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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Order of the Privy Council of Great Britain concerning a petition from Henry McCulloh concerning land grants in North Carolina
Great Britain. Privy Council
April 29, 1736
Volume 04, Pages 162-164

[B. P. R. O. North Carolina. B. T. Vol. 10. B. 5.]

At the Court at St James the 29th of April 1736 Present the Kings most Excellent Majesty in Council

Whereas Henry McCullock of London Merchant hath by Petition to His Majesty at this Board humbly represented, “That there are vast Quantitys of Land in His Majesty's Colony of North Carolina uncultivated and particularly on the Branches of Cape Fear River wherein few or no settlements have been made till within these twelve years and them at present very inconsiderable, That if the same were cultivated and improved they might not only increase his Majesty's Quit Rents but be rendered greatly advantageous to this Kingdom in the Production of Hemp, Pitch, Tarr and other kinds of Naval Stores as also in the making of Pot Ashes which has hitherto miscarried for want of applying a proper expence in Engaging Persons from Foreign parts to go over there who are well skilled in making that Comodity, the Importation whereof from the Baltick to Great Britain is yearly above Two Thousand Three Hundred Tons which at 24 pounds per Ton at first cost Duty and Freight excepted amounts to fifty five thousand two Hundred Pounds besides which advantages, the said Lands are well situated for carrying on a Firr Trade with the Indian Nations in that Neighbourhood. That the Petitioner is willing to settle Two Tracts out of the said large Quantitys of uncultivated Lands if His Majesty shall be pleased to grant the same to him, That is to say one Tract of Seventy Two Thousand Acres, situated upon the North East Branch of Cape Fear River from the second High Bluff upwards or thereabouts and leading towards the point of Trent River on the East side and on the West towards the Head of the Black River, and the other Tract of sixty thousand acres situated towards the North West at or near a place there commonly called or known by the name of the Haw Fields and lying between the North west branch of Cape Fear River and the head of the Neus River and the Petitioner will undertake to settle thereon

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three Hundred Protestants in the space of ten years and to encrease that number from time to time as he shall find encouragement from the place and Trade intended to be carryed on there whereby he hopes in time to prove very beneficial to Great Britain and to considerably augment His Majesty's Quit Rents; But that as an undertaking of this kind will be attended with very great Hazards and even the most fortunate of them with great Expenses at their first outsett and particularly to the Petitioner who intends to contract with Persons from Foreign Parts from whence Pot Ashes are now imported into this Kingdom to go over to the said Colony to carry on the making of that Comodity there and that as a great many servants and slaves will be necessary more than the said three Hundred Persons above engaged to be settled and as both the said Tracts of Land are some Hundred miles from the seat of Government and will be a kind of barrier to the more inner parts of the said Colony the Petitioner humbly hopes that all reasonable Encouragement may be given to the undertaking and particularly an exemption from Quit Rents for the space of Ten years. The Petitioner therefore most humbly prays that His Maty would be graciously pleased to direct the Surveyor of His Majesty's Lands in North Carolina or His Deputy to survey and lay out the said Two Tracts of Land and His Majesty's Governor there to pass a Grant under the seal of the said Colony to the Petitioner and His Heirs of the said Lands so to be laid out with the aforesaid Encouragement subject to be void as to so much thereof as the Petitioner shall not settle according to the Proposals aforesaid.”

His Majesty having taken the opinion of a Committee of the Lords of His Majestys most Honble Privy Council as also of the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations thereupon, and being inclined to give all encouragement to the settling of Lands in His Plantations in America, is graciously pleased to condescend to the Petitioners Request and His Majesty thereupon thought proper, by his Order in Council of this day to direct the Surveyor General of His Majestys Lands in North Carolina or his Deputy, to lay out & survey the said seventy two thousand Acres, and also the said sixty thousand acres of Land within the limits describ'd in the above recited Petition: And His Majesty is hereby pleased to order, that Gabriel Johnston Esqre His Majestys Governor of North Carolina or in His absence the Commander in Chief of the said Province for the time being, do pass under the seal of that Province, a Grant of the said Lands when they shall have been so laid out and surveyed, to the Petitionr His Heirs and Assigns, according to the Petitioner's above mentioned Proposalls; subject to be Void as to so much

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thereof as shall not be settled agreeable to the said Proposals, and that a clause be inserted in the said Grant to exempt the said Lands from Quit Rents for the first ten Years after the Date of such Grant, and also a saving Clause as to the right of such as may have a Lawfull Claim to any of the said Lands by virtue of Grants made and authenticated to them before the said Governor shall be apprised of His Majesty's Pleasure hereby signified for passing the said Grant to the Petitioner.

A true Copy.
TEMPLE STANYAN.