How early were your ancestors in North Carolina?
If they were here prior to the War of Independence, then it might be worthwhile to check the Moseley Map for their names, or at least their surnames.
The Moseley Map was created in 1733 by Edward Moseley (1682-1749), who was Surveyor General of North Carolina from 1710 — just after the famous John Lawson — and was marketed at the time as “A New and Correct Map of the Province of North Carolina.”
East Carolina University holds the only known original print of the Moseley Map in their incredible archives. Once owned by Mr. Hugh Williamson Collins of Edenton (1863), Moseley’s is said to be “the first map of NC to be based mainly on actual exploration or surveys, rather than reports,” according to the ECU Special Collections website.
The map’s description reads:
A New and Correct Map of the Province of North Carolina by Edward Moseley, late surveyor general of the said province ([London]: Sold at the Three Crowns, 1733). Shows settlements, inhabitants, soil conditions, rivers, and principal products, with insets showing Port Brunswick or Cape Fear Harbour, Port Beaufort or Topsail Inlet, Ocacock [Ocracoke] Inlet, Explanation, and Directions for Ocacock [Ocracoke] Inlet.
Indexing the Moseley Map
While the Moseley Map is not exhaustive in naming every family that lived in North Carolina at the time, many prominent land-owners were named. Clusters of families and Indian tribes were also named, such as the entry for “Palatines” in the section South of Trent River up to New Bern, referring to families that settled the New Bern area led by Baron Christoph von Graffenreid or “Tuskeruro” named on the Roanoke River referring to the Tuscarora Indian tribe.
In February 1991, Susan M. Trimble of the North Carolina Colonial Records Project compiled a full index to the map, complete with grid locations for the names indexed, and it was published by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History, Historical Publications Section.
It can be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF (right-click PDF and “Save link as…” to download) at the Internet Archive.
The list below is a wonderful condensed index that I had saved in my archived files on my computer, although, unfortunately, I’m unsure of its attribution, so if you know who originally published the list below, please leave a comment in the box at the bottom of this article.
Here’s an important tip: Do NOT use “Ctrl-F” to try to find your ancestral surnames in this list. Instead, just read the list, as many spellings of surnames are different than the conventionally used spellings.
[A] ROANOKE RIVER-headwaters to the south shore of Albemarle Sound:
1-Davis[W], Young[J], Spann(Spann’s Mill), Allen, Falls, Reeves, Mellikan[J], Little[W], Mackinne[B], Bryant[T], Ooneroy, Refootketh, Tuskeruro, Cheeweo, Quitzna, Castellan[J], Speller, Charlton[W], Meazle, Blount, Beasly
Note: At the headwaters [here called the Fitzwilliam River] on the NC/VA line-20,000 acres to Col. William Byrd of Virginia.
2-South shore of Albemarle Sound: Whitemarsh, Pollock[C], Buncomb[J], Frilie, Lee[S], Lee, Cooper
[B] ALBEMARLE COUNTY – BERTIE PRECINCT
1-Along the Meherrin and Chowan Rivers to Albemarle Sound: Allen [E], Pitman, Kirchin, Anderson, Jackson, Gee, Bryan, Nansemond, Dew, Powers, Williams [A], Bond [J], Jones, Cotton [J], Hill [B], Baker, Barfields, Baker [H], Williams, Hains, Forster [R], Maule [W], Winn [G], Boone, Bryan [F], Hill [J], Pollack [T], Lovick [J], Pollock [G]
2-Albemarle Sound [west shore] between Chowan and Roanoke Rivers: Duckinfield [N], laccuck, Lockart [J], Henderson [D], West [R]
[C] CHOWAN PRECINCT – East side of Chowan River:
Meherrin, Baker[H], Alston [J], Bennett, Parker, Blanthard, Spivy, Hill, Perry, Hunter, Lee, Pendal, Speight, Barns
[D] EDENTON AREA – between Chowan and Yaupin Rivers [north shore of Albemarle Sound]:
Heath, Altin, Luten, Paget, Gale [E], Jones [H], Gale [C], Vaile [J], Moseley [E], Jones [F], Beabury, Beasly, Blount [J], Vaile, Porter [E], Pearce [T], Ward [J].
[E] PERQUIMANS PRECINCT – between Yaupin and Pequimans Rivers:
Sturgeons, Durant, Norcomb, Harvey [T], Denman [C], Skinner [R], Sander, Pettiver, Phelps, Speight
[F] PEQUIMANS PRECINCT – between Pequimans and Little Rivers:
Clare, Jessup[J], Sutton[C], Nixon, Forster [F], Whidby[R], Bateman, Sanderton, Swann [S], Parish, Bartlet, Hatch[A], Sanderton[A], Catchmaid.
[G] PASQUOTANK PRECINCT – between Little and Pasquotank Rivers:
Hall, Nixon, Lowry, Evans, Salton, Boyd, Baily, Swann, Pritchard, Hague, Palin [J], Pendleton, Davis, Mabson [F], Reed [W]
[H] PASQUOTANK PRECINCT – between Pasquotank and North Rivers:
Spence, Burkham [G] (at Joy’s Fork), Jones [G], Janson, Mann, Jones, Hawkins
[J] CURRITUCK PRECINCT – between North River and Currituck Sound:
Wilkins, Balance, Hodges [M], Swann [T], Etheridg, Lowther, Williams, Tulle, Swann [W], Dukes [M], Sanderson, Williamson, Norton, Gibby.
[K] Eastern shore between Albemarle & Pamticoe Sounds:
Moyes Creek, Spencers Creek, Mann [L] [L] BEAUFORT PRECINCT:
1-North Shore-Pamticoe River: Lillington[A], Adams, Pilkington, Snoad, Boyd
2-Bath Town: Kenyon, Odeon, Aldeson[S], Martin, Worsly [J], Salter [E], Riouset, Adams, Jones, Ottiwell
3-East of Bath Town to the Sound: Jewell, maule [P], Perkins, Barrow, Adams [P], Dowry, Jones [P], Woodstock, Slade, Jasper, Mattamuskeet
[M] South shore – Pamticoe River:
Tuskeruro Indians, Mallard Creek, Chicod Creek, Salter [E], Kingman, Worsly, Blount, Reading, Coldom, Hill, Slade, Slade [B], Crofton, Maule [P], Locker, Peyton [R], Trip [J], Porter, Nevil, Turner [R], Leigh, Jones, Campaign [R]
[N] North shore – Neus River:
1-on Smyth’s Creek – Reels, Gatlin
2-Craven Precinct – Johnson, Beard’s Creek, Frank[M], Wilkinson’s Point, Dawson’s Creek
[P] South shore – Neus River:
1-Craven Precinct-New Bern – Fonville, Handy
2-South of Trent River up to New Bern – Jones [Frederick]-7375 acres, Wilson [W], Hancock, Palatines, Glover [C], Hatch [A], Handcock [H]
[Q] Hatteras Island: Gibbs, Neal, Hatteras Indians
[R] Beaufort Town Area:
1-Near Beaufort Town – Taylor [N], Shakelford, Shaw, Rustul [R]
2-Across North River, east – Wicker, Burnet
3-On Core Banks Sound – Nelson, Willis
[S] CARTERET PRECINCT:
1-Cape Carteret – Lees
2-Queens Creek – Green
[T] ONSLOW PRECINCT:
1-NE shore New River[Jacksonville] – Howard, Lillington[H]
2-SW shore New River – Ennitch
3-Along the coast between New and Cape Fear Rivers [Jacksonville to Wilmington] – Johnson, Beasly, Frederick, Alexander, Vaile[J], Nixon, Hauser, Swann[S], Staples, Hudson, Watts, Perry,
Porter, Howe
4-East bank – NE Branch Cape Fear River – Harrison[C], Watts, Mardsen, Carter
And now, for the map (clicking on the map will bring up a much larger version from East Carolina University in a new window).—
Kindel Booth says
July 24, 2014 at 12:28 amThe Tripp family of South Pamlico is noted on the map. Robert Tripp b.1722 d. 1800 moved from Providence RI to Core Point, Durhams Creek, Beaufort, NC. He was a delegate to the 2nd Continental Congress in 1776. He was listed in the NC Census in 1764. The family cemetery is located along the Pamlico. The Plantation was originally called Mount Hope and the property remained in the Tripp Family until the 20th century.
Sara Whitford says
July 25, 2014 at 12:06 pmThank you so much for your comment. My dad’s side of the family owns land over at Core Point, and in fact, the Tripp Cemetery is at the end of Down Shore Road (where they own property).
Growing up, my dad said Core Point was where he and all the kids in the Caton community went to go to “the beach.”
Maryte Dyess says
April 9, 2016 at 6:51 pmBaron Christopher DeGraffenreid is my direct ancestor.
Mary Boston says
June 27, 2017 at 1:58 pmThe John Boston family lived in Onslow County on the NW Branch of the New River near the William Williams property in the 1760’s. They stayed in Onlsow County until 1785 when they left for GA. There was also a Hugh Boston, who could have been his father or brother in the same area.
tripp says
July 31, 2017 at 1:08 pmi believe some of the tripps family moved down to anderson sc.
June Perry says
August 2, 2017 at 3:03 pmHappy to see the Perry’s and Slades of our family listed. Note: the Perry’s married into Cumbo family also related to the Meherrin tribe. Thank you for this historic map!
William Privett says
February 2, 2019 at 6:51 amMy great grandmother was Caroline Perry Privett. She is buried in Franklinton Community Cemetery. Perhaps we are distantly related.
Cynthia Long says
August 2, 2017 at 3:39 pmAny longs or langs in there?
ronnie french says
August 10, 2017 at 3:55 amhello, seeking ellis, or french
carole Willis Lang says
August 25, 2017 at 2:08 pmI’m looking for the Robert Willis family, from Eastern part of the state,in the 1700’s
willis says
May 20, 2018 at 6:04 pmWas he related to Samuel Willis circa 1700 ?
Christine Weeks-Bates says
December 18, 2017 at 8:52 pmI find it kind of interesting that Thomas Week(e)s was a keeper of the land titles early on, but his name doesn’t appear on the survey. Can anyone figure out why that would be? He lived on the Little River, and was on the Assembly and was Court Clerk for quite a few years. His name appears on the marriage licenses of many, and their Wills, along with land grants.
carlene adkins says
September 5, 2018 at 8:37 pmwould the last names of mallican or millican be also milliken
Bonnie Leonard says
February 1, 2019 at 8:13 pmLooking for last name Goley or Leonard.