On February 15, 1860, John R. Roach of Pitt County sold James Roach of Craven County for thirty dollars all his interest in an undivided tract patented by the late John Grey Blount, then owned by the heirs of Garret Nelson, James Roach and others. John R. Roach held his share as an heir at law of the late Samuel J. Roach. The deed gives no acreage, county or courses.
The witnesses were James B. Roach and Charles M. Roach. Charles M. Roach proved the deed on August 29, 1860, before the clerk of the Beaufort County court, Wm. S. Lorden [?]. It was registered in Beaufort County in Book 31, page 298, and registered again in Book 34, pages 91 and 92, on May 27, 1869. The writer’s own words are kept as written below.
Deed from John R. Roach of Pitt County to James Roach, his undivided interest as heir of Samuel J. Roach in land patented by John Gray Blount – 1860
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.
This indenture Made and executed on on the
fifteenth day of Febuary —
one thousand Eight Hundred and
Sixty by and between James Roach
of the County of Craven and State
North Carolina on the one part
and John R Roach of the County of Pitt
and State of North of oursaid on
the other part. Witnesseth that
the said John R Roche for and
in Consideration of the Sum
of Thirty Dollars to him in hand
paid by the Said James Roach the
receipt whereof is hereby fully
acknowledged have granted
bargained and sold and by these
presents do grant bargain and sell
unto the Said James Roach all
my right title and interest in
and to a certain tract or parcel of
undivded land which was patent-
ed by the late John Grey Blount
and now owned by the heirs of
Garret Nelson. James Roach and
others which interest in said
land I do now hold as the heirs
at law of the late Samuel J
Roach Decd to have and to hold
the said land and premises
with all the improvements there-
unto belonging unto the said
James Roach his heirs, [and written above the line] assigns
forever — and the said John R Roach
for his part do warant and
forever defend the right — and
title to the lands hereby Conveyed
against the Lawful Claim or
claims of all persons Whatever —
In Testimony whereof I have
hereunto set my hand and
Seal the date and year above
Written
Signed Sealed & delivd }
in presence of thee [us written above the line] }
Test
James B Roach
Charles M Roach +
John. R. Roach (Seal)
State of No Carolina } Office of Clk County Court
Beaufort County } August the 29th 1860
Then was the foregoing deed
produced before me and the execution thereof duly
proven according to law by the oath of Charles M
Roach a Subscribing witness thereto Let it [struck through: it]
be registered
Wm. S. Lorden [?] Clk
[On the back:]
John R Roach
Deed to
James Roach
Regd in the Registers office
of Beaufort Co In
Book No 31 page
298 J. W. Reading [?]
Reg
Re-registered in Book
No. 34, pages 91 & 92, in
the Register’s Office of
Beaufort County, this
27th day of May, 1869.
Richd. Grainger [?]
Register
80¢ due.
About the original
The deed is written in a large, careful hand on lined paper, with the clerk’s certificate in a different hand below the signature. The docket and both registration notes are on the outside. “80¢ due.” is written in red ink at the foot of the outside.
“and” and “us” were added above the line. The deed calls the seller both John R Roach and John R Roche. The names of the Beaufort County clerk, of the first register (the same hand as on the 1857 Galloway deed in this folder) and of the 1869 register are hard to read and are marked with question marks. The small cross after Charles M. Roach’s name may be a clerk’s mark showing he swore to the deed.
The deed does not describe the land or give its acreage. It says the land was patented by the late John Gray Blount and was then owned in common by the heirs of Garret Nelson, James Roach and others, and that John R. Roach held his share as an heir at law of the late Samuel J. Roach. The deed was proved and registered in Beaufort County, which suggests the land lay there or near the Beaufort line; the paper does not name the county of the land. It was registered again in 1869.
James Roach had bought the share of William A. and Elizabeth Jane Galloway, also heirs of Samuel J. Roach, in 1857 (see that deed in this folder).
Source: Deed, John R. Roach to James Roach, 15 February 1860. 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.
