Extracted From:
  A LAW DICTIONARY ..., SIXTH EDITION, 1856
  by John Bouvier, CHILDS & PETERSON, PHILADELPHIA

DEED POLL, contracts. A deed made by one party only is not indented, but polled
or shaved quite even, and is, for this reason, called a deed poll, or single
deed....
   A deed poll is not, strictly speaking, an agreement between two persons; but
a declaration of some one particular person, respecting an agreement made by him
with some other person. For example, a feoffment from A to B by deed poll, is
not an agreement between A and B, but rather a declaration by A addressed to all
mankind, informing them that he thereby gives and enfeoffs B of certain land
therein described. 
   It was formerly called charta de una parte, and, usually began with these
words, Sciant praesentes et futuri quod ego A, &c.; and now begins, "Know all
men by these presents, that I, A B, have given, granted, and enfeoffed, and by
these presents do give, grant and enfeoff," &c....


POLL. A head. Hence poll tax is the name of a tax imposed upon the people at so
much a head. 
   To poll a jury is to require that each juror shall himself declare what is
his verdict. This may be done at the instance of either party, at any time
before the verdict is recorded.

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