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Original 1796 Land Indenture – Peter Chassanis to WilliamSeton
Large-Scale Black River Land Conveyance | Recorded 1801 | Wax Seal &Attorney Execution
Original manuscript indenture on parchment, dated 17September 1796, documenting a substantial land conveyance from Peter Chassanis,a French landholder residing in Paris, to William Seton, merchant of New YorkCity. The transaction was executed in America by Rodolphe Tillier,attorney-in-fact for Chassanis, reflecting the international character ofpost-Revolutionary land speculation and investment.
This indenture conveys 2216 acres to be part of the 210,000 acres of landsituated along the Black River, New York, part of a vast tract originallyacquired from William Constable, a prominent early landholder. The deedincludes detailed metes-and-bounds language, references to survey by Brodside andsubdivision into numbered lots (2–20), and full fee simple covenants.
The consideration is clearly stated as $4,432, a significantsum for the period, and the document contains comprehensive warranty clausestypical of high-value late 18th-century real estate transactions.
Notable Features:
• Original parchment indenture, approx. 15 × 24 inches unfolded
• Executed by attorney-in-fact, demonstrating transatlantic ownership
• Original red wax seal with ribbon present
• Red-ink paragraph markers and formal legal hand
• Endorsed and receipted on verso
• Recorded in Lewis County NY1801 (Liber 37, pages 370–371)
• Witnessed and entered in the Clerk’s Office
Historical Significance:
This document exemplifies early American frontier land development followingthe Revolutionary War. It illustrates European investment in American landthrough legal proxies and reflects the transformation of northern New York fromwilderness to surveyed property. The scale of acreage places this deed amonghigher-tier land conveyances of the early Republic.
Condition:
Good original condition for age. Expected folds, toning, and light stainingconsistent with 18th-century parchment documents. Text remains legiblethroughout with few exceptions in folds. Wax seal remains attached.
