#20 - Sylvester O'Brien, Land Patent in Martin County, Indiana

This is a copy of an 1852 Land Patent to Sylvester O'Brien in Martin County, Indiana. "A land patent is a document recording the passing of a land title from the government, or other proprietor, to the patentee/grantee. This is the first-title deed and the true beginning of private ownership of the land." (from a definition of a Land Patent at Ancestry.com) So, other than Native Americans and the US Federal Government, Sylvester was the first owner of these 40 acres. 

At the time of the 1850 Census, Sylvester was said to own real estate valued at $300, so this appears to be an additional piece of property.

Notice that Millard Fillmore was President of the United States at the time the record was made. 

Although the spelling of Sylvester's last name on this document is "O'Brian", other records show the spelling as "O'Brien" and "O'Brient". The spelling usually depended on nothing other than who was doing the writing. According to the 1850 and 1860 Censuses, Sylvester O'Brien could not read or write.