I have an Indenture dated 30 Oct 1795 in Lancaster County, PA, and it
ends with the statement, "She, the said Mary [Bryan] thereto voluntarily
consenting she being of full age and by me privetly [sic] examined the
above contents being first made known unto her."  It was signed by one
of the Justices of the Peace. BTW, it's doubtful that she could read or
write in that her husband Edward Bryan signed his name with his mark.

Vee Housman
> Mark LoRusso wrote:
>
> > Does anyone familiar with deed research know the history of the
> > following phrase which may appear at the end of indentures for land
> > sales by a husband and wife? "...And the said (wife) being by me
> > (Commissioner of Deeds) privately examined apart from said husband
> > acknowledged that she executed the said deed freely without any fear or
> > compulsion of her said husband..."  Wondered when this language came
> > into use in the nineteenth century and how widespread was it.