Tar River Connections Genealogical Society

Preserving the history and genealogy of the North Carolina counties of Person, Vance, Granville, Franklin, Nash, Edgecombe, Pitt and Beaufort— Tar River Connections was formed in 1996 to work to “preserve the past for the future” in the northeastern North Carolina counties through which the Tar River flows.This area is known as the Tar River Basin.

• Tar River Basin Precincts and Counties
• Membership and Meetings
• Newsletter
• Family Bibles along North Carolina's Tar River
• The Rest of The Story
• Falls of the Tar Primitive Baptist Church
• Zion's Landmark Article Index
• Projects
• Valuable Information from Nash County
• Links to Other Tar River Basin Sites
• Contacts

The area of present-day North Carolina was included in several English grants and charters beginning in 1578. In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh made his first attempt to form settlement on Roanoke Island but the settlers returned to England in 1586. A second expedition came to Roanoke Island in 1587. John White, the governor, returned to England for supplies and when he returned in 1590, the colony had disappeared. Gradual settlement continued as early inhabitants of southern Virginia areas, and later, New England, drifted down into North Carolina to explore, trade, hunt, and trap. The area was hospitable with its temperate climate, its several navigable waterways, and its fertile land.

The first North Carolina county was Albemarle which originated in 1663 when Charles II issued a charter granting Carolina to eight of his friends: John Berkeley, Sir William Berkeley, Sir George Carteret, Sir John Colleton, Anthony Ashley Cooper, William Craven, Edward Hyde, and George Monck. The original charter included the area from Virginia to Florida (between 31o and 36o north latitude). By the end of that year, Albemarle county had been formed including settlements on the Chowan River and the Albemarle Sound and extending forty miles to the east and north. When it was discovered that the original charter did not include the majority of the settlers to the north, a second charter was issued in 1665 extending the territory one-half degree north, which was about 35 miles, and two degrees to the south.

The final formation of the 100 counties that make up present day North Carolina involved many complex boundary changes. A researcher is well advised to search adjoining counties if the desired information is not found in the expected county. Moving from east to west, the development of the eight counties comprising the Tar River/Pamlico Basin is briefly outlined below:

• Beaufort Precinct (County) came into existence about 1712 when the name of Pam(p)tecough Precinct was changed to Beaufort Precinct. Pam(p)tecough was the original colonial spelling of Pamlico. Originally, the county took in only the north side of the Pamlico River and extended west into the area that later became Pitt County. By 1760, it was similar in size and shape to the modern Beaufort County, encompassing both sides of the Pamlico.
• Pitt County was formed in 1760 from Beaufort County.
• Edgecombe Precinct (County) was first formed about 1732 from Bertie Precinct. It was one of seven precincts on Albemarle County's List of Arrears of Quit Rents in 1735. However, the official beginning of the county was 1741.
• Nash County was formed in 1777 from Edgecombe County.
• Franklin County was formed in 1779 when Bute County was abolished and the counties of Franklin and Warren were formed from it. Bute County was formed from Granville County in 1764 and it was only in existence for the fifteen year period between 1764 and 1779.
• Vance County was carved out of Franklin, Granville and Warren Counties in 1881.
• Granville County was formed from Edgecombe County in 1746.
• Person County was originally included in Caswell County and was formed in 1791.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Society is from January 1st to December 31st. Dues are $20.00. This includes the newsletter, The Connector, which is published quarterly.
 

MEETINGS

The Tar River Connections Genealogical Genealogical Society meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, except December, in the Braswell Memorial Library in Rocky Mount, NC at 6:30 PM. Guests are always welcome.

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Newsletter

Tar River Connections publishes 4 issues of its newsletter, The Connector, per year. Each issue is packed with historical and genealogical information from several of the eight counties included in the Tar River Basin. Each issue contains 200-300 Tar River Basin names in the stories and in related lists. Below is a partial catalog of stories and lists of ancestors that have been printed in the newsletter as well as a link to the index.

The Connector
CONNECTOR INDEX

(In PDF format)

Stories

Riding the Rails in Edgecombe
Nash Co. Swamps and Creeks
18th Century Masons Along the Tar River
St. Lewis, Gone But Not Forgotten
E. B. Hilliard Letter
They Pledged Their Lives for Independence
Women—The Good Old Days?
Growing up on Pig Basket Creek and in Turkey Swamp
Potts Cheats Gallows
Revolutionary War Soldier of Fortune—John Searcy
The Home Guard—1863-1865
Green Path—Indian Trail
Peachtree Missionary Baptist Church
Watch Out for Buffalo!
How I Kept House during the War
Kay Kyser—How He Became A Band Leader
Flood Stopped Iredell from Crossing Tar River
The Great Escape [from the Maple Leaf]
Heinous Crime in Franklin County
Early Mail Delivery
Camp Fires of the Boys in Gray
Fearless Aunt Abby
Crown Sympathizers' Meeting House
Friends Movement [Quakerism]—Eastern North Carolina
Christmas in Warrenton—Early 20th Century Inventor
Search and Research—Handwritten Records
18th and Early 19th Century Architecture
Free School in Beaufort
SC Governor Alston's Wife Lost at Sea
North Carolina—A Foreign Power?
Sharpsburg [NC]
One Eyed Ancestor? Was He a Fighter?
Five Generations at the Mill
Dortch House
1st Royal Governor
Church Burns, Suspect Skips Bond
An Edgecombe Oddity, Coll Miliken's Estate
Practical 1885 Housewifery
Storm Clous Gather, Regulator Movement in NC
Search and Research—Colonial Monetary System in NC
Anne Carter Lee, Fair Maid of Arlington
Conoconara Church
Nutbush
Mining in Person County
Sir Archie—Fastest Horse of His Time
Confederate Imprints
P.T. Barnum—Prince of Humbug—In Rocky Mount
The Yeargins—Spring Hope Entrepreneurs
Cotton Market
An early Interstate? The Great Trading Path
Geo. Washington's Southern Tour
Search and Research—Taxes in Colonial NC
Natural and Artificial Curiosity Tax?
Coley Town, Nash Co., NC
Tragedy Averted
The Sport of Kings
Revolutionary War Fire Lit in Franklin Co.
Is the Devil Good?
The Unique Tomb of William Andrew Jeffreys
They Called it Helmira
The Crossroads Store
Trevathan House
Wilson Female Academy
Lost Treasure
Regrets to Tarboro
The Assassin's Bullet—Gen. Bryan Grimes Shot to Death from Ambush
Teaching a Buzzard New Tricks? Hilliard Thomas of Edgecombe Gives it a Try
The Forks of the Tar (Now Washington, NC)
Edenton Tea Party—1774
The Skirmish at Daniels School House
Continental Veteran Seeks Payment—1780
Tar River Bridges in Nash—As shown on old map
Church Sets Standards of Morality
Demon Rum
History of Rocky Mount
Wounded Franklin Rifleman Recuperates in Petersburg
Pitt, Edgecombe and Nash Counties in Dire Straits—Mrs. Atkinson Pleads for Help
The Gourd Patch Conspiracy
The Franklin Rifles
Rev. Morgan Edwards Visits Tar River Falls in 1772-73
Vaptist, Did You Say?—Letter from Rosa Nash
Vermin
Potter's Raid on Grenville, Tarboro, and Rocky Mount
Robert Potter: 1820's Halifax, Granville Politican—Pistol, knives, cudgels...
That Famous Nash Brandy
The Wages of Sin—or Who's Got the Whiskey
Historic Preservation: John Duke/Mohn Lawrence House
A Look at Main Street—Rocky Mount, Early 1900's
Josiah Vick's Account Book: Cotton Transactions, 1842-1844
Blackbeard: Tar River Connection?
Dukes of Durham
1875 Obituary of Dr. J.D. Matthews—Halifax Mourns
Melungeons—Heritage Puzzle
Tar and Turpentine
First at Bethel
Marks Tragedy Recorded in Bible
Wedding Bells
Dressing the Corpse—Memories of Hope Plantation
How's the Coffee?—An 1837 Sulky Ride
Give me Franklin, or I'll Give you Death
South Bound Home Run
Could You Shoot a Few Holes in My Hat?
Tories Attack Drake Homeplace
Last Public Hanging in Nash County
Isle of Wight, VA: Home of Many Tar River Ancestors
&tc ...

Lists

Roster of Tar River Masons in the 18th Century
Pitt County War Marriages—12 Apr 1861 - 9 Apr 1865
NC Confederate Home Guard Examinations, 1863 - 64
Granville County Patriots of the Revolution
Granville Co. Deeds Along the Tar River— 1766-1772
The University School
Early Pitt Co. Post Offices and First Postmasters
Bennett Bunn Estate Sale
John Newton Taylor Cemetery
Letters Remaining in PO at Halifax, 2 Apr 1794
Early Beaufort Co. Law Enforcement
Property Confiscated, Sold by State—1786
List of Nash Co. Peddlers, Merchants and Retailers
Men from "Gnash" County Present at Kingstown, March 26, 1780
Granville County Taxpayers—1788
First Settlers on the Tar River
Pittman/Denton Cemetery, Edgecombe Co., NC
NC Petitions for Presidential Pardon, 1875-1868
Legal Name Changes
Marriages—At the Poor House and At Argo
The Courthouse Bible
The Falls of the Tar Primitive Baptist Church—Membership,1757-1876 (4 Issues)
Mann-Arrington Gold Mine Co. Payroll
Nash Co. Liquor Licenses—1778-1830
Census of Pensioners
&tc ...

New members of Tar River Connections will receive all the year's newsletters to date and the most current surname list. Send a check for $15, along with a list of names you are interested in to: Tar River Connections, PO Box 8764, Rocky Mount, NC 27804.

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Tar River Connections's collection of family Bibles, Family Bibles along North Carolina's Tar River, is still availabe !

The price is $22 plus shipping and it can be ordered from Tim Rackley, PO Box 2502, Kernersville, NC 27285-2502; or e-mail at trackley@ix.netcom.com.

Profit from the sale of the books will go to Braswell Memorial Library to add to its genealogical collection.

 The Bibles included in the book are:
Henry B. & Sarah F. Cooper Barnes; Embro & Isley Matthews Bass; Wright S. & Sallie Ann Ward Batchelor; C.S. and Orela L. King Beaty; John A. Beaty; Alfred J. & Catherine Jane Colvin Bloodworth; James A. & Mary E. Marshall Bobbitt; James R. & Mary E. Dunn Boseman; John H. Boseman; Lillie Blanche Hunt Bryant; David L. & Harriet A. BarnesBunn; J.D. & Sallie B. Matthews Bunn; Junie Floyd & Easter Belle Whitley Bunn; Courthouse Bible; Exum L. & Nancy FortCurl; John & Ollif Davenport; George W. & "Maggie" WhiteDeatherage; William J. & Mary Ann Drake; Arnold E. & Alice Anna JoynerEdwards;  Lemon G. & Jennie E. Brannan Edwards; Raymond W. & Mary Lee BobbittEdwards; Ansel Ferrell; James Henry & Elizabeth J. HesterFrazier; Charles H. & Nancy Belle LightseyGore; Daniel & Martha Gurganus; Joseph H. & Emma Hill Hamm; Nicholas & Judith CampbellHoward; Moses Joiner; I.W. Emerson & Rebecca A.D. JacksonJoyner; Joab & Aly Lee; Kemp Plummer & Nannie J. Cooper Leonard; Joel W. & Lucy T. CollinsLucas; J.C. & Elizabeth W. SouthallMarks; James C. & Rosena Ann McWilliamsMarks; Thomas H. & Martha Aquilla BassMatthews; Hilliard F.M. & Mary Lucy StallingsMatthews; James H. & Mary Elizabeth HowardNewman; Elisha & Ann EvansNorfleet; William Alsey & Mary (Pollie) Parrish; Zachariah A. & Mary Alice LucasParrish; William E. & Lillie G. PittmanPeacock; H. Walter & Claudia E. StarrPhelps; John R. & Mary Pitt; Dr. N.J. & Mary A. StreeterPittman; Christopher C. & Vessie L.Viverette Pridgen; Absalum and Anza Lany Moore Proctor, Jr; Francis & Martha Ann WhitleyRackley; David Barnes & Martha VickRicks; William Joseph & Sallie Ann WalkerStarr; George W. & Lura A. RicksStrickland; John L. & Sarah C. GlissonTew; Jordan W. & Nancy W. ManningVester; Benjamin H. & Sallie Ann RackleyVester; James M. & Sallie Walker; Amos & Nancy Walston;  W.F. & Louisa Pitt Walston; G.W. & Poly Ward; Willis & Marget Ward; Willis & Lucy Ward; Asa G.& Hattie B. JonesWells; James D. & Charlotte Ricks Whitley;  John W. & Sallie A.T. MatthewsWhitley; B.J. & Sarah P. Williams; Ezekiel Z. & Drucilla J. HaleWorks

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Railroading in Edgecombe Co. began in 1831 when the state chartered "the Tarborough and Hamilton Rail Road Company for the purpose of effecting a communication by rail road from the Town of Tarborough to the Town of Hamilton, Hill's or Anthony's Ferry [both on the Roanoke River] or any intermediate point ... When nine miles have been completed, the company will be bound to transport all commodities as are deposited convenient to it equally and impartially on the following tolls: Produce, ...not more than 4¢ per ton mile toll ..., passengers 6¢ per mile ... . A $2.00 fine will be imposed for each overcharge." However, it was more than 50 years before rail service replaced the stagecoach line from Tarboro to the Roanoke River.
 The Tarborough Branch Rail Road, a subsidiary of the Wilmington and Weldon, connected Tarborough and "Rocky Mount Turnout" ...

   At the signal from the judges, the two comely horses approached the post, prancing, arching their great necks, and pulling at the reins in their anticipation of the coming 4-mile contest. The huge, noisy crowd of NC and VA racing fans lining the sides of the course at Scotland Neck in Halifax Co., NC to watch the race between two Thoroughbreds signalled their approval with loud applause. It was a beautiful, crisp autumn day; the ladies glowed like flowers in their finest gowns while the gentlemen sported their most fashionable outfits. Liquor, fine and not so fine, was abundant. The betting was  heavy.
     Blank, son of Centinel, had already won brilliantly during the 1809 season, crowning his achievements with a win at Belfield in Greensville Co, VA where he defeated a field of seven, including two half-brothers to Sir Archie. Sir Archie, also a winner that spring and fall, was a bay with a touch of white on one heel—vigorous, clean-limbed and swift with proportions ideal for a race horse. So respected were the two racing giants that no other horses were entered in the race.  The roll of the drum signalled the start of the race and they were off, ...

     Aug 14, 1880. General Bryan Grimes, a wealthy planter of Pitt county, whose plantation is about nine miles from Washington, N.C., had been at the Beaufort County Convention on Saturday last in that town. He was very agreeable all day, chatting pleasantly with his friends and talking about Democratic chances of success. Late in the afternoon he started home with Bryan, a twelve year old son of Thomas Satterthwaite, in the buggy with him.

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Falls of the Tar Primitive Baptist Church in Rocky Mount was founded in 1757. Below is a partial list of members from 1757 to 1777. The Connectors for Summer and Fall, 1998 provide interesting information about the church along with additional members. The story will continue in 1999.
 

To learn more about the church and its members, send $10 for four 1998 issues The Connector to Tar River Connections, PO Box 8764, Rocky Mount, NC 27804 A Portion of the membership list appears in 1999 issues of The Connector.

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PROJECTS

Church Records

Tar River Connections has begun collecting records of churches of all denominations throughout the Tar River Basin. We are especially interested in the the beginnings of the church and the charter and very early members. If you have such information, we would appreciate it if you would share it with us.

We hope to publish a volume of these church records in the near future..

Members of the Tar River Connections Genealogical Society have assembled a list of surnames for which members have information. The list includes the surname, the state(s) and county(ies) for which information has been found, and the Tar River Connections member(s) who have the information.

A membership list is also included with the Surname List.

This list, which will be updated annually, is available to all members.