Lenoir County, NC – Collections – Whitfield-Cobb Papers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHITFIELD – COBB PAPERS UNC – Chapel Hill – Southern Historical Collection – Collection #1708 The introduction to this Collection states there is little in the way of Cobb Papers in this Collection other than a 20th Century Cobb Will from Florida. Mostly there are papers of the Whitfield family of Wayne, Duplin, Dobbs, Lenoir and Craven Counties. There are a number of letters, which I did not transcribe due to a lack of time. FOLDER 1736-1796 PATENT 17 June 1736 - To WILLIAM SMITH – 1000 acres – NS Nuce on a high bank of Nuce, Indian Fort called Nocquahbrokea – for a yearly rent of 4 shilling for every 100 acres – back of patent says – above land at the mouth of Bear Creek END OF DOCUMENT INDENTURE 13 Jan 1747 – WILLIAM HERITAGE of Craven County executor of the last Will and Testament of GEORGE ROBERTS late of Craven Co – sells to WILLIAM TEAGUE of Johnston County – all the lands of ROBERTS not particularily mentioned in his Will – 120 pounds – tract in Johnston County on the SS of the Nuce – 320 acres – on river bank adj where GEORGE EILAND now lives – part of a 640 acre patent on ___ June 1741 WIT JAS. MACKIWEAN, SLOAN ?? HYATT Dec Court 1748 R. CASWELL, CC Registered Book 12 ?? p 112 – 12 Jan 1748 JOHN WEST, REG. NOTE: This land was near present day Woodington, Lenoir County END OF DOCUMENT INDENTURE 27 April 1747 – HENRY OWENS of Johnston County to ROBERT HINES – 140 acres – being a survey granted to HENRY OWENS in 1747 – SS Neuse below GEORGE ROBERTS – Beaverdam on the river signed by mark WIT ANTHY HERRING, ROGER CAMON, WILLIAM (X) HINES Copy made in Lenoir County on 21 March 1797 END OF DOCUMENT INDENTURE 10 – torn – 1796 – EDWARD HUTCHINGS of Craven County to PROBERT COLLIER of Lenoir County – 100 pounds – parcel in Lenoir County – NS Neuse, NS Loosing Swamp, adj ARNOLD – 150 acres – granted to ALEXANDER MITCHELL on 27 Sept 1756; another tract of 150 acres NS Nuce and NS of Loosing Swamp above the other tract adj ANTHONY STREET ARNOLD, JACK MITCHELL, JOHN HILSON a tract conveyed by WILLIAM MITCHELL heir to sd ALEXANDER MITCHELL to EDWARD HUTCHING on 24 Dec 1791 END OF DOCUMENT FOLDER 1801 – 1824 INDENTURE PROBART COLLIER of Lenoir County to WILLIAM CROOM - $4,200 – NS Neuce – both sides of Stoneyton creek including the plantation and stills where COLLIER now lives – beginning at the mouth of Big Branch where it empties into Stoneyton; adj STEPHEN WETHERINGTON, HODGES patent line, PHILLIPS corner, ELIZABETH TYLOR, WIGGINS line – 550 acres WIT JAMES INGRAM, THOS. COLLIER Back of instrument mentions CARRTHERS corner and JOHN JONES NOTE: forgot to write down date but would be 1800 or 1801 END OF DOCUMENT INDENTURE 25 Nov 1801 – JOHN CARRAWAY of Wayne County to ISOM UZZELL of Lenoir County - $800 – land in Wayne County – 367 acres – SS River, adj SASSER ?? WIT P. COLLIER NOTE: Instrument torn and in several pieces END OF DOCUMENT INDENTURE 6 Nov 1812 – no county given – ALEXANDER HINES to STEPHEN HINES - $210 – land which came to me from the death of my father, REUBIN HINES – SS of the Neuse in Wayne County WIT P. COLLIER, ELIZABETH COLLIER END OF DOCUMENT SURVEY 12 Dec 1759 – for CHARLES HINES – 68 acres in Dobbs County – SS Neuse, Great Marsh, HENRY OWENS, JOSHUA SARSNET END OF DOCUMENT INDNETURE 12 April 1824 – SAMUEL BUSHEE and wife ELIZABETH to NATHAN B. WHITFIELD and GEORGE WHITFIELD - $550 – whole of a tract on NS Nuse, upper side of mouth of Bear creek in Lenoir County which by will of EDWARD CARTER was devised to his grandson WILLIAM CARTER the son of JOHN CARTER from whom it descends to his sister the said ELIZABETH BUSHEE and to recover which from JOSEPH HINSON a tenant of said NATHAN B. WHITFIELD a writ in Ejectment has been ??? by said LEMUEL (sic) and ELIZABETH he signed, she used a mark WIT Wm. BLACKLEDGE ELIZABETH was examined Enrolled Lenoir County 17 April 1828 D CASWELL, REG NOTE: This instrument clearly uses both the name SAMUEL and LEMUEL END OF DOCUMENT LETTER – addressed to Mrs. Rachel Bryan Consort to Mr. John L. Bryan, Duplin (punctuation was added) Rachel was Mrs. Bryan and the other sister was Lucy Wooten. Mississippi Teritory Baldwin County, June 13, 1810 Dear Sisters, I think it a duty incumbent on me to wright to you by Brothers also to inform you that our family is in common health. I hope this letter will find you both and familys the same. I read Mr. Bryans and Brother Edmonds letters the other day and was truly sorry to hear of the sickness in Carolina when brother billy returned from the fort the other day with the letters. The first thing he told me was that my poor dear Cousin nancy Cobb was dead. O my dear sisters what horrow stock me to hear such news so many deaths in Carolina. O sisters how I feal to think we may have one or the other of us it may be the same with us and O that we could be prepared to go that long home. My dear sister Bryan I am sorry to here of your loss your blessed bade is gone to reast. I hope he has taking a happy turn. I should be glad to know whether the Dear little creture could walk or know before he dide. I hope your Dear little guirs keeps well and harty. O my dear sister Lucy I hear you have a sweet little guirl . O that I coude see her you and Mr. Wooten must give her 100 kisses for me. Tell Allen a little dog ?? his aunty wants to see him mity bad she has not got nothing to send him. You must hug him and kiss him for me my Dear little chidlren keeps pretty well now. We are know a living on the tom becbee river, a short mile below brother Needham.. He lives right upon the bloof of the river it is cald the oven bloof. It is a beautiful place. He tends over the river and so do we live about a half mile of from the river in the pine wood in a little log house with a clay floor. We have about 45 acres in corn and is got 25 acres more to plant and I never saw such fine corn grow before in my life. I know there is not one guard in Carolina to equil mine according to the age of it. My guarding is in the cain break it is not been planted but about 6 weeks and now we have a greatly plenty of collards and beens, simblins, cucumbers, beets to eat and a fine choice of onions, one lettice. I want you to tell my dear father and mam about my guard in. I also have a ery nise bed of spavevgrass??. O my sisters this country is worth 4 or 4 of Carolina. The range is very good indeed. I never saw as many cattle in my life as one of our neighbours is got. The cows have havs calves at 2 years. Oats ?? the country hears what I have seen are very broken all but the rich land. I don’t like it so well on that account except that I like the country very well. O my dear sisters if I had some of you here I don’t think you think as much of me as I do of you else you would try to come to this cuntry knowing that it would be so much to your interest. People may live here upon half work you must ask brother of all the particulars. I can’t right them. Don’t persuaid my brothers to stay long for they are more to us than all the rest of the people here. The time seems very long in their absence. O my sisters when I think sseriously about you it grieves me to think I am here a lone but O sisters you and brothers feel mighty near to me but not like my dearest Father does. I am now in a flood of tear to think there is no probality of my ever seeing him again nor perhaps none of you. O you don’t know how you would feel if you thought you never should see our Dear father again but when I think it is his wish for me to be here and seeing so fine a cuntry to I try to reconcile my self and I know if we don’t make out well here with good luck we coude not their. I some times has a glimmerling hope that sister hepsibah will marry and come here if she is not now and that gives me a little satisfaction. Tell her my hopes all lies upon her in coming to this cuntry. Common stripe cloth sells here at 3 quarters of a dollar a yd white 6 shillings mist ?? dollar but it is not very redy sale. The people here is got very much in the way of making homespun spinning wheel sell for 6 dollars a pice, looms 14 dollars, every thing is have to be had here. I don’t think it will bee so long every once and a while. I have a traids man that come and of course their work won’t come so high. I do suppose by all accounts their never was so many people travel the wilderness before as has this winter. We very often have Indians here at our house a traiding baskets, tools and many things. Tell mam if she was here with her poaltry she might most make a little fortune upon them. Tell mam and aunt Sally I want them here to set off the tom bechbee river in their manner of living and raising poaltry, making homespun. You must read aunt Sally letter for more information. You will plese to excuse my aucwardness bad wrighting and spelling blooting. Tell Mr. Bryan and Mr. Wooten if they were to see this fine cuntry the fertility of the soil the good range, fine stock they would cuit their sand hills and come to this noble tom bechbee river. Now I must lay down my pen. Pleese to give my best love and respects to Mr. Bryan and Mr. Wooten and my fear father and mam and cousin Bryan Whitfield and cousin betsy and cousin rachel Herring and betsy croom and also you both and your dear little children will except of my best loe and friendship give them a kiss round for me. So no more a preasant but I remain your sinsear friend and well wisher. I think this letter is from Sally Hatch, at least her name is at the bottom of the page along with Mrs. Rachel Bryan and Mrs. Lucy Wooten. FOLDER 1832 – 1846 There are several letters in this folder to JAMES B. WHITFIELD from various relatives – some are difficult to read. One letter was from his brother, NAATHAN B. WHITFIELD, Marengo Co, Ala on 3 April 1840 FOLDER 1852 – 1925 NOTE: The below indenture was in the wrong folder but it has now been moved INDENTURE 14 Feb 1757 Johnston County – WILLIAM TEAGUE of sd County to ROBERT HINES – 60 pounds sterling – two tracts adj to each other – SS Nuse – first tract being patented by HENRY OWNES – on Beaverdam – 142 acres; the 2nd tract – patented by JOSHUA SARSNETT – adj HENRY OWNES – 100 acres WIT AMES (x) WILSON, ABRAHAM (x) WILSON, WILLIAM (x) HINES Co Court May Term 1757 CHARLES YOUNG, CC Copied in Lenoir County on 2 March 1797 END OF DOCUMENT LETTER FROM NATHAN BRYAN WHITFIELD OF DEMOPOLIS TO HIS NIECE RACHEL WHITFIELD WHO WAS LATER MRS. JAMES H. McRORY of Florida mother of Whitfield McRory and grandmother of George W. McRory. There was a steel engraving of Gaineswood on the original letter. This letter is significant because it describes the building of Gaineswood which is one of the grandest homes in Alabama and is today open to the public. Whitfield moved to Demopolis from Lenoir County where he did VERY well. Gaineswood, April 1, 1861 My dear Rachel, I sent you a communication not long since which I fear you did not receive and must have miscarried in the mail. I now write and send you an engraving of the house and grounds of Gaineswood which I hope you will receive in safety and good order. You will perceive that there are many alterations since you went away – the new portico front on the North and the pond or lake which has been dug out and is now watered by the artesian well which is bored just north of the pantrys which have been removed farther back and in their place is a family bed room which has a circular gallery as seen in the engraving. I have the house nearly complete, having just got through with the painting and papering. The parlor and dining room are also changed in effect by adding dome lights to the ceilings, which are very beautiful. The large drawing room is now complete and, I think is the most splendid glass chandelier of 12 kerosene burners made by Messrs. Cornelius and Baker of Philadelphia after a draught of my own. The trees in the grounds have grown very much and alter the appearance of the lace very much. I expect to commence putting up my gates today, and the fencing of the grounds will soon follow. I am boring another Artesian well just north of the smoke house and want to have it at least 1000 feet which, I think, will throw the water in the upper chambers of the house. As regards the family we are all very ell. Betsy, wife and little Nathalie are all that are at home. Edith is in Richmond at school. Nathan is engineering on the Selma and Gulf railroad. Needham is in Livington, and Bryan still at Mr. Formes, has two children, a daughter Betsey and sone Jesse ??. Our little Nathalie commenced walking about three days ago and begins to talk. She is a very promising child and I think will make quite a handsome woman if she lives. There is nothing new in Demopolis and no very important changes since your left. We expect to have the railroad from Selma to Vicksburgh completed from Selma to this place by Jan. 1 next. Mr. Thos. Beard is our minister now Mr. Hanson having returned to Bienville ?? to preach. I presented our church with a very beautiful stained chancel window a few days ago, and had the pulpit lowered all for which has added very much to the appearance inside. Cousin Andrew Bryan who married Bettie’s sister Sarah has gone to Housekeeping in the Methodist parsonage which he has bought and fitted up very handsomely. Jimmy George, brother James’s son has been out here some time sparking Susan Croom. They are here now and I am inclined to think he will knock young Gaius’ nose out of joint. Old Aunt Polly Bryan comes up occasionally to see us. She and her son are getting on in the same way as when you were here. Sister Mary Anne and her family are still at the same place. Her boys are nearly all grown and her husband is as fat as a bear. Cousin Jno. Collier is in very bad health from dispepsia and will hardly recover. My best regards to your husband and kiss your little boys for me. With continued love, I am Truly your affectionately, Nathan B. Whitfield There is a folder with various clippings. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Martha Mewborn Marble - mmarble@erols.com ___________________________________________________________________