1879 Document Summers & Bartram, London Middlesex Ontario

June 10, 1879. Thomas Summers to William Henry Bartrum (Bartram). Chattel Mortgage. London, Middlesex County Ontario

Definition of a Chattel Mortgage: A term used to describe a loan arrangement in which an item of movable personal property is used as security for the loan. Source: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/chattelmortgage.asp

There is a very nice list of the items that Thomas is offering as collateral for the loan. There are 2 horses, a wagon and surprisingly, 2 plots of land. What is surprising is that my understanding of a Chattel Mortgage is that land could not be offered as collateral. For a genealogist, this is gold because it provides an exact location of land that Thomas owned. 

My Research:

William Henry Bartrum/Bartram was born in England ca 1849. He can be found in the 1871 census for London Ontario. His marriage to Mary Jane barker in 1875 provides his parents' names as William and Emily. He died November 24, 1913 in the city of London in Middlesex County. His death Certificate gives his occupation as "Barrister" and his mother's maiden name as Soule. He was 65 years, 3 months and 3 days old at the time of his death.

There is more than one candidate for being the Thomas Summers of the document. 

A witness to the document was Edward Arthur Lancaster, Law Student. The only man I find that might be Edward was an Edward Arthur Lancaster born in England ca 1860. This Edward married in 1885 in Lincoln County Ontario. He was the son of Frederick and Emma Lancaster.

More research found Edward in 1901 living in Lincoln County where he is listed as a Barrister so I have no doubt it is the correct man. His wife was Mary and 4 children plus his mother Emma are living with him.  

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