The trick to reading old legal descriptions is to read it backwards and understand fractions.

For example: S ½ of the NW 1/4   of the SE ¼ of the NE ¼ of Sec 21 T5N R11W of the Michigan prime meridian.

Start with the junction of the base line with the Michigan prime meridian (Ingham County).

Then find the fifth (5 x 6 miles) township north of the meridian and the eleventh (11 x 6 miles) north of the Michigan base line.

Then find Section 21.

Then divide that section into quarters (four) and find the NE ¼ in the upper right hand corner.

Then divide that into quarters and find the SE ¼ in the lower right hand corner.

Then divide that into quarters and find the NW ¼ in the upper left hand corner.

Then divide that into half horizontally and find the S1/2 in the bottom.

Now if less than a ¼ section, it reads: "part of".

It begins with "commencing at" which then brings you to the Point of Beginning. It is very important to correctly identify the Point of Beginning. Then it will say "thence" so many feet in one direction, thence so many feet in another direction, thence so many feet in a third direction and thence back to the Point of Beginning. And the description must close. Hope for a nice straight rectangle. I like these. If it doesn't close, you know something is wrong.

Sample:

Commencing 165 feet east of the SW corner of the SE ¼ of SE ¼ of said section (to the point of beginning)

thence north 754.2 feet

thence east 412.5 feet

thence south 754.2 feet

thence west 412.5 feet to beginning

Commencing just tells you how to get to the Point of Beginning. The actual above cemetery description doesn't begin until you've gone 165 feet east of the SW corner. From that point, the cemetery boundary line then goes north 754.2 feet, then east 412.5 feet, then south 754.2 feet and then west 412.5 back to the Point of Beginning which is 165 feet east of the SW corner.

Another method used on large parcels of rural land just gives two directions based on the ¼ section being discussed and it assumes you know how many feet there are in a ¼ section. It may even subtract footage. I hate assumptions.

Example: N 380 feet of the E495 feet of the SE ¼ of the SE ¼ of Sec 24 T9N R11W

So you need to know that a ¼ ¼ section is 660 feet x 660 ft. So it is the north 380 feet of the N/S 660 feet and the east 495 feet of of the E/W 660 feet.  Which just means by the above method;

Commencing 280 feet  north of the SE corner of Section 24

thence 380 feet north

thence 495 feet west

thence 380 feet south

But what if it isn't straight? What if it deviates even slightly? Now if you've ever sailed or watched old sailing movies, you've heard the expression North by North East. What does that mean? It means its slanted. This slant / indicates N by NE or S by SW. This slant \ indicates N by NW or S by SE

The first letter is always N for North or S for South. Followed by a number between 0 and 90. Then the last letter is E for East or W for West. Zero degrees means due North or South. 90 degrees means due East or West. Any number in-between means it's slanted / \.

So N 89 degrees 3 minutes, 10 seconds E means you go more East than North or Easterly.

N 4 degrees, 3 minutes, 10 seconds E means you go more North than East or Northerly.

This method is used commonly but not exclusively when the parcel abuts a river or railroad. Then just think circle.