Esq.

Esq. is short for esquire. In England it ranked a man just above a plain gentleman. It was also used for men holding public office, such as justices of the peace and sheriffs, and in the United States it later became the usual title for lawyers.

When Esq. follows a name in a deed acknowledgment or court record, that man was often the local justice who took the document, not a party to it. That can explain why an unfamiliar name with Esq. appears on many family papers.