Colonial Land Entries in North Carolina, 1735-1752. (Volume #1)

By: Dr. A.B. Pruitt, Pub. 1994, reprinted 2026, 356 pages, Index, soft cover, ISBN #978-0-94499-252-4. This book is the first in a series of books containing abstracts of surviving land entries or Claims in North Carolina during the colonial period. During this Colonial time of 1735-1752, the counties in the eastern half of the state such as Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Duplin, Edgecombe, Granville, Hyde, Johnston, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pasquotank, Perquimans, and Tyrell made up the bulk of all settlements. A land entry is a claim made to the appointed county entry taker by someone seeking a land grant from the state. To get a grant or patent from the State for unclaimed or vacant land, a person went to the county entry taker and described the land. The entry taker usually recorded the date, the person’s name, number of acres, nearby waterways, and neighboring land holders, indication of improvements on land and indications that counter claims or caveats were made against the entry. The entry taker then filled out a warrant of survey to the county surveyor. The warrant was an order to survey the land and usually described it the same as the entry. The surveyor usually made field notes. The warrant and surveyors were then sent to Secretary of State where he prepared the grant. Upon signing the grant, it was returned to the new owner, and he had to file it with the county clerk.