1755-1756 Edgecombe NC 

Neighborhood of Charles Blackard I

When Edgecombe Precinct was first formed from Bertie County in northeastern North Carolina on the Virginia line, a man named Edward Mosely received deeds for vast tracts of land (over 13,000 acres) there starting in 1728-1733. The name Edgecombe was used for many years before this area officially became a separate county. Later after Edgecombe County and Granville County were formed from this precinct, John Alston (sheriff of Chowan County) and Samuel Williams received deeds for additional tracts of land and appear to have purchased some of the Moseley land in 1735-1758. These tracts appear to have been subdivided and resold numerous times in the following years and the area where Charles Blackard was recorded evenually became Halifax County. After a famous legal battle with the governor of NC, where Moseley accused the governor of harboring the pirate Blackbeard, it appears that Moseley moved north across the state line into Brunswick and Lunenburg, Virginia.

Currently, the first known record of our ancestor Charles Blackard I was as an assistant on a survey for Samuel Williams near the Granville/Edgecombe County line in NC in 1755-56. Samuel Williams made several land purchases and this is the only one that Charles assisted with, therefore, Charles probably lived in the immediate area.

Charles was not recorded on the 1754 Granville militia list or the 1755 Granville tax list however he was on two different Granville County tax lists in 1757 which may indicate that he owned 2 tracts of land there. Therefore, he was probably living in Edgecombe County prior to 1757 while he was working for Samuel Williams.

His son WIlliam was born earlier in Virginia sometime in 1733-1754. His son Charles Blackard II was born in 1755 in either Virginia or Edgecombe County, NC.

Also an earlier deed in 1748 appears to connect the same families and lie in exactly the same area as the Williams deed. This 1748 deed names a J. Blacker who was very likely another Blackard who we do not currently know of.

By connecting various names in common on multiple land deeds we can determine who all lived in this area near J. Blacker and Charles Blackard I in Edgecombe.

• 1748 deed to Robert Brinkley on Conway Creek (aka Little Fishing Creek) names J. Blacker as witness.
• 1749 deed to John Lett on Conway Creek (aka Little Fishing Creek)
• 1755 survey for Samuel Williams on Reedy Creek & Fishing Creek (joins Little Fishing Creek near county line) names Charles Blackard as sworn chain carrier.

This puts J. Blacker and Charles Blackard in the same neighborhood.

• The 1748 deed named a James Lett, possibly son of William Lett of Barbados.
• The 1749 deed was made to a John Lett
• The 1755 survey named a John Lett, possibly brother of James Lett. Both names occur in the 1718 will of William Lett of Barbados.
• The 1755 deed names surveyor John Haywood, born near Christ Church/St. Michaels, Barbados border in 1685.

This possibly connects 3 men from Barbados to the 3 deeds in the above neighborhood. Samuel Williams appears to have been born in York County, Va, however, another part of the Welsh Williams family lived in Barbados. There seemed to have been very active trade between Virginia, North Carolina and Barbados at this time.

• The 1748 deed to Robert Brinkley named James Lett.
• The 1756 survey to Samuel Williams named John Lett.
• A 1759 deed from John Lett to Robert Brinkley named Samuel Williams as witness. Lett bought this land in 1749

This connects the owners of all 3 deeds Williams-Brinkey-Lett and puts them in the same area.

Also in 1756 a deed to John Kimbrough was made in the same place on Reedy Creek & Fishing Creek. This 1756 deed names Issac Hudson from Lunenburg, VA where many of the settlers that move into Granville and Edgecombe may have originated. Later a man named Job Self appears to be connected to th Blackards. Job Self married Ann Hudson. This land was surveyed by Sherwood Haywood, son of John Haywood.

A 1757 deed in the same place names John Hudson. Hudson(aka Hutson) is another name that was recorded in Barbados.

Places named:
Conway Creek/Little Fishing Creek
Reedy Creek
(Great) Fishing Creek
Pine Branch

People named: < Reference Chart >
James Alston
Robert Brinkley
J. Blacker
Charles Blackard
Edwd Smithwick
James Lett
William. Gilbert
Colonel John Haywood
Colonel Edward Moseley
Capt. Jos. John Alston
Samuel Williams  
Isaac Hudson
Edward Young
John Hudson
John Cook

1741 Jos John Alston grant

1745 - Edgecombe grant to James Alston

1748 Jos John Alston sold land

1748 J. Blacker (NC)

• Edgecombe County NC Fishing River District Land Grant witnessed by J. Blacker

Possibly a father or brother of Charles Blackard. However, he may also be a stray from the Prussian Blocker family of southeastern NC, but their family researchers don’t believe so.
Conway Crk is in the same waterway called Little Fishing Creek in the 1756 Charles Blackard survey for Samuel Willams..
James Lett and John Lett in the 1756 survey are from the same family.
Brinkley’s property was close to Williams’ and Lett’s.
 

1749 John Lett

1756

1756 John Kimbraough plat
Misc Land  Office Papers
Plat: 22 April 1756
396 Edge in fork of Fishing Creek adj said fork the side of Redy Creek, Capt young
SCC James Neale, Isaac Hudson

1757

1757 James Alston 640 A in Edgecombe in Parish of Edgecombe on SS Reedy Creek
adj Youngs Corner, Fishing Creek, Reedy Creek
Surveyed by Sher Haywood
SCC Edward Young, John Hudson

1757 Charles Blackard first appears on Granville Tax List

1759

1759 Brunswick Co VA Deed from William Hudson

William Hudson of Maherrin Parrish in Brunsiwck Co to Thomas Duglass Irby of Prince George Co
170 A on BS Cattail Creek which Hudson bought from

1759 Halifax Co NC Deed - Lett to Brinkley