Metes and Bounds: How to draw a plat

William M Litchman

A good source: "Land & Property Research in the United States," by E Wade Hone, Salt Lake
City (UT): Ancestry Incorporated, 1997. ISBN: 0-916489-68-X
Land records can be easily divided into two major categories,
1) land patents or grants in which land ownership is transferred from the crown,
parliament, government, or ruling body to an individual, committee, or other organized group
(not government) and
2) transfers of ownership from one non-government, private individual or group to
another. The transfer of ownership can be the result of gift or a cash or commodity exchange
or by a promissory note, mortgage, or trust agreement. Land can also be transferred by
means of a will or other probate or court action. Land can be confiscated by a governmental
agency as a result of criminal activity or failure on the part of the owner to fulfill some legal
covenant, commitment, or law (tax, for example).
Here are the State-Land States (all administered by England or English authorities until 177683 unless otherwise noted):
Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii (administered by the high chiefs of the
islands), Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York. North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas
(administered by the Mexican government), Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia (formed in 1863)
Metes and Bounds:
Land descriptions in state-land states are predominantly metes and bounds. Metes
refers to measurements and bounds to markers or other physical or natural boundaries. The
quadrangular system of measurements and descriptions was instituted after the formation of
the US government but was not adopted in the state-land states.
Beginning at a designated marker, the boundaries of the land are described in a series
of straight-line segments proceeding from point to point around the property (either clockwise
or anti-clockwise). Each straight-line segment is described by a compass direction and a
distance, the next straight-line segment beginning where the previous one ended. The
straight-line segments surround the property completely but rarely meet perfectly (in practice)
to close the boundary. The markers were usually trees, stumps, water-ways, rocks, roads,
other property lines and corners (usually with owners' names) all of which change over time,
either by nature or by man. Arguments over boundaries are exceedingly common and regular
processioning was expected within counties or even just between neighbors.
Sample deed:
Know all men by these presents, I, John Smith, grantor, for the consideration of $1.00
in hand paid and hereby acknowledged, do hereby grant, sell, relinquish, and convey to Jane
Doe, grantee, both of Jefferson county, state of Kentucky, the following described land being,
lying, and situated in Jefferson county, to wit: Beginning at a white oak tree at the corner of

Metes and Bounds: How to draw a plat

the property of John H Lund, thence N 83 deg E 16 poles to a spanish oak in the line of
Samuel Hunt, thence S 7 deg E 24 poles to a small spring, thence S 83 deg W 16 poles to
the road from Strongville to Benton, thence N 7 deg W 24 poles to the beginning, containing
2.4 acres more or less, to have and to hold all buildings and appurtenances therein from this
time forth. Dated 4 July 1796. Signed John Smith, grantor, Harriet Smith. Witnesses: Tom
Jones, Anthony Trolloppe.
Be it known that Harriet Smith, wife of John Smith, appeared before me, Hezekiah
Appleby, justice of the peace for Jefferson county, state of Kentucky, and declared privately,
not in the presence of her husband, that she agrees with the foregoing sale of land as
described herein. Dated 6 July 1796. Signed Hezekiah Appleby, JP.
Recorded 8 July 1796 by Samuel Boothby, clerk.
The description of the land is a useful tool in tracing owners (not just ownership) and
identifying specific land pieces as they change hands. Locating the land on a modern map
can be a difficult task but possible. To do that, it is essential to know the shape of the holding
which means creating a plat from the description. Correctly placing the plat on a modern map
means knowing the proper scale (size) for the plat to coincide with the scale of the map to be
used. Usually neighboring properties must also be drawn and an array of plats created which
is large enough to include more permanent natural artifacts (rivers, streams, hills, and so on).
The inclusion of our plat on a modern map is beyond the scope of this discussion.
Creating the plat:
1
First find a blank sheet of paper of sufficient size to contain the plat and on the left side
draw a straight line (N/S) and mark a place toward the middle of that line with a "dot" (#1).
2
Place a protractor with the "dot" at the center of the straight side and the curved side
on the right side (east side) of the N/S line.
3
We can now draw the first linear boundary of the plat by marking a second "dot" (#2) at
the 83 deg marking on the curved side of the protractor counting from the top down (i.e. from
the "north" end of the straight edge of the protractor).
4
Draw a straight line connecting the two "dots" and extending beyond them on both
sides. This line is in the direction of N 83 deg E.
5
Since one of our lines will be fairly long, let's use 4 poles per inch as our scale. Our
conversion factor will be 4 poles = 1 inch.
16 poles x 1 inch/4 poles = 4 inches.
6
Using a ruler, mark a new "dot" (#3) at the 4 inch length on our line. That marks one
edge of the property.
7
Now draw a new N/S line through the new end ("dot" #3) of our 4 inch boundary line.
8
Continue drawing boundary lines, using the end of the preceding line as the initial "dot"
for the next line, until we are back at the beginning.