Swift Creek Timeline

Sara WhitfordOctober 10, 20260 comments

This is a running timeline of Swift Creek events that turn up in the records I’ve shared here on East Carolina Roots. By Swift Creek I mean the creek itself and the community that grew up along it in upper Craven County and lower Pitt County, around what we now call Vanceboro.

I want to be plain about what this is and what it isn’t. It is not a history of Swift Creek. My posts cover only a small part of what our ancestors and their neighbors lived through there, and there are huge gaps. It’s simply a way to put the documents I’ve posted in order, so we can see who was on the creek and when, and how one record sits next to another.

A lot of the entries are land records, because deeds and wills so often describe land as lying “on the north side” or “south side of Swift Creek.” Where a date is approximate, I’ve said so. Entries from posts link to the post where you can read the full transcription or see the images.

Entries or details marked Documented in my research; not yet on the site come from records in my own files that I haven’t shared here yet. I’ll add links as I post them.

I’ll keep adding to this as I post new records, and each new item will go in its place in the timeline. If you have a dated Swift Creek record, I’d love for you to share it in the comments, along with where you found it.

Colonial Era (1730s to 1775)

23 November 1732 — Lewis Bryan receives a patent for land on Swift Creek. It's the earliest dated Swift Creek record in my posts, known from his 1742 deed below. (Select Craven County Griffin Items)
1733 — Swift Creek appears on the Moseley map of North Carolina. (William Bright of Craven: There Were Two)
1730s and 1740s — I've found references to Swift Creek, or "Swifts Creek," in that part of Craven County going back to at least the 1730s, and records from the 1740s that mention "the inhabitants of Swifts Creek." (Anyone know about “Durgantown” as original name of Swift Creek / Vanceboro area?)
9 March 1736 — Randolph Fisher receives a land grant for 180 acres on a branch of Swifts Creek. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
21 December 1742 — Lewis Bryan sells Benjamin Griffin 100 acres on Swift Creek, joining Mauls Run. (Select Craven County Griffin Items)
About 1743 to after 1745 — James Roach marries Katherine Johnson at Swift Creek about 1743. He dies in 1745, and Katherine later marries Thomas Swaffer. (Notes relating to the estate of James Roach (d. 1745)) Documented in my research; not yet on the site
20 December 1744 — Randolph Fisher deeds his son George Fisher 183 acres "on which I now live" on Swift Creek and Beaver Dam branch, "for love and affection." Documented in my research; not yet on the site
20 April 1745 — Solomon Griffin receives a patent on Swifts Creek. Parts of it are sold over the next 30 years, in 1761, 1764, and 1776. (Select Craven County Griffin Items) Thomas Fisher received a land grant on Swift Creek at Bear Branch the same day. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
By the 1750s — The Anderson family is established on Swift Creek by at least the 1750s. (Jonas Anderson and Sarah Acklin are NOT your ancestors) John Anderson received a 556-acre patent on the south side of Swift's Creek on 27 September 1754, and on 17 September 1756 he and his wife Mary sold James Anderson 133 acres there for £10. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
27 February 1756 — A Baptist church at Swifts Creek is organized. Its 15 members are Joseph Willis, George Fisher, Abraham Warrin, James Willis, Samuel Willis, James Perdieu, Jacob Miller, Elizabeth Willis, Ann Miller, Mary Willis, Elizabeth Wane, Mary Fisher, Susanna Willis, Mary Warren, and Mary Miller, and Rev. Joseph Willis is its first minister. Source: Morgan Edwards, Materials Towards a History of the Baptists (North Carolina section, about 1772). Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1759 and 1767 — George Fisher receives land grants on Swift Creek on 3 March 1759, 24 March 1767, and 25 April 1767. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1 September 1759 — William Nelson receives a land grant on Swift Creek at "Permetto" (Palmetto) Swamp. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
26 December 1760 — Many Swift Creek area buyers, William Butler among them, purchase at the estate sale of John Padgett. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1761 — Mary Kearney sells John Speirs 100 acres on Swifts Creek, part of Solomon Griffin's 1745 patent, where she had formerly lived. The deed was proved in July 1764. (Select Craven County Griffin Items)
1764 — Solomon Griffin sells 79 acres on Swifts Creek to Thomas Bryan (9 June) and 100 acres on the east side of Swifts Creek and Mauls Run to Joseph Leech, a New Bern merchant (13 September). Neighbors named include Stockwell Bright and Jacob Miller. (Select Craven County Griffin Items) Other 1764 sales on the creek: Peter Conway of New Bern sold John Williams 200 acres on the south side of Swifts Creek (7 February); Valentine King bought 100 acres on the south side of Swift Creek and Swift Creek Swamp from John Gailer for £25; and Jacob Miller sold John Homes (Holmes) 100 acres on Swifts Creek at the upper end of the Crane Ponds for £8 (29 July). Documented in my research; not yet on the site
7 April 1764 — Arthur Butler is apprenticed to Thomas Swaffer at Swift Creek to learn the cordwainer's (shoemaker's) trade. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
14 November 1771 — John Anderson receives a land grant for 80 acres on the west side of Swift Creek, with Charles Anderson and John Anderson as chain bearers. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
11 April 1772 — James Coor, a New Bern trader, sells John Griffin 230 acres on Swifts Creek, joining John Hill and George Fisher. (Select Craven County Griffin Items)
1774 — Thomas Haslin is granted a patent on the south side of Swift Creek, on both sides of Bear Hold Swamp. We know it from later Morris deeds that divide it up. (Some MORRIS Deeds of Craven County, NC)

Revolution and the New State (1776 to 1799)

8 May 1776 — John Spiers sells William Lawly 100 acres on the east side of Swifts Creek, where Lawly was living, joining Stockwell Bright. (Select Craven County Griffin Items) A second deed between the same two men that year covered land on the west side of Swift Creek near Garrot Johnson's line. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1779 to 1782 — Thomas Fornes enters land on the north side of the Neuse River and the east side of Swift Creek on 10 February 1779; the grant is issued on 24 October 1782. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
March 1780 — Elisha Stafford sells Thomas Gwaltney land on the west side of Swift Creek, with Richard Hunley and William Gwaltney as witnesses. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
About 1781 — Capt. Augustin Spain's Revolutionary War militia company, along the Craven, Pitt, and Dobbs line, includes many Swift Creek men. David "Everett" (Averitt) is a sergeant, and John King, Henry Warren, John Nelson, and Micajah Bull are also on the list. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
27 November 1783 — Obediah Rountree sells William Jarrell 200 acres on the south side of Swifts Creek, "joining Baybush Pocoson and said Creek." (Jarrell (Gerrell) Research)
10 July 1784 — Richard Hunley sells land to Thomas Anderson. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
December 1785 — Jacob Anderson enters 100 acres for Charles Anderson on the south side of Swifts Creek in the Baybush pocosin, with Thomas Anderson and John James as chain bearers. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1786 — A tax list of the Swift Creek area of Craven County is taken. Much of the area later became part of Pitt County. The original was later torn into strips and filed by alphabet, so it may be incomplete or include other districts. I first shared Roger Kammerer's abstract in 2014 and later added high-resolution scans from the State Archives. (1786 Swift Creek Tax List)
1786 — A Pitt County list of taxables is recorded in census-style format. The names are nearly identical to the 1786 Swift Creek list, so it may well be the same community, but the list itself doesn't name Swift Creek. It's close enough that I count it as Swift Creek, though the list may have been closer to Gardnerville, up what is today Highway 118 toward Grifton. My ancestor Talbot Williams, who lived in the Swift Creek and Gardnerville area, is on both 1786 lists. (1786 List of Taxables for Pitt County (perhaps Swift Creek area?) | Williams Family of Calvert County, Maryland and Craven County, North Carolina)
9 August 1786 — Thomas Anderson receives a land grant on the south side of Swift's Creek in Piney Neck. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1 to 3 September 1786 — Neighbors from the Swift Creek community, including Charles Roach, James Roach, Isaac Gardner, the Gatlins, and John Anderson, sign a petition asking that the elderly and ailing William McIntosh and his wife be excused from taxes. (Petition for relief from taxes for William McIntosh and wife (1786))
September to December 1786 — Inhabitants of upper Craven County, David Averitt among them, petition against moving any part of Craven into Pitt. The General Assembly passes the bill anyway, apparently on 28 December 1786. The new line runs in part along Swift Creek Swamp to Isaac Gardner's ford. (A Bill for annexing part of the County of Craven to Pitt County (1786) | The Origins of Laban Morris) Several of the men who signed against annexation were from the Swift Creek area and what is now Gardnerville. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
25 February 1787 — Isaac and Thomas Anderson sell John Allen 100 acres on the west side of Swifts Creek at the upper end of Piney Neck, joining John Anderson. (Thomas Anderson and Isaac Anderson to John Allen (Deed) | Mapping Craven County with Edwin Averette)
March 1787 — William Bryan of Swift Creek is ordered to lay off a road from Allen's Mill to the road leading from Piney Neck to the landing. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
25 November 1789 — William Williams divides part of his 1785 grant on Palmetto Branch, "one of the branches that makes out of Swifts Creek," between John and Solomon Williams. (Research Hodge Podge, Part 1)
1792 — Levi Gatlin sells Elisha Jarrell 50 acres on the east side of Swift Creek Swamp, on the upper side of Creeping Swamp. (Jarrell (Gerrell) Research)
9 April 1792 — Thomas Anderson buys at the Swifts Creek estate sale of Charles Marshall. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
18 December 1794 — Joseph Palmer receives a land grant on the south side of Swift Creek. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1795 — Jacob Jarrell sells Benjamin Venters 50 acres on the north side of Swift Creek, on the west side of Creeping Swamp. (Jarrell (Gerrell) Research)

Early 1800s (1800 to 1829)

18 February 1800 — Samuel Willis sells William Morris 100 acres on the east side of Swift Creek and the south side of Palmetto Swamp for £35. William later sold the land to William Bright. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
February and April 1802 — Weeks Chapman sells James Clark Sr. 200 acres on the north side of Swifts Creek (3 February), and Clark sells James Clark Jr. 150 acres there two months later (3 April). (Research Hodge Podge, Part 1)
December 1804 — David Averitt, already living in Swift Creek by 1786, buys 100 acres on the south side of Swift Creek, with Joel Wall as witness. (The Origins of Laban Morris) He bought the land from George Charlton on 4 December 1804 for £100, with Joel Wall and Willey Charlton as witnesses. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1805 — Laban Morris first appears in Swift Creek records, on his marriage bond. (The Origins of Laban Morris)
17 January 1805 — Samuel Wiggins and Mary "Polly" Butler marry at Swift Creek by bond, with Charles James as bondsman. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1808 — Heirs of Jacob Johnson, an early settler of the Swift Creek community, petition to divide a tract of his land that his will didn't cover. (Petition by heirs of Jacob Johnson of Craven County, 1808)
April 1809 — The court orders the lands of John Mills of Swift Creek, whose estate had been in settlement since about 1804, divided among his heirs. They include 300 acres on the south side of Swift's Creek. The estate folder holds a map showing the Great Branch, the Little Branch, and Pollard's Swamp. (John Mills Estate Records (1809)) John Mills had died in 1804. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
13 September 1809 — Thomas Anderson and Elizabeth "Betsy" Averitt marry at Swift Creek by bond, with Charles Anderson as bondsman. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
3 January 1810 — Robert Bull sells Charles Roach 100 acres on the north side of Swifts Creek and the west side of Palmetto Swamp. (Research Hodge Podge, Part 1)
1814 — The heirs of Hardy Gatlin sell Laban Morris a 200-acre tract on the north side of Swift Creek and Mauls Swamp, bordering John Nelson. Laban sold it to Hiram Pollard in 1815. (Hardy Gatlin heirs sell land to Laban Morris – 1814 | The Origins of Laban Morris)
1814 — Thomas Anderson Sr. gives Thomas Anderson Jr. about 96 acres on the south side of Swift Creek in the Piney Neck area. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
13 August 1814 — David Averitt sells his son Enoch Averitt 100 acres on the south side of Swift Creek for $100. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1815 — James Mitchell of Swift Creek dies. Laban Morris and Frederick Pollard witnessed his will. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
6 January 1815 — The estate of Jesse Spears of Swift Creek is sold. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1817 — William Bryan, apparently the William Bryan of Swift Creek, dies. His probate folder includes accounts with many Swift Creek names. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
February and March 1819 — Abner Campbell sells William Griffin 203 acres on the south side of Swifts Creek. A few days later Ajax Campbell sells him 51 acres on the south side of Swifts Creek, beginning on Little Mill Run "below the little mill." (Select Craven County Griffin Items)
25 March 1820 — Isaac Gardner sells John Chapman 140 acres on the south side of Swifts Creek in two parcels, one along the creek and one in the Baybush pocoson. (Isaac Gardner to John Chapman (1820))
June 1820 — The grand jury recommends that two children of color, Morning Moor and Nancy Moor, who live "in the neighbourhood of Big Swift Creek near Bear Branch," be bound out as apprentices. (Apprentice Bonds for Free People of Color in Craven County (1769-1820))
23 March 1821 — Arthur Butler makes his will. It names Swift Creek landmarks like the Bay Bush, the Great Branch, and the Folly Bridge, and mentions land that "includes the old School house." The will was probated in August 1823. (Will of Arthur Butler of Craven County, 1823)
21 July 1822 — David K. Roach writes from Fort Hawkins, Georgia, to his mother, Polly Roach, in Swift Creek. He mentions other Swift Creek friends who had gone to Georgia. (David K. Roach sends a letter to his mother in Swift Creek)
20 July 1823 — Swift Creek residents, including Charles Butler, Polley Roach, James Campbell, John Fornes, Laban Morris, and Seth Chapman, hire Turner Nelson to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic for six months at the school house near Piny Grove mill. (Swift Creek residents hire Turner Nelson as teacher in 1823)
Mid-1820s to about 1830 — A number of Swift Creek families move west to Posey County, Indiana. Turner Nelson, Jordan Butler, and Ajax Campbell are there by July 1825, and more families from the Swift Creek and Chocowinity area follow around 1830. (Letter from Turner Nelson to James Roach – 1825 | Family Tree Fact Check: Turner Nelson and Hasel Nelson | Family Tree Fact Check: Elial Edwards)
19 July 1825 — Turner Nelson writes from Indiana to James Roach in Swift Creek. He boasts that Ajax Campbell will raise more corn that year "than I ever knew raised on one farm on Swift Creek" and urges Laban Morris to come west. (Letter from Turner Nelson to James Roach – 1825)
1828 — A list of Craven County people, mostly from the Swift Creek area, who owe debts to a local firm is drawn up. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
16 November 1828 — A coroner's inquest is held after David Kite (Kight) drowns in Swift Creek. He was last seen leaving the widow Sarah Averitt's house the day before. (David Kite drowns in Swift Creek – 1828) David Averitt had died earlier that year, in January 1828; his will and estate papers survive. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
26 February 1829 — Charles Kelly and Sally Pearce marry at the house of Joseph Bryan at Swift Creek, with Nathaniel Street, Esq., officiating. Documented in my research; not yet on the site

The 1830s and 1840s

1830 (issued 1833) — Samuel Wiggins enters a land grant in the Swift Creek area, with his sons Alexander and Joseph Wiggins as chain bearers. (Samuel Wiggins of Craven County)
19 December 1832 — Samuel Street sells John and William Morris a tract described as 520 acres, part of the old Thomas Haslin patent, on the south side of Swift Creek and both sides of Bear Hold Swamp. (Some MORRIS Deeds of Craven County, NC) The price was $800, and Elisha Griffin and Amon Joyner witnessed the deed. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
4 April 1833 — Mary L. Ellison marries John Bryan at Swift Creek, according to a notice in the Newbern Sentinel on 12 April 1833. They were the parents of Macon Bryan. (The Murder of Macon Bryan (ca. 1837-1899)) Documented in my research; not yet on the site
13 October 1834 — James Roach agrees that the Swift Creek neighborhood may build a school house on his land on the Greenville road, north of Charles Butler's. (James Roach allows for a school house to be built on his land in Swift Creek)
1836 — Charles Anderson dies. His widow, Lishy, petitions for her dower in his land on Swifts Creek in Piney Neck, adjoining Henry Anderson, John Morris, and Sally Witherington. (Charles Anderson (Craven County, 1836) – Widow’s petition)
Before 23 March 1837 — Joseph Bryan of Swift Creek has died by March 1837, when the Newbern Sentinel advertises his estate sale, with Farnifold Pearce as special administrator. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
3 June 1837 — Edward Nelson Sr. of Swift Creek makes his will, leaving land on Palmetto and Fork Swamp to his sons. It was probated at the November term, 1839. (Will of Edward Nelson, Sr. of Craven County)
1841 and 1842 — The 1841 and 1842 Craven County school censuses list Thomas Mason Williams in John Morris's household at Swift Creek. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
10 January 1842 — John B. Dawson sells Reuben Jarrell 170 acres on the north side of Swift Creek and Pollard's Swamp. It was land that came down from John Mills's estate and was sold at court in August 1826. (Jarrell (Gerrell) Research)
14 October 1843 — Alderson Ellison appears in postmaster appointment records at Swift Creek Bridge. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
21 May 1844 — The Newbernian names Swift Creek's delegates: Alderson Ellison, Thos. Morris, Spicer Lane, John Nelson, and Wm. Wadsworth. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
28 April 1846 — William Morris and his wife Susan sell James Adams of Pitt County land on the south side of Swifts Creek. (Two Deeds: William and Susan MORRIS to James ADAMS)
28 October 1846 — Farnifold "Furney" Gaskins sells Jesse Adams about 68 acres on the north side of the Neuse River and the east side of Swift Creek. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
About 1848 — Mary "Polly" (Butler) Wiggins dies. Her sons Frederick, Joseph, and Alex Wiggins, along with George Jarrell, buy at her estate sale, and Jesse Atkinson is administrator. Documented in my research; not yet on the site

Mid-1800s and the Civil War Years (1850 to 1865)

About 1850 — The Town of Vanceboro's website, and a few local books, say the village of "Durgantown" changed its name to Swift Creek around 1850. I haven't found any original document that uses the name Durgantown, while Swift Creek shows up in records from the 1730s on. (Anyone know about “Durgantown”?)
8 March 1850 — John Morris sells William Morris land on the south side of Swift Creek, part of the Thomas Haslin patent. (Some MORRIS Deeds of Craven County, NC)
November 1850 — The census of Swift Creek, Craven County, lists Laban Morris's household twice. Nancy Morris is in Laban's house on 6 November and in his son William's house on 9 November. (Who was Nancy MORRIS?)
9 December 1853 — William Morris sells William B. Morris 24 acres on the waters of Swift Creek. (Some MORRIS Deeds of Craven County, NC)
4 October 1859 — Southey Wetherington sells William B. Morris land on the south side of Swift Creek near the Bay Bush branch. (Some MORRIS Deeds of Craven County, NC)
24 July and 3 August 1861 — The Wiggins brothers, Joseph, Alexander, Dennis, and Frederick, trade shares of their inherited family land on the south side of Swift Creek, formally dividing the Samuel Wiggins and Arthur Butler family lands. (Samuel Wiggins of Craven County)
4 August 1861 — Charles Butler makes his will, dividing his land on the north side of Swift Creek among his sons. It mentions Butlers Ford, the Miery Branch, and neighbors Scott Spears and James Roach. (Various Wills and Abstracts mentioning BUTLER surname) Charles Butler died later in 1861. Documented in my research; not yet on the site

Later 1800s

5 February 1872 — Enoch Averitt and Laura Ann Smith marry at Swift Creek, with Bryan Heath as bondsman. Documented in my research; not yet on the site
1890 — Branson's North Carolina Agricultural Almanac lists Vanceboro, "formerly known as Swift Creek," with a population of 136. Under mills, it lists a steam corn mill at Swift Creek run by M. (Macon) Bryan. (The Murder of Macon Bryan (ca. 1837-1899))
January 1899 — Macon Bryan, merchant and mill owner, is assaulted at his home in Vanceboro and dies a few days later. (The Murder of Macon Bryan (ca. 1837-1899))

Add to This Timeline

If you have a dated record that belongs here, like a deed, will, court item, church or school record, letter, or newspaper item from the Swift Creek area, please leave it in the comments with your source. I'll add it in its place and update the date below.

Last updated: October 10, 2026