BELL, BARNES, HARPER, EDWARDS, DICKINSON, HANDLEY, BATCHELOR, NEWSOME and RELATED FAMILIES, PROPERTY AND NEIGHBORS IN DOBBS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, 1765 – 1797 as revealed in Land Grants from the Government of North Carolina.
[Source: NORTH CAROLINA, DOBBS COUNTY, MISC. LAND RECORDS, 1765 – 1797,
FILM #0018802. Order Card (from the LDS Library in Salt Lake City): 7459681. The title of the document assigned by the Dobbs County, NC Recording Clerk: ENTRIES OF CLAIMS FOR LANDS WITHIN THE COUNTY OF DOBBS,
1765 – 1797. Further, in the hand of the Dobbs County Clerk he designates numbers in five parts by specifying Item 1, Item 2, etc. The North Carolina Land Grant numbers assigned by the Dobbs Clerk are divided as follows:
Number 1 #1 – 371; Number 2 #372 – 954; Number 3 #955 – 1780; Number 4 1- 180, 1 – 4; and Number 5 1- 112. I have only abstracted land grants for people bearing the surnames of my family plus adjoining land owners.
All citations are from Dobbs County, North Carolina, Misc. Land Grants, 1765- 1797 unless otherwise indicated.
AYCOCK [BELL]
6 Jan. 1778 #56(1). 150 acres to JOHN AYCOCK, south side of Aycock’s Swamp
ADJ: JOSIAH PELLE, WILLIAM FORT and ARTHUR BRYAN.
16 Jan. 1778 #184(1). 640 acres to WILLIAM FORD, both sides of Aycock Swamp
ADJ: ARTHUR BRYAN.
17 Jan. 1778 #200(1). 640 acres to JOHN AYCOCK, on branch of Aycock’s Swamp.
20 Jan. 1778 #215(1). 500 acres to JESSE AYCOCK, both sides of Little Swamp joining Great Swamp.
24 Jan. 1778 #216(1). 400 acres to JESSE AYCOCK, south side of Reedy Branch.
CENSUS OF 1790.
1. Newbern District, DOBBS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
AYCOCK, William 1-2-0-0-0
2. Newbern District, WAYNE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
AYCOCK [spelled Alcock], Jesse 2-4-2-0-3
7 Jan 1801. Wayne Co.,NC DB8, pages 176 – 177. GILES WILLIAMS to RICHARD CROOM, both of Wayne county, NC, south side of Bear Creek. ADJ: ARTHUR WILLIAMS, BENJAMIN SMITH, ABSALOM WILLIAMS, JOHNSTON. WIT: SIMON AYCOCK
[his mark], JESSE HARE CROOM.
20 May 1778. #364(2). 250 acres to JOHN FULGHUM; both sides of Myrtle Spring Branch. ADJ: JOHN BARNES, JACOB BARDEN.
13 Jan. 1778 #175(1). 640 acres to BENJAMIN CHANCE, west side of Bass’
Swamp ADJ: EZEKIEL DANIEL, [PEELE]
31 Jan 1778 #51(1). 640 acres to JOHN BARNES on both sides of Great Swamp JOHN BARNS, PASCO PEELLE
ADJ: JOHN FULGHAM
4 April 1778 #321(1). 400 acres to JESSE BARNES, south side of Black Creek beginning at SAMUEL WATSON’s line.
26 Oct. 1778 #406(2). 400 acres to SIMON BARNES, both sides of the Pocoson Branch ADJ: JOHN BARNES.
31 Jan. 1778 #47(1). 640 acres to JOHN BARNES, both sides of the Great Swamp ADJ: JOHN FULGHAR.
4 April 1778 #321(1). 400 acres to JESSE BARNES, south side of Black Creek beginning at the land of SAMUEL WATSON.
26 Oct. 1778 #466(2). 400 acres to SIMON BARNES, both sides of the Pocoson Branch ADJ: JOHN BARNES.
21 Aug. 1778 #396(2). 300 acres to JOEL HERRING on north side of Neuse
River, east side of Stony Creek ADJ: JAMES BALCHER, ANTHONY HERRING, DAVID JERNIGAN
12 Jan. 1778 #156. 300 acres to BRITAIN SIMMS, north side of Black Creek.
ADJ: JOHN EVANS.
6 Jan 1778 #32(1). 250 acres to WILLIAM WHITFIELD, JR, north side of Neuse River ADJ: BENJAMIN GRIFFIN, CHARLES HORNE, HERRING.
26 Jan 1778 #241(1). 400 acres to REUBIN EASTON ADJ: FELLOWS, GRIFFIN,
JONES, FREDERICK HERRING.
4 Aug 1778 #387(2). 400 acres to JOHN JONES, north side of Rainbow ADJ: ABSALOM SUGGS, JOHN SUGGS, THOMAS EDWARDS patent lines.
13 March 1779 #672. 200 acres to BENJAMIN COBB on southside of the Contentnea Creek, head of Gum Branch ADJ: HENRY HAM, THOMAS HORNE, BOYKIN
PARSON.
3 January 1779. #942. 150 acres to HENRY HAM on east side of Bear Creek
ADJ: SIMON TURNER, WILLIAM HAM.
1 Aug. 1783 #1(4). 100 acres to THOMAS COLE on north side of Rainbow ADJ:
WILLIAM HAM.
4 April 1786. 50 acres to RYSTON FLOYD on east side of north east prong of
Bear Creek, head Spring Branch ADJ: MICAJAH PARKER, WILLIAM HAM, WILLIAM
FAIRCLOTH.
HARPER [BELL]
EARLY HARPER IMMIGRANTS TO VIRGINIA
1635. FRANCIS HARPER by HUGH COX, Charles City Co., VA. page 148.
1638. WILLIAM HARPER by EPAPHRODITUS LAWSON, Upper Norfolk Co, VA. page 147.
1642. JOHN HARPER by PETER RIGBY, no county specified. page 147.
1650. WILLIAM HARPER by NATHANIEL JONES. Northumberland Co., VA. page 147.
1650. WILLIAM HARPER by RICHARD BUDD. Northumberland Co., VA. page 147.
1654. JOSEPH HARPER by MARTIN COALE. Northumberland Co., VA. page 147.
1654. FRANCIS HARPER by ROBERT BOWERS. no county specified. page 147.
1654. SYMON HARPER & his wife by ROBERT BOWERS, no county specified. page 148.
1654. JOHN HARPER by TOBY SMITH. Lancaster Co., VA. page 148
1655. RICHARD HARPER by WALTER DICKENSON. Lancaster Co., VA , page 148.
1655. RICHARD HARPER by CAPT. GEORGE FLOYD. New Kent Co., NC, page 148.
1655. ROBERT HARPER by CHRISTOPHER CALVERT, Northampton Co., VA, page 148.
[Source: George Cabell Greer, EARLY VIRGINIA IMMIGARNTS, 1623 – 1666 Richmond, VA: W. C. Hill Printing, 1912] George Greer was a clerk in the Virginia State Land Office.]
10 June 1692. ROBERT HARPER, servant, designated in the Will of JOHN BARBER in Albemarle Co., NC [Source: J. Bryan Grimes, ABSTRACT OF NORTH CAROLINA WILLS, 1690 – 1760: page 17].
20 Nov. 1739. 87 acres to NICHOLAS HARPER, on east side of Goose Creek in Edgecombe Co., NC. Petitions for Patents, Council at Newbern [Source: Saunders, volume 4, page 353]. Also, LAND GRANTS PRIOR TO 1777. EDGECOMBE COUNTY,NC. North Carolina Archives, Raleigh, NC. Land Grant #805 in Edgecombe Co., NC. Book 9, page 329 (20 November 1739) 87 acres. Further, Land Grant #657 in Edgecombe Co, NC. Book 8, page 59 (20 November 1739) 87 acres [eds. note: probably a repeat of the same land grant}.
13 March 1745/46. Land Grand to JOSEPH HARPER, 320 acers in Craven Co., NC. Council at Bath Town, Petitions for Warrants [Source: Saunders, Volume 4, page 799]
1746 – 1880. Johnson-Dobbs Counties, NC. Cross-Index to Deeds. 1746 – 1880. DB 3, page 169 JOHN ROSS to FRANCIS HARPER. DB4, page 1181 ELIZABETH ATKINS to ALEXANDER HARPER. DB 4, page 245 RICHARD CASWELL to FRANCIS HARPER. DB10, page 707 SIMON BRIGHT to FRANCIS HARPER. DB10, page 19 MOSES FIELDS to FRANCIS HARPER. DB10, page 167 ANTHONY CANADA to FRANCIS HARPER. DB10, page 262 MICAJAH PARKER to FRANCIS HARPER. DB10, page 528 JOHN SUGG to WILLIAM HARPER. DB10, page 192 JOHN SUGG to ALEXANDER HARPER. DB11, page 527 WILLIAM MILLER to WILLIAM HARPER. DB11, page 257 THOMAS ? to WILLIAM HARPER. [Eds Note: This is research I completed 35 years ago, sorry about the absence of dates. I thought the Harper researchers might want me to include everything I have]
2 May 1746. NICHOLAS HARPER, witness to the Will of GEORGE HARKEL in Craven Co., NC [Source: J. Bryan Grimes, ABSTRACT OF NORTH CAROLINA WILLS, 1690 – 1760: page 151]
1 Aug. 1748. JOHN HARPER, witness to the Will of THOMAS CAWDREY in Craven Co., NC [Source: J. Bryan Grimes, ABSTRACT OF NORTH CAROLINA WILL, 1690 – 1760: page 67]
17 May 1749. JOHN HARPER, witness to the Will of JOHN GILLETT in Craven Co., NC [Source: J. Bryan Grimes, ABSTRACT OF NORTH CAROLINA WILLS, 1690 – 1760: page 134].
1 Sept. 1753. GEORGE HARPER, witness to the Will of JOHN MOORE in Northampton Co., NC [Source: J. Bryan Grimes, ABSTRACT OF NORTH CAROLINA WILLS, 1690 – 1760: page 252].
1758. NICHOLAS and SAMUEL HARPER living in Craven Co., NC. A list of the comp. of the North Shore, belong to Capt. John Shines, District from the head of Broad Creek down to the mouth of the River [Clark, COLONIAL RECORDS OF NORTH CAROLINA, Volume 22, page 315]
1759. Lord Granville Land Grant #0862 to JAMES HARPER in Halifax Co., NC [Source: North Carolina Archives, Search Room].
1767. Land Grant #101 to ROBERT HARPER in Tryon Co., NC
1767. FRANCIS HARPER, Dobbs Regiment. Officers for which Commission Issued,
1767. RICHARD CASWELL, Colonel, ABRAHAM SHEPPARD, Jur., Lt. Colonel; FRANCIS MACKILWEAN, Major. List also includes: JAMES BRIGHT, BENJAMIN CASWELL, MAJOR CROOM, JOHN ELVERTON, WILLIAM FORT, HENRY GOODMAN, ANTHONY HERRING, JOSHUA HERRING, JESSE JERNIGAN, ISOM LANE, JAMES PARKER, JOHN PEACOCK, JOSEPH PIPKIN, JOHN SHERRAD, WILLIAM SKINNER, FRANCIS SPRIGHT, WILLIAM SPRIGHT, WILLIAM SPRIGHT, JR., STEPHEN TILGHMAN, AND CONSTANTINE WHITFIELD.
1770. Land Grant #011 to MATHEW HARPER, JR. in Tryon Co., NC.
1770. Land Grant #265 to ROBERT HARPER in Tryon, NC. 1771. Land Grant #776 to ALEXANDER HARPER in Dobbs Co., NC
1771. GEORGE HARPER, Muster Roll of Dobbs County, NC Militia, 20 November 1771.
1771. ALEXANDER HARPER, Corporal, Muster Roll of Dobbs County, NC Militia, February, 1771. List also includes: GEORGE BELL, Lieutenant, JAMES BRIGHT, Captain, JOHN HEARTSFIELD [HARTSFIELD], Sergeant, POLL HALL, Sergeant, RICHARD HODGES, Clerk, JACOB LEWIS, Corporal, JOHN COWARD, Ensign. Other listed are: DRURY ALDRIDGE, SAMUEL DUNN, JOHN GARLAND, BURWELL HALL, JOSEPH HARRELL, JAMES HOLMES, JAMES LEWIS, STEPHEN LEWIS, SAMUEL MORRIS, SHARP REYNOLDS, ABSOLAM SUGG, JOHN VINING, WILLIAM VINING, JAMES WADE, JOSIAH WHITLEY, JAMES WOOD, GEORGE WRIGHT.
1773. Land Grant #2063 to ALEXANDER HARPER in Dobbs Co., NC
1773. Land Grant #1092 to GEORGE HARPER in Dobbs Co., NC
1775. Land Grant #1083 to GEORGE HARPER in Dobbs Co., NC
DOBBS COUNTY, NC TAX LIST, 1769
* JOHN HARPER – 1 – 0 – 1
* FRANCIS HARPER – 1 – 6 – 7 [Slaves: Harry, Jack, Peter, Cloe, Jude & Beladen]
* ALEXANDER HARPER and son WILLIAM HARPER, Negro slave ROSE
* WILLIAM HARPER and GEORGE HARPER 2 – 0 – 2
“Elsewhere I find FRANCIS HARPER foregoing is son of ALEXANDER HARPER also. WILLIAM HARPER (probably the brother of Alexander) and GEORGE HARPER in the same household but kinship not shown between William and George. The Harpers first are found south of the Neuse River in what is now southern Lenior County, NC about 1750. ALEXANDER HARPER moved to what is now Greene County near Snow Hill and son FRANCIS HARPER is with him then” [Source: Charles R. Holloman, specialist on Dobbs County, NC, in a private correspendence with Earl P. Bell, Jr., Olympia Fields, Illinois in the early 1970s.]
19 May 1776. FREDERICK HARPER #35. 320 pounds. Dobbs Co., NC. Soldiers Receiving Bounties and Drafts. [Source: Dobbs Co., NC: SOLDIERS RECEIVING BOUNDIES, VOLUNTEERS AND DRAFTS, 19 May 1776, North Carolina Archives, Raleigh, NC}
6 Jan. 1778 #97. 1000 acres to BENJAMIN CASWELL, south side of Contentnea Creek ADJ: THOMAS EDWARDS, JOSIAH WHITLEY, JAMES WOOD, FRANCIS HARPER, THYLEUS SINGLETON, ISAIAH McNUSE, JOHN SUGGS and EVERIT HORNE.
12 Jan. 1778 #157. 640 acres to ROBERT SIMMS, south side of Contentea, north side of Black Creek.
10 March 1778 #288. 300 acres to ANN HOLLY, north side of Black Creek, south side of Contentnea, each side of Long Branch.
20 MARCH 1778. #312. 80 acres to WILLIAM HOOKER, both sides of a Branch springing out of Patrick’s Mill Creek ADJ: JOHN GRANGER, ALEXANDER HARPER.
1778. Land Grant #2063 to ALEXANDER HARPER in Dobbs Co., NC. 1 Jan. 1779. #545. 50 acres to JOHN SUGGS on the north side of Rainbow. ADJ: WILLIAM HARPER, JOHN JONES.
1780 ESTATES & VALUES: FRANCIS HARPER #22. 400 pounds, Captain Carson’s District; ALEX HARPER, #7. 766 pounds, 10 shillings, John Granger’s District; FRANCIS HARPER, SR., #61. 7896 pounds, 8 shillings, John Granger’s District; and WILLIAM HARPER #87/ 1298 pounds, 12 shillings, John Granger’s District. [Dobbs Co., NC. Legislative Papers: LIST OF ESTATES AND VALUES, 1780, North Carolina Archives, Raleigh, NC]
27 March 1780. #1013. 850 acres to BENJAMIN CASWELL on the south side of Great Contentnea Creek ADJ: JAMES WOODS, FRANCIS HARPER, ISIAH MILLER.
23 Nov. 1780. #1045. 50 acres to FRANCIS HARPER on the south side of Wheat Swamp ADJ: OWINS, HENRY TURNER, deceased. 1781. ALEXANDER HARPER #35 and FRANCIS HARPER #3. Return of Dobbs Regiment. [Source: Dobbs Co., NC. RETURN OF THE DOBBS REGIMENT, 1781, North Carolina Archives, Raleigh, NC]
12 Nov. 1783. JESSE BATEMAN of Edgecombe Co., NC to WILLIM ALFORD of Wayne Co., NC for 50 pounds, 50 acres on the north side of Toisnot Swamp, south side of Bare Branch ADJ: JOHN HARPER. 1st to WILLIAM BENTLEY, the Elder on 15 Nov. 1743. WIT: JOHN WALTON, JAMES TART [Source: Edgecombe Co., NC DB4, page 288. 12 Nov. 1783]
8 April 1785. #42. 150 acres to NATHAN HARPER on north side of Trent River, head of Turkey Branch ADJ: DAVID GEORGE, THOMAS TORRAN, GRIFFIN JONES, JESSE HARPER.
14 April 1785 #45(4). 100 acres to HUGH HARPER on south side of Great Contentnea Creek ADJ: WILLIAM HARPER, M. PATRICK, ALEXANDER HARPER, deceased, JOHN GRAINGER, WILLIAM HOOKER.
20 April 1785. #50(4). 100 acres to WILLIAM HARPER on the south side of Great Contentnea Creek ADJ: ALEXANDER HARPER, deceased, WILLIAM HOOKER, JOHN GRAINGER.
20 April 1785. #50(4). 100 acres to WILLIAM HOOKER on a branch of Contentnea, south side of Great Branch, west side of Patrick’s Mill Creek, both sides of Branch ADJ: JOSEPH MILLER, WILLIAM HARPER, ALEXANDER HARPER [WILLIAM].
3 May 1785. WILLIAM ALFORD of Wayne Co., NC to WILLIS PEELE of Edgecombe Co., 100 pounds for 125 acres in Edgecombe Co., NC on the north bank of the Toisnot Swamp ADJ: JOSHUA BENTLEY, JESSE BATEMAN, WILLIAM DANIEL, JOHN HARPER, WILLIAM ALFORD. 1st granted to WILLIAM BENTLEY on 15 Nov. 1743. WIT: ROBERT PEELE, SAMUEL BARTLETT, JOHN STANTON [Source: Edgecombe Co., NC DB 4, page 281. 3 May 1785]
10 Oct. 1786 #104 (4). 30 acres to JOHN GRAINGER on north side of Neuse River, south side of Great Contentnea Creek ADJ: WILLIAM KILLPATRICK, HARPER.
29 July 1787 #128 (4). 60 acres to JOHN HARPER, north side of Great Contentnea, west side of Pole Cat Swamp ADJ: WILLIAM ORMON.
2 Oct. 1787. #136(4). 150 acres on north side of Trent River on a pond called Bear Harbour ADJ: DAVID GEORGE, JESSE HARPER, GRIFFIN JONES.
18 Dec. 1787. #143(4). 150 acres to JAMES GOODMAN on Southwest Creek of Trent River ADJ: DAVID GEORGE, JESSE HARPER, JOHN ROBERTS, NATHAN HARPER.
7 Feb. 1788. Marriage of FRANCIS HARPER. Dobbs Co., NC. [Source: Dobbs Co., NC: Misc. List of Marriage Liscense Issued, etc., 1785 – 1790. North Carolina Archives, Raleigh, NC]
9 Sept. 1788. #162(4). 640 acres to JOHN FRANK and JOHN SAUL on north side of Tuckahoe Creek, south side of Trent River ADJ: MOSES SARDER, JOHN LINSEY, deceased, JOHN HARPER, JAMES HANDLEY, ROBERT BAKER, WALTER DORTCH, JOHN FRAZER, RICHARD GILLES [?].
6 June 1793. #83 (5). 200 acres to NATHAN BYRD on south side of Neuse River, south side of ? Run ADJ: JOHN ROBERTS, JESSE HARPER, ARMSTRONG.
6 June 1793 #87(5). 90 acres to NATHAN HARPER.
6 June 1793 #88(5). 50 acres to NATHAN HARPER.
8 Aug 1793 #90(5). 50 acres to AARON RATLIFF, north side of Tuckahoe ADJ: JOSEPH JARMAN, JOHN ADKISON.
1795. State of North Carolina Land Grant to FRANCIS HARPER, on the north side of Contentnea Creek. Glasgow Co., NC.
2 Jan. 1823. WILLIAM JOHN BATCHELOR HARPER, [SR]. “Inventory of Estate,” by David Ricks. Huge estate inventory. The sale includes 26 slaves. Buyers included: WIDOW BATCHELOR, DAVID RICKS, PRIMMY BATCHELOR, POLLY BATCHELOR [HARPER], BERRY BATCHELOR, JAMES BATCHELOR, POLLY BATCHELOR HARPER. Widow BATCHELOR hired most of the slaves together with ANCY B[atchelor]. HARPER on 3 Janaury 1823. DAVID RICKS paid for services as a guardian. MARY F. ELLEN, ADMINX. [Source: Nash Co., NC. Inventories, Sales, & Current Accounts, Nash Co., NC, 1777-1859. original in the North Carolina Archives, Raleigh, NC. Also, cited in Watson, EARLY RECORDS OF NASH, page 194] [EDS. NOTE: This is my ggggrandfather. WILLIAM BATCHELOR in his will, 1802, left WILLIAM JOHN BATCHELOR HARPER, JR., whom he identifies as his grandson, 1000 acres of land in Nash Co., NC]
Source: http://www.rootsweb.com