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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Minutes of the North Carolina Governor's Council
North Carolina. Council
September 29, 1748 - September 30, 1748
Volume 04, Pages 887-891


At a Council held at New Bern 29th September 1748
Present His Excellency the Governor
The Honoble Nath Rice Esqr Member of Council
The Honoble Roger Moore Esqr Member of Council
The Honoble Robert Halton Esqr Member of Council and
The Honoble Edwd Moseley Esqr Member of Council
The Honoble Will Forbes Esqr Member of Council

Captain Samuel Davis, Charles Robinson, and Thomas Smith exhibited a petition in behalf of themselves and Sundry others Inhabitants of Pedee, which was read being to the following Effect Vizt

That by the great distance of that Settlement from the County Court of Bladen, and the badness of the ways they were in a manner excluded from all Benefits of the said Court, to which, by reason of the bad behaviour of many amongst them, they have frequent Occasions of recourse Wherefore they pray for a Division, and to be made a separate County, when (tho' now but few) they doubt not to encrease to a competent Number.

Then was also read a Petition with several names to it, in one and the same hand writing, as of Inhabitants of Pee dee, opposing the aforesaid Petition, in regard of the Paucity and Poverty of the Inhabitants. Whereupon his Excellency was pleased to interrogate the presenters of the first petition (no person appearing to the other) upon the subject of their petition: And it appearing to the satisfaction of his Excellency and

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the Council, that the Number of white Tithables upon Pee dee river and near the same, is between two and three Hundred; and that the Court House of Bladen County (in which County they have been hitherto Included) is above one hundred miles distant from the nearest Inhabitants of Peedee; and that at some seasons of the year, the roads between are very bad, if not impracticable. For the ease of the said Inhabitants, and to promote the Settlement of the said River his Excellency thought proper, by and with the Advice and consent of His Majestys Council, to grant the petition for a Division of the County of Bladen, and making Pee dee and parts above it a Separate County as aforesaid and accordingly it was Ordered, that that part of Bladen County which is known by the name of Peedee, together with all parts adjacent, extending as hereafter set forth, shall be erected into a County, distinct from and independant of Bladen County by the name of Anson County. And by virtue of the Power and authority of his Excellency the Governour in Council, agreeable to ancient usage, the said place or Tract of Land commonly called Peedee, and parts adjacent, were erected into, made, constituted and declared (within the Bounds and Limits hereafter described) to be, and henceforth are to be deemed held and taken for a separate County, by itself, with Distinct Jurisdiction, enjoying all such Priviledges and powers as any other County within this province have and enjoy (that is to say) the said County shall be and stands divided from Bladen County by little Peedee river, to the head of the main Branch thereof, and then by a Line to be run, as near as may be equal Distance from Haw River, and Great Peedee river, And untill another County shall be Erected to the Westward or Northward of this new County, all the Inhabitants to the Westward of the aforementioned Dividing Line, shall belong and appertain to Anson County.

Then His Excellency was pleased to lay before the Board his proper power or Commission as consequent to the foregoing Effect which was read being as follows, vizt Know all men by these Presents that I Gabriel Johnston Esqr Captain General, Governour and Commander in Chief in and over his Majestys Province of North Carolina, Upon the humble Petition of his Majestys Subjects the Inhabitants of Peedee by virtue of the Power and Authority vested in me by his Majesty's Commission and agreeable to Ancient Usage for good and sufficient Reasons me thereunto moving by and with the Advice and Consent of his Majesty's Council to make, create, constitute and ordain the said Peedee in the province of North Carolina and certain Tracts of Land contiguous to the same late in the County of Bladen, a County by the name of Anson County, and the same is hereby Declared (within the Bounds and

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Limits hereafter ascribed) a County by itself Separate from and independent of Bladen having distinct Jurisdiction with all such Power and Priviledges as any other Countys within this Province have and enjoy: Which County of Anson shall be and is hereby Circumscribed and bounded as followeth that is to say the same is and stands Divided and Distinguished from Bladen County by little Peedee River to the Head of the main Branch thereof and then by a Line to be run equal distance from Haw River and Great Peedee River and untill another County be Erected to the Westward or Northward of this new County all the Inhabitants to the Westward of the aforementioned Dividing Line, shall belong and appertain to Anson County In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the Province to be Affixed at New Bern day of       Anno Dom 1748.

GAB JOHNSTON


At a Council held at Newbern 30 September 1748
Present His Excellency the Governor
The Honoble Nath Rice Esqr Member of Council
The Honoble Roger Moore Esqr Member of Council
The Honoble Robt Halton Esqr Member of Council and
The Honoble Edwd Moseley Esqr Member of Council
The Honoble Will Forbes Esqr Member of Council

Charles Robeson, Thomas Smith and Captain Samuel Davis appeared again before this Board and being asked by his Excellency with regard to the most proper persons for Justices as well as convenient and most fitting place to fix a Court house in the new County they acquainted his Excellency as their Opinion that the most proper Persons in regard of their situation be added to the former Justices to constitute with them a Bench of Justices are John Hicks and John Holmes and the Ford of Rockey River where the road crosses is the most suitable place whereon to fix the Court House.

Ordered that Joseph White, Charles Roberson, Edmund Cartledge, William Philips, Samuel Davis, Thomas Smith, John Hicks and John Holmes Gent be appointed Justices for and within the County of Anson and that a Commission issue accordingly constituting and appointing the said Joseph White, Charles Robinson, Edmund Cartledge, William Philips, Samuel Davis, Thomas Smith, John Hicks and John Holmes Justices of the peace for the County of Anson and that the Court Days be on the fourth Tuesdays in the Months of March, June, September and December yearly

John Hamer being recommended to His Excellency to be Sheriff of the County of Anson, Ordered that a Commission issue accordingly constituting and appointing the said John Hamer Sheriff of Anson County.

The Council adjourned till the afternoon 3 oClock

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P. M. The Council met pursuant to Adjournment

Present His Excellency the Governor
The Honoble Robert Halton Esqr Member of Council
The Honoble Roger Moore Esqr Member of Council
The Honoble Edwd Moseley Esqr Member of Council
The Honoble Will Forbes Esqr Member of Council

Read the following Petitions for Warrants Vizt

James Herberts 640 Johnston, Robert Hatcher 250 Ditto, James Herbert 200 Craven, John Matchit 200 New Hanover, Elizabeth Hill 150 Onslow, Jno Peterson 200 New Hanover, Simon Player 200 Do, Severus Goold 500 Onslow, Benjamin Meredith 100 New Hanover, David Smith 100 Bladen, Ditto 100 Ditto. Granted.

Read the Petition of John Kearney setting forth that his Mother and he are in possession of a Tract of Land granted by the late Lords Proprietors unto Thomas Lewis Junior situate in Craven County in the fork of Adams Creek and conceiving there is more Land contained within the Lines of the Patent than therein specified humbly prays a resurvey Granted and Ordered that the Surveyor General do cause a Resurvey to be made thereof and return the same to this Board

Read the Petition of Malcom Smith shewing that he is Assignee of a patent for a Tract of Six hundred and forty Acres granted unto James Jones the 10th day of September 1735 situate in Bladen County on the South side of the river 20 miles above Rockfish Creek joining the upper side of Thomas Jones Land And apprehending there is more Land comprized within the Lines and Distances of the said patent than the same mentions humbly prays a Resurvey Granted and Ordered that the Surveyor General do cause a Resurvey to be made of the said Land and make return thereof to this Board

Read the petition of Edward Conner setting forth that a Patent which he obtained from his Excellency for Six hundred and forty Acres of Land situate in Bladen County on the West side of the N. West River and the plat thereto annexed, thro' the Surveyors mistake, are both Erroneous; who instead of returning a plot after this manner, Beginning at a Hickory thence running So 70 Wt 320 poles thence So 20 Et 320 poles thence No 70 Et 320 poles thence to the Beginning which according to the Original marked Trees are the true Courses he has made it thus Beginning at a Hickory about three Quarters of a Mile below the mouth of little River and thence run No 80 Wt 320 Pole to a pine thence So 10 Et 320 pole to a pine thence So 80 Et 320 pole to a Gum thence to the first Station Whereby the Petitioner holds little or no Land humbly praying to be relieved in the premises. Whereupon it is Ordered that the Deputy Surveyor run out the same agreeable to the first marked Trees; and that he return a plat thereof upon Oath of his Board at the next Sitting.

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Read the following Petitions for Grants for Patents Vizt

John Clark for 150 in Craven, William Blunt 200 Bladen, John Fitzgerald 200 Do, John Coupland 150 Do, Jacob McClendon 300 Do, Joel McClendon 300 Do, David Smith 200 Do, James Herbert 640 Johnston, Stevans Goold 500 Onslow, James Rhodes 200 Johnston, John Taylor 300 Do, John Tison 350 Bladen Granted

Samuel Willis 300 Craven, Charles Hopton 100 Do, Do Do 150 Do, John Grigg 100 Bladen Granted