William Grant of Dobbs (Wayne) Co, NC

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·        27 May 2008 – Reformatted by Marty Grant.

Here are all the records I've found (so far) on William Grant of old Dobbs Co, NC (now Wayne Co, NC).

Hardy Carneile sold land (or other property) to William Grant ca 1746-1750 in Dobbs (then Johnston, now Wayne) Co, NC.  (Dobbs Co, NC Deed Book 1 page 51 1746-1750)

We know that William Grant lived on Buck Swamp based on several records, the first of which is where on 12 Oct 1754 he and William Hooks (remember that name, it will pop up again later) were listed as neighboring land owners on a land entry for James Bradbury for 400 acres on the lower side of Little River, between William Grant and William Hooks including Buck Swamp. (Dobbs Co, NC Entries and Warrants 1741-1757 pg 344)

We can assume that the 1746-1750 deed from Hardy Carneile was when William Grant purchased his Buck Swamp land, as no earlier record has been located (so far).

On 29 Sep 1756, William Grant was again listed as an adjoining land owner on Buck Swamp, this time for a Patent to John Ballard for 300 acres on the north side of Little River in Buck Swamp "adjoining William Grant". (Colony of North Carolina Land Patents 1735-1764 Book 15 page 183).

On 1 Sep 1759 James Bradberry was patented 350 acres on the west side of Little River adjoining William Grant and William Hooks. This may have been for the land he entered in 1754, though the acreage was different. (Colony of North Carolina Land Patents 1735-1764 Book 16 page 287).

On 15 Nov 1762 William Grant received a 140 acre Patent on Buck Swamp, "Clayey Branch". Neighbors included "Easternling" and Moses "Ruter". (Colony of North Carolina Land Patents 1735-1764 Book 15 page 454).

On 22 Apr 1763, William Grant was mentioned as a neighbor for a Patent to Moses "Retter" (same person listed above as "Ruter", probably). This was on Buck Swamp, Clayey Branch also. (Colony of North Carolina Land Patents 1735-1764 Book 15 page 504).

On 9 Nov 1764 William Grant received another patent, this one for 200 acres on "Buck Branch", which I have to assume is the same as "Buck Swamp", though I could be wrong. Neighbor was named as David Worell, and the Patent adjoined his (William Grant's) own land. (Colony of North Carolina Land Patents 1735-1764 Book 17 page 108).

The 1769 Dobbs Co, NC Tax list shows three different men named William Grant listed. Each was listed with only 1 white taxable. Unfortunately no location data was given. One of these was our William Grant under study here (of Buck Swamp), the next one was William Grant of Walnut Creek, probably a son of John Grant of Walnut Creek. The last William Grant was the one who owned land in what is now Lenoir Co, NC.

John Grant sold land (or other property) to William Grant circa 1769-1771. I'm quite sure this deed is not for the William Grant under study here, but for the William Grant of Walnut Creek instead. Unfortunately, only the deed index remains, so we can't check to see if this was a deed of gift (father and son) or something else. However, William Grant sold this land in 1795 stating it was the same land that Robert Hines had sold to John Grant. This proves it was not the William Grant of Buck Swamp, but rather William Grant of Walnut Creek. (Dobbs Co, NC Deed Book 8 page 135 1769-1771)

On 11 Dec 1770 a William Grant received a patent for 200 acres on the Neuse River and Contentney Creek. I'm quite sure this is not the William Grant under study here (of Buck Swamp), but another William Grant instead, as this land was all the way across modern Wayne County and Lenoir County near the Craven and Pitt County borders. (Dobbs Co, NC Crown Patents 1759-1775 Book 20 page 599)

On 23 Sep 1773 William Grant made his Will in Dobbs Co, NC. He named Jane Brodie as Executrix, and Thomas Scott as Executor. He named no wife or children, so it can be inferred that he was unmarried (single, or widowed with no children). Witnesses were William Hooks and John Tilten. You will remember that William Grant of Buck Swamp had a neighbor named William Hooks based on the 1754 land patent which mentioned both of them. The Will was proven 11 Nov 1773, so we can determine that William Grant died sometime between September 23rd and November 11th, 1773. (Dobbs Co, NC Will Abstracts).

Starting about this time, there were other records found for William Grant in Dobbs Co, NC, but in each case they are one of the other two William Grant's, since we know this one was dead.

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