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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Order of the Privy Council of Great Britain concerning Henry McCulloh's land grants in North Carolina
Great Britain. Privy Council
May 19, 1737
Volume 04, Pages 253-254

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[B. P. R. O. North Carolina. B. T. Vol. 10. B. 3, 7, 8, 12, 13, 23, 26.]
THE MURRAY CRYMBLE AND JAMES HUEY GRANT.

At the Court at St James the 19th of May 1737. Present the Kings most Excellent Majesty in Council.

Upon reading this day at the Board a Report from the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs dated the 5th of this Instant in the words following Vizt

In Obedience to an Order in Council of the 28th of May 1736 referring to this Committee the humble Petition of Murray Crymble and James Huey of London Merchants in behalf of themselves and several others praying for a Grant of Lands upon the heads of the Pedee Cape Fear and Neus Rivers in North Carolina, and proposing to make a Settlement thereon of six thousand Swiss Palatines and other Foreign Protestants within the space of Ten years from the Date of their Grant, The Lords of the Committee have taken the said Petition into their consideration and have received the Opinion of the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations thereupon and having been several times attended by the Petitioners do find that they are willing to undertake the Settlement upon the following Conditions—vizt

That they be allowed one million two hundred thousand Acres of Land to be surveyed in twelve different parcells of one hundred thousand Acres each.

That these twelve parcells be laid out as contiguous as may be but none of them to be at any greater distance than ten miles from some other of them.

That these twelve parcells so surveyed be Granted by the Governour to the Petitioners and their Associates in such proportions as shall be required by them but no Grant to contain less than twelve thousand acres.

That the Petitioners and their associates do pay the usual Fees for surveying and passing the Grants of the said Tracts.

That all the Grants be made by the Governour immediately upon the return of the surveys to him and that they do bear equal date with each other.

That the commencement of the Quit Rent be computed from the expiration of Ten years from the date of such Grant which Quit Rent is to be four Shillings Proclamation Money for every hundred acres included in the said Grants.

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That in case any Mines shall be found in the Land petitioned for one fifth part of all Gold and Silver Ore and one tenth part of the Ore of all other Mines and Minerals whatsoever be reserved to your Majesty.

The Lords of the Committee having considered the said Proposals do humbly report to your Majesty That althō the Quantity of Land proposed to be settled is very great amounting to the proportion of two hundred acres for each person to be settled thereon, yet their Lordships do not apprehend that any inconvenience can arrive from the granting the same to the Petitioners in regard the said Lands are scituated in the Extremity of the Province near to the Cherokee Mountains and at a very great Distance from the seat of Government and that there are several Millions of Acres of vacant Land between the said Land prayed for and the land already settled—That this Province being by its Scituation liable to the Excursions of the Indians, a settlement formed in this part will be of great service to the said Province, in protecting their Frontiers as well as encouraging the further settlement of the said vast Tracts of vacant Lands, that as the Petitioners have proposed to form the said settlement without any Expence to the Crown, and as the authority cultivating the said Lands will be a means of encreasing your Majesty's Quit Rents and likewise of improving the trade and extending the Settlement of the said Province. The Lords of the Committee are therefore of Opinion that this Undertaking will be very much for your Majesty's service and the Interest of the Province, and that it may be advisable for your Majesty to comply with the request of the Petitioners and to order your Governour of North Carolina to grant to them the Land prayed for upon the conditions aforementioned and to take care in the Grants to be made for this purpose that no part thereof be already granted to any other person, and that he do insert a clause in the said Grants to make the same void as to so much of the said lands as shall not be settled within the space of ten years according to the proportion of one White Person for each two hundred acres of Land Together with a provisoe that till such time as the Crown shall think fit to resume the said lands as forfeited for want of being settled within the said Term of Ten years. The Grantee [has] been obliged to pay the Quit Rent for the same.

His Majesty in Council taking the said Report into consideration was pleased to approve thereof and to order as it is hereby ordered that the Surveyor General of his Majesty's Lands in North Carolina or his Deputy do lay out and survey the said one million two hundred thousand acres of land upon the heads of the Pedee Cape Fear and Neus Rivers in the manner proposed by the above Report.

A true Copy.
W. SHARPE.