Did Grandpa Really Sell the Farm?

If your land-owning ancestor's name does not appear in the grantor (seller) index to land records, consider that he might not have been the actual seller when the property changed hands. It could have been his widow or his heirs (after his death), the sheriff (if he didn't pay his taxes), or the judge (if there was some type of legal action). In all of these cases, the deed will not be indexed in your ancestor's name since he was not the grantor.