Build a Chain of Title
A practical method to follow recorded conveyances for one legal description through time.
This guide has one purpose: follow recorded conveyances for one legal description through time. It does not publish family profiles or claim relationships for real residents. The result should be a transparent research trail that another person can inspect.
Begin with a bounded question
Begin with a known deed or parcel description. Extract grantor, grantee, consideration, execution date, recording date, legal description, witnesses, and prior reference. A bounded question prevents a search from collecting same-name records that cannot be tied to the same identity. It also makes it clear when the available evidence does not answer the question.
Working method
Work backward and forward through grantor-grantee indexes. Resolve description changes with plats or surveys, and do not use a current tax name as the entire chain. Record what was searched, including unsuccessful searches, and distinguish information stated by a record from conclusions inferred by the researcher. If a digital index and record image disagree, transcribe both and investigate the difference.
The finished work product
Aim for a table of instruments linked by legal description and recording reference. Include stable identifiers, image or page references, repository names, and access dates. Avoid copying sensitive information about living people into public notes. When access rules are unclear, consult the official custodian before requesting or sharing a document.
Quality questions
- Does the proposed “Build a Chain of Title” result actually answer the bounded question?
- Did the source exist close to the event being studied?
- Who supplied the information, and could that person know it?
- Is the item an original record, image, transcript, abstract, or index?
- Does an independent source support the identification?
- Can another researcher reproduce the search from the citation?
For the build a chain of title workflow, continue with maps method, the public-records directory, and the Whitley County places guide.