Survey for Thomas Swafford, 165 acres on Swift Creek – Craven County, about 1756

This survey was made on January 21, probably in 1756 (the last figure of the year is faint), for Thomas Swafford. It covers 165 acres on the north side of Swift Creek in Craven County. The land began at a red oak at the side of the creek swamp, ran along John Payne’s line to Williams Branch, and then followed the creek back to the start. The only neighbor named is John Payne. Chris[topher] Neale, deputy surveyor, made the survey, and Fran[ci]s York [?] and John Anderson were the chain bearers. The plat is drawn on the same sheet.

It is the earliest document in the Roach land records. Charles Roach bought 75 acres of this tract from Thomas Swaffer in 1778 (see the deed in this folder). The writer’s own words are kept as written below.

Survey for Thomas Swafford, 165 acres on Swift Creek – Craven County, about 1756

Transcription notes: spelling, capitalization and punctuation follow the original. Words in [square brackets] are editorial notes; [?] marks an uncertain reading and [illegible] marks words that could not be read.

[Plat at the top of the page, with these labels:]
Swifts Creek
Scale 100 po. to an Inch
Thomas Swafford
165 Acres
No 20 Et 80 po
No 60 Wt 70 po
No 32 Et 120 po
No 10 Wt 80 po

No Carolina
Craven County } Janry 21st 175[6?] Surveyed for Thomas
Swafford a piece of Land on the No Side of Swifts
Creek Begining at a Red Oak in the Side of the
Creek Swamp Runing thence No 20 Et 80 po to a white
Oak in John Payns line thence along his Line No 60 Wt
70 po to a Pine said Payns Corner thence along his
Line No 32 Et 120 po to a White Oak said Paynes other
corner then No 10 Wt 80 Pole to a Black Jack by the side
of Williams Branch thence So 65 Wt 120 po to a
Poplar at the mouth of Williams Branch then
Down the Various Courses of the Creek to the first
Station Containing 165 Acres

pr Chrisr Neale Depy Sur

[On the back:]
Fran.s York [?] } Chain Bearers
John Anderson

About the original

The survey is on one side of a single sheet. The chain bearers’ names are on the back. Ink from the plat and the survey text shows through on the back.

The last figure of the year is faint. It appears to be 1756. The plat of the Swafford–Roach dividing line filed with the 1772 receipt in this folder refers to Thomas Swafford’s patent as dated 23 May 1757.

Source: Survey for Thomas Swafford, 21 January 175[6?]. Roach Family Papers (#346), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, Box 1, Folder c (Land Records, 1728–1886). Collection guide. Digitized folder: ECU Digital Collections, 0346-b1-fc.

Images courtesy of East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University. View this item in ECU Digital Collections.

Part of the Roach Family Papers collection on East Carolina Roots.