Daily AncestorMortgage
A mortgage is a transfer of an interest in land as security for a loan; the borrower is the mortgagor and the lender the mortgagee.
A mortgage puts land up as security for a debt. The borrower (mortgagor) grants an interest to the lender (mortgagee), and the mortgage ends when the debt is paid. Older mortgages are often written like deeds with a condition that they become void on payment.
Mortgages are recorded with deeds or in separate mortgage books. A payment note in the margin, or a later release, tells you the loan was settled.
As seen in a recordDefeasance clause in a mortgage
provided that if the said Jno. Hart shall pay the sum of $300 ... this deed shall be void
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Mortgage." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/mortgage. Last checked 2026-10-01.