Land Records
Taken fromGrants in Present States of Missouri,
Arkansas and Oklahoma
Copyright 1984 Frances Terry
Ingmire
Sebastian BUTCHER and the heirs and legal representatives of
Batholomew BUTCHER, Michael BUTCHER and Peter BLOOM, claiming
1,600 arpents of land, see Book No. 5, pg. 352, Record Book D,
pgs. 46 & 47, produces a paper purporting to be their petition to
the Intendant General of the Louisiana and a recommendation to
the same of Pierre Delassus de LUZIERE, Cammandant of New
Bourbon, dated 15th June, 1802. Also, a paper purporting to be a
plat and certificate of survey dated 25th February, 1806 by
Nathl. COOK, Deputy Surveyor. The following additional testimony
was taken in the foregoing case in compliance with a resolution
of this Board of the 10th October last.
The Claimants state that by virtue of their said claim, they
located four hundred arpents thereof about six miles from Mine a
la Motte as in their petition prayed for. That finding no further vacant land at that place of value for cultivation, they located the remaining 12 hundred arpents at a place on the waters of Grand or Big river, agreeably to the tenor of their said petition and the plat of survey herewith shewn to the Board of Commissioners. The petitioners further state that the plat of Survey for the said four hundred arpents so located near Mine a la Mote is now in the land office at Jackson, so that they cannot now produce it, but belileve the same is of record in the office of the Recorder of land titles at St. Louis. Joseph PRATTE, being duly sworn in this behalf, deposeth and sayeth that he has seen the recommendation of the said LUZIERE, late Commander of the Post of New Bourbon, annexed to the petition of the said clamants for a grant or concession of sixteen hundred arpents of land; that he is well acquainted with the handwriting of the said LUZIERE. This deponent further saith that he is well acquainted with the handwriting of A. SOULARD, late Surveyor General of Upper Louisiana and that his signature to the plat of Survery here shewn is as this deponent verily believes, genuine and written by himself. This deponent further sayth that he is fifty seven years of age and has resided in St. Genevieve vicinity in what was formerly Upper Louisiana, all his life. That he is well acquainted with the nature of Spanish Concessions and requests and Recommendations of Commandants of Posts, of which latter class the claim here shewn appears to be one. That after the year 1799 or 1800 (as near as he can recollect) the Commandants did not give concessions, but as he can recollect) the Commandants did not give concessions, but recommendations to the Intendant General at New Orleans (as in this case) and that said recommendations were uniformly considered of equal validty with concessions and were passed and transferred from hand to hand, as such and that it was the uniform custom of the Indendant General at New Orleans to grant and confirm all such claims. This affiant further sayth that he has no doubt that the claim here shewn would have been confirmed by the said Intendant, under the usages and custom of the Spanish Government. That he has know the said Sebastian (or Bastian), Michael & Bartholmew BUTCHER and Peter BLOOM to have come to the country in the year 1797, and that it was the custom of the government to give lands to persons of their description when applied for, and he has never heard that they received any other lands than those in the present claim mentioned.
Signed J. PRATTE
L.F. LINN, Land Commissioner.
(Dec. 142, pg. 346)
