This quitclaim deed, dated 1868 with the day and month left blank, was drawn up for Charles M. Roach, William S. Roach and James Roach of Craven County to give up, for twenty-four dollars, their claim to 50 acres on Big Swift Creek in Craven County to the other heirs at law of James Roach, deceased. Those heirs were Levi L. Wayne and his wife Louisa, Berry Nelson and his wife Elizabeth, Mary Vincent and Nancy Roach, all of Craven County; Calvin Cox and his wife Lovy of Pitt County; and four minor heirs, Charley B. Cox and Lovy L. Cox of Pitt County and Avanetta [?] A. Lancaster and Joseph [?] L. Lancaster of Brunswick County.
The land adjoined Nancy Chapman, Lewis Spier and the heirs of Benjamin Bentley [?]. It began at a swamp pine on the side of the Bay-bush Pocosin and ran to Arthur Butler’s second corner in a branch. The paper was never signed or witnessed and has no court or registration note. The writer’s own words are kept as written below.
Quitclaim deed (unsigned) from Charles M. Roach, William S. Roach and James Roach to the other heirs of James Roach deceased, 50 acres on Big Swift Creek – Craven County, 1868
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 on the day of
A.D. 1868. between Charles M. Roach William S
Roach and James Roach of the County of Craven
and State of North Carolina of the first part
and Levi L. Wayne & wife Louisa, Berry Nelson & wife
Elizabeth, Mary Vincent and Nancy Roach of
the County aforsaid, and Calvin Cox & wife Lovy
of the County Pitt all heirs at Law of James
Roach deceased. and Charley B. Cox and Lovy
L. Cox of the County of Pitt and Avanetta [?] A. Lancas-
ter and Joseph [?] L. Lancaster of the County
of Brunswick, the four last named minor heirs
at Law of James Roach deceased. all of the
State aforesaid of the Second part.
Witnesseth that the said Charles M. Roach William
S. Roach and James Roach for and in Considera-
tion of the sum of Twenty four dollars in hand
paid by the said parties of the second part at
the time of executing these presents, the receipt whereof
is hereby acknowledged, have granted, bargained
Sold, and quit claimed, and by these presents
do grant, bargain, Sell, Convey and quit Claim
unto the said parties of the second part
their heirs Administrators and assigns a
Certain piece or parcel of Land in the County
of Craven and State aforesaid, on the Big Swift
Creek adjoining the lands of Nancy Chapman,
Lewis Spier, and the heirs at law of Benjamin Bentley [?]
Bounded as follows to wit; Beginning at a
Swamp Pine on the side of the Bay-bush Pocosin
and runs S. 20 E 40 poles ————
to a Stake in a branch Arthur Butlers second
Corner, thence with said branch S. 73 E
18 poles, thence S 84 E 20 poles, thence N. 84
113 poles to a Stake at a poly Bridge across said
branch, thence N. 18 E 30 poles, thence No 17 West
34 poles to the Bay-bush Pocosin, thence with the
windings of said Pocosin to the beginning, Cont-
aining Fifty Acres more or less; To have
and to hold the above bounded lands and
premises, unto the said parties of the second
part their heirs, Administrators and assigns
forever. And the said parties of the first
part, have given, granted released and
quit Claimed, and by these presents, do give
grant, release, and quit Claim unto the
the said parties of the second part their
heirs Administrators and assigns all their
right, Claim, interest and property in and
to the said tract of land forever
In testimony whereof the said parties of the
first part have hereunto set their hands
and seals, the date and year first above
written.
About the original
The deed is written on two pages of lined paper with an embossed stationer’s mark in the upper corner. The day and month were left blank, and there are no signatures, witnesses or registration, so this may be a draft or an unused copy.
The first names of the two Lancaster children are hard to read; they are given as Avanetta and Joseph with question marks. The surname of the last neighbor is read as Bentley with a question mark. The fourth course (“N. 84”) has no east or west written after it.
“poly Bridge” is written as it appears; it may mean a pole bridge.
Source: Quitclaim deed, heirs of James Roach, 50 acres, 1868. 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.
