Genealogical research in Lexington County/District has been difficult because of major record losses. The deeds prior to 1839 and probate records prior to 1865 were destroyed by fire in 1865. Fortunately, the deeds beginning with Book M (1839) survived. By the county court act of 1785, the clerk of each county was supposed to send in a list of probates and deeds for each year to the Secretary of State. These lists are generally known as the memorialized records, but they should not be confused with the colonial series of Land Memorials. The extent to which the clerks complied with the act is unknown, as only a few of these lists are extant. A few of these records were known to exist for Lexington District, but the bulk of them were discovered among the legislative papers in 1976. These lists cover the years 1814 to 1825, but the lists of deeds contain many instruments executed much earlier, some prior to the Revolutionary War. These lists are published here as close to verbatim as possible. Some years apparently have two sets of memorialized deeds. The reason for this is not known. The actual deed books and the wills and administrations have not survived. -- back cover