Land Grant No. 484 - Let's Read the Document Correctly
At this time, I would like to clear up confusion on the North Carolina State Grant for #484 Cold Water Creek and the reference within the document to Newbern/New Bern, N.C. For years, the document has been wrongfully construed as George Plott concluding business in Newbern/New Bern. Sometime around 1935 to 1945, a Plott family researcher found this Land Grant #484 in the N.C. Archives, and incorrectly interpreted and “piecemealed” their wrong interpretation of the land grant into the story of George’s voyage to America by him migrating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to New Bern and Bute County (now Franklin County and Warren County), N.C.; of which, both locations are false information for George. The document is a 'run-on' statement on the behalf of the State of North Carolina and its actions to grant George Plott the property through its government office in New Bern. “State of North Carolina No. 484 ...have given & Granted ...unto Sd George Plot ...and Yielding (the State of North Carolina's interest) Urgeadfinem (Latin meaning to call to an end) at Newbern, meaning, that the State of North Carolina issues a grant at or through its Newbern/New Bern office; thus, calling to an end its interest in the property being granted to George Plott.” Many, many North Carolina State grants have this very same phrase written within the documents. The document has been read from the bottom to the top. We need and must read the document from the top or beginning to the bottom or end.
This is the document that folks have been using that George Plott was in New Bern, N.C. Unfortunately, it has been read incorrectly. George Plott was not concluding business in New Bern, N.C.; however, the State of North Carolina was granting George Plott property in Mecklenburg County through the government office in New Bern, N.C.
State of North Carolina
(Page 668 in Deed Book 12)
No. 484
To all to whom these presents Shall come Greeting ---------
Know ye that we for and in Consideration of the sum of Fifty Shillings
for every hundred acres hereby Granted paid into our Treasury by
George Plott have given & granted and by these presents to give and
grant unto the said George Plott a tract of land Containing One
hundred & Twenty five acres lying & being in our County of Mecklenburg
on a branch of Coldwater Creek Beginning at a black oak on his own old corner
Turning thence N° 53 Et 68 poles to a Small W.O. (white oak) Cathrene Dryes corner
thence with her line Et 27 poles to a small Hickory Robt W. Hilles corner
on said line then with said Hills line S° 1 Wt 106 poles to a black jack & pine Grubs hills
other corner then with his other line S° 28 Wt 96 poles Crossing said branch
to a stake another another (corner) of said Hills then with Isaac Loftons land
Wt 119 poles to Crossing & branch to a black jack then N° 64 poles to a stake
then N° 45 Et with his own old line to the Beginning as by the
plat here annexed doth appear together with. To hold to the said
George Plott Yeilding & Urgeadfinem at Newbern the Second
Day of November the Ninth year of our Independency A.D. 1784
By his Excelly's Com'd
Alex Martin
J. Glasgow, Secretary
Recorded in the Secretary's Office
Apearce pro Secretary
(Page 668 in Deed Book 12)
No. 484
To all to whom these presents Shall come Greeting ---------
Know ye that we for and in Consideration of the sum of Fifty Shillings
for every hundred acres hereby Granted paid into our Treasury by
George Plott have given & granted and by these presents to give and
grant unto the said George Plott a tract of land Containing One
hundred & Twenty five acres lying & being in our County of Mecklenburg
on a branch of Coldwater Creek Beginning at a black oak on his own old corner
Turning thence N° 53 Et 68 poles to a Small W.O. (white oak) Cathrene Dryes corner
thence with her line Et 27 poles to a small Hickory Robt W. Hilles corner
on said line then with said Hills line S° 1 Wt 106 poles to a black jack & pine Grubs hills
other corner then with his other line S° 28 Wt 96 poles Crossing said branch
to a stake another another (corner) of said Hills then with Isaac Loftons land
Wt 119 poles to Crossing & branch to a black jack then N° 64 poles to a stake
then N° 45 Et with his own old line to the Beginning as by the
plat here annexed doth appear together with. To hold to the said
George Plott Yeilding & Urgeadfinem at Newbern the Second
Day of November the Ninth year of our Independency A.D. 1784
By his Excelly's Com'd
Alex Martin
J. Glasgow, Secretary
Recorded in the Secretary's Office
Apearce pro Secretary
The N.C. Archives and the Craven County Historical Society have no record of George Plott being in New Bern, N.C. Unfortunately, previous Plott genealogists interpreted the document incorrectly. The writer of this article casts no disparaging comments to the previous Plott genealogist(s). I can only simply say that with modern technology, we are able to study archive documents at home without time restraints; thus, we are able to interpret the document correctly.
Has the Craven County Genealogical Society-New Bern been asked to research for George Plott in their regional records? Yes. Here was the response, “I spent a number of hours yesterday at the Register of Deeds and the public library Kellenberger Room looking up information on the Palatines, early deeds, etc. I did not find your George Plott in the grantor or grantee indexes for early deeds or in the books relating to early German and Swiss settlers in New Bern. I specifically looked for the early immigrants and their occupations for it is clear that the all types of trades were needed to survive living in a new land. I wish that I could be of more help but have exhausted the resources that are readily available in Craven County. Judy Nelson”.
Has the Craven County Genealogical Society-New Bern been asked to research for George Plott in their regional records? Yes. Here was the response, “I spent a number of hours yesterday at the Register of Deeds and the public library Kellenberger Room looking up information on the Palatines, early deeds, etc. I did not find your George Plott in the grantor or grantee indexes for early deeds or in the books relating to early German and Swiss settlers in New Bern. I specifically looked for the early immigrants and their occupations for it is clear that the all types of trades were needed to survive living in a new land. I wish that I could be of more help but have exhausted the resources that are readily available in Craven County. Judy Nelson”.
"This General Assembly met in New Bern - October 25th to November 26th in 1784." The date of the land grant was November 2, 1784.
Most likely, George Plott was NOT in Newbern, NC; however, the general Assembly business office was and that is where Governor Alex Martin, his secretary, issued the land grant to George Plott.
Most likely, George Plott was NOT in Newbern, NC; however, the general Assembly business office was and that is where Governor Alex Martin, his secretary, issued the land grant to George Plott.
Unless documented proof is found and/or released,George Plott was NEVER in New Bern, N.C.
It needs to be mentioned that prior to the American Revolution all of the states were under British rule, including North Carolina. Once the colonists won the American Revolution, for years the citizens took great pride in their new country and independence from England, as so much they commented in documents. Within this land grant, the final line, the officials make comment of the American independence, “...The Second Day of Nov. in the Ninth year of our Independency A.D. 1784.” This land grant #484 was signed by the then governor, Alex (Alexander) Martin.
It needs to be mentioned that prior to the American Revolution all of the states were under British rule, including North Carolina. Once the colonists won the American Revolution, for years the citizens took great pride in their new country and independence from England, as so much they commented in documents. Within this land grant, the final line, the officials make comment of the American independence, “...The Second Day of Nov. in the Ninth year of our Independency A.D. 1784.” This land grant #484 was signed by the then governor, Alex (Alexander) Martin.
What is a land grant and how did George Plott obtain land grants?
A land grant was the issuing, meaning the transferring of land ownership from the then government (be it by Colonial British or post American Revolution State) to a person or group of people. More than likely, the land was a ‘newly’ sectioned parcel and was granted freely for militia service or at a nominal cost. In order for George Plott to have obtained a land grant, he would have had to find a vacant land or tract of land, which he did two times in Mecklenburg/Cabarrus County on Coldwater Creek. After he decided upon the property, he ventured to the county land office, filed a claim for the property, paid a nominal fee and gave a simple land description. The government would allow a time period to see if anyone else had or were claiming the same land tract. If no one else claimed or disputed George's claim, a land surveyor would have visited the property, spoken to George on where George staked the boundaries, so that an accurate survey could be drawn. Once the survey was completed, the land grant document was filled in with the property description provided by the surveyor. In general, land grants were written or filled out by a secretary (a clerk) for the governor; however, the sitting governor would sign the land grant.