What is a grantor?

Land records are full of terminology...and not knowing or guessing incorrectly could lead the researcher to incorrect conclusions. And there is always the case of spending hours looking in the "wrong" index. I always mention in a beginning land record lecture that researchers should think of the grantor as the "sellor." Of course that's not how "seller" is actually pronounced, but the key is remembering what it means...

Who is a Mortgagor?

Question: If you found a land reference and your ancestor was the mortgagor, would you know if that meant he borrowed the money or loaned the money?
If you said it "doesn't make any difference," you've got some learning to do ;-)
We'll post the answer in a few days.

Answer--the mortgagor is the person who signed the mortgage--that is, they borrowed the money.