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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Deposition of Nathaniel Cooper concerning land grants in North Carolina
Cooper, Nathaniel
Volume 04, Pages 1118-1119

The Deposition of Nath: Cooper of the Province aforesaid being of full age and duly sworn to the—

1st Inter: Saith that he knew Robert Forster Esqre deced in his life time acted as Deputy Secretary during the time and acted as Clerk in his Office being near two years. He was frequently in his Office he hath seen in the said Office severall blank Patents and he beleives them to be signed by his Excellency Gabriel Johnston Esqre and likewise the said blank Patents had the seal of the Province affixed to the said Patents and that the said blank Patents were filled up some several by his own hand writing as to the number of them he cannot declare and that he acted as Clerk under said Robert Forster Esqre in the year 1745 and 1746.

Deponent to the 2nd Inter: says that he himself filled up the Blanks in the Patent now produced to him and that the seal of the Province was affixed to said Patents before the filling them up and likewise signed by the Govr and that the said Patent bears date 20th of April 1745 and that the said Patent was to Benjamin Holliman being for 253 acres

Said Dept to the 3rd Inter: saith—

That he doth not know where the said Secretaries office was kept but that the said Robert Forster in his life time being Clerk of Edgcomb

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County and being on Roanoak in said County kept his office at his own House there in which Office this Dept saw the Blank Patents as aforesaid.

NATH: COOPER.