia Land Survey Application Signed By John Lukens

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:650.00 USD Estimated At:800.00 - 1,200.00 USD
Rare 1766 Printed Philadelphia Land Survey Application Signed By John Lukens
Colonial America
Rare 1766 Printed Philadelphia Land Survey Application Signed John Lukens with “Mason-Dixon” Line Connection!
October 10, 1766-Dated, Partially-Printed Document Signed, “Jn(ohn) Lukens” as Surveyor-General, Philadelphia (PA), "West Side" Application Survey Order Form, Very Fine.
A very rare original Partly -Printed Form Order to survey 300 Acres of Land for David Reynolds Order dated March 1766 at Philadelphia, Pa. John Lukens (1720-1789) served as Surveyor-General of Pennsylvania and Delaware (1761-1776), and of Pennsylvania (1781-1789). This historic Document measures 7.75" x 4" printed in black on period watermarked, rag-content laid paper, having some tone, wear and minor edge nicks, yet in overall nice displayable condition. The reason behind "West Side" Applications was that many of the settlers in the remote areas of Pennsylvania were squatters without any legal title to the lands. A prospective settler made "an Application," that is, a request for land, in a particular place.

After the long years of settlement, abandonment due to Indian troubles, resettlement cycles - Bouquet's Expedition of 1764 and the resolution with the tribes finally provided stability. In the aftermath, the state decided to offer the squatting settlers an opportunity to secure legal title to their lands. The "East Side" and "West Side" warrant Application process was to provide squatters with a process to obtain title to land that they had possessed for as long as 25 years in some cases.

John Lukens was involved with many influential men in Philadelphia. He co-founded the Hatsborough Public Library in 1755, and was acquainted with figures such as David Rittenhouse, Benjamin Franklin, and Francis Alison. Lukens' public position gained him a role in the team which surveyed the tangent line, middle point, and the twelve mile radius from the center of the New Castle Courthouse, which formed the northern boundary of Delaware. These measurements, taken in 1762, were used by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in laying out the final “Mason-Dixon” line. Lukens belonged to learned Philadelphia associations such as the American Society for Promoting Useful Knowledge, and the American Philosophical Society. Those types of associations lead to his official appointment by Thomas and Richard Penn in 1761 to attain the position of Surveyor General.

William Penn's early decisions about Pennsylvania land distribution gave the Land Office significant power from the beginning of settlement. The land office was comprised of the secretary for proprietary affairs, the surveyor general, and the receiver general. Over time, the surveyor general became the most powerful position in the land distribution system because his duties were an integral part of that system.

A prospective settler made "an application," that is, a request for land, in a particular place. Barring any problems such as a previous application for the same land, the secretary of proprietary affairs would issue a warrant for a survey of the property. The surveyor general then assigned a deputy in the appropriate district to perform the survey. After its completion, the surveyor general certified the survey's accuracy and returned a report to the secretary who could then formally grant the land.

John Lukens remained Surveyor General for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania until the American Revolution. In 1776, he was ordered to close down the land office in Philadelphia and move to Lancaster where he remained until October 1778. Until 1780, the Pennsylvania land office was essentially shut down. In 1781, the General Assembly elected Lukens to his previous position of Surveyor General for a five year term, since the position was no longer an appointed one. In 1785, he was reelected and continued in the position until his death in 1789.