Key Facts

Snapshot:	lived in colonial North Carolina
Parents:	unknown
Born:	unknown
Died:	between 2 November and 5 December 1749 probably St. Andrew's Parish, North Carolina. (St. Andrew's Parish was mostly contiguous with Tyrrell County.)
Buried:	unknown

Note: Jane Stubbs Bailey's and Vernon L. Everett, Jr.'s book Nathaniel and Mary (Mitchell) Harrison Everett of Tyrrell (Now Washington) County, North Carolina [...], Volume I beginning on page 1 provides a fantastic profile of 5216Nathaniel Everitt and some of his relatives/associates, including a lengthy, almost exhaustive discussion of the many land sales 5216Nathaniel was involved in. Duplicating all of the information found in the book would be unwise, so my aim here is to present some of the more interesting facts, and to help "illustrate" them with copies of the documents involved. I encourage you to read the book if you want more details. In my "sources cited" section below, I often provide the corresponding citation number used in Bailey's and Everett's book in case you care to read their commentary on the same record.)

Unfortunately, nothing is known of 5216Nathaniel's early life. By 1707, though, he was living on a "Kindricks Creek plantation then Belonging to Edward Mosley Esqr" and as of 1744, he had been "Tennant about thirty seven years past to the said Edward Mosley." 1

5216Nathaniel lived at a plantation along Kendrick Creek, which runs through present-day Roper, North Carolina. Full page.1

By 23 April 1716 (and perhaps many years earlier), 5216Nathaniel had married Mary, widow of Thomas Harrison:

Problem: Resolved Whom did 2608Nathaniel marry, and when? On 23 April 1716 5216Nathaniel gave 212 acres to his "son in law" (step-son) Thomas Harrison.2 In 1716 5216Nathaniel had a step-son named Thomas Harrison. Full page.2 The will of John Harrison, dated 18 February 1693 and proved in the April 1694 court, identifies Thomas as a son of John and Elizabeth Harrison.3 Therefore, one may conclude that 5216Nathaniel had married Mary, widow of Thomas Harrison, by 23 April 1716. Additional confirmation of the relationship comes from a deed dated 23 March 1718 by which 5216Nathaniel sold land to Zachariah Gerkin,4 husband of 5216Nathaniel's step-daughter Hannah Harrison (according to Bailey's and Everett's book on page 9, although I haven't bothered to review the original evidence for myself). Bailey's and Everett's book repeatedly claims that 5216Nathaniel and Mary had married by 1701, but I remain unconvinced and will not incorporate that conclusion into this profile.

Jury Duty, etc.

5216Nathaniel was chosen for several juries and other such civic duties, beginning with a July 1715 order to oversee "the highway from Morattock bridge to the Flatt Swamp." 5

"Ordd yt Na: Everitt be Overseer of the highway from Morattock bridge to the flatt swamp." Full page.5

On 1 November 1716 he was a jury member "At a General Court of Oyer & Terminer & General Gaol Delivery." 6

In December 1739 and again in March 1739/40, 5216Nathaniel is mentioned as a jury member to lay out a road leading to Morattock bridge.7,8

Morratock Swamp looking east from the modern-day Morratock bridge

Land

5216Nathaniel was a party to numerous land sales. Some of the more notable are described below.

The earliest known transaction is an 8 April 1715 deed that refers back to an April 1709 sale from Nathanl Averitt to William Haughton.9

5216Nathaniel sold land in 1709. This is the earliest known land transaction involving him. Full page.9

On 18 January 1715/6 5216Nathaniel received two patents: the first for 460 acres adjacent Persimon Swamp, Moratock Swamp, and Persimon Branch;10 and the second for 212 acres in Chowan Precinct on ye head of Coneby Creek, joining ye upper Beaver Dam, ye Beaver Dam Pocoson, and a branch of Marratock Swamp.11 The second patent is the land he gave his step-son Thomas Harrison2 (described above in the problem section).

5216Nathaniel's 460-acre patent. Full page.10

5216Nathaniel's 212-acre patent. Full page.11

5216Nathaniel left a property disposition dated 2 September 1720;12 perhaps he was going on a trip and wanted to make arrangements in case he failed to return.

The first few lines of 5216Nathaniel's 1720 property disposition. Full page.12 Transcription.

Later Years

In a bond dated 5 June 1739, 5216Nathaniel was appointed guardian of several of his grandchildren who had been orphaned.13 (Page 7 of Bailey's and Everett's book claims that these are the children of his daughter Mary and her husband Thomas Stubbs, although I haven't confirmed this claim for myself.)

Part of the bond appointing 5216Nathaniel guardian of his orphaned grandchildren. Full page.13

On 15 January 1738/9 5216Nathaniel had been made "exempt from paying levys and other Publick services." 14

5216Nathaniel's will is dated 2 November 1749 and was probated on 5 December 1749.15 The first paragraph is copied below, but feel free to view the whole page or a transcription.

The opening paragraph of 5216Nathaniel's will. Full page.15 Transcription.

5216Nathaniel's estate was inventoried. Feel free to read the record copy16 or a transcription.

Sources Cited:

1: Tyrrell County, North Carolina. Deeds book 1 (1736-1747), page 258. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-998Q-3XN7?i=140&cat=321353>, accessed 15 October 2019. You may benefit from this transcription.

2: Chowan County, North Carolina. Deeds book B-1, page 348. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-898M-8VY?i=291&cat=379675>, accessed 28 October 2019. If using Bailey's and Everett's book Nathaniel and Mary (Mitchell) Harrison Everett of Tyrrell (Now Washington) County, North Carolina [...], Volume I, be aware that their citation for this record (citation #127) is erroneous: It cites "Chowan DB W-1 p348," but the record is actually in deed book B-1, not W-1.

3: J. Bryan Grimes, compiler, Abstract of North Carolina Wills (E. M. Uzzell, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1910), page 151.

4: Chowan County, North Carolina. Deeds book B-1 (1715-1719), page 548. North Carolina Archives microfilm C.024.48001. FamilySearch also has a copy of this deed (See <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G98M-89FZ?i=494&cat=379675>., but strangely, the copy has some fairly obvious differences from the one I found on North Carolina Archives microfilm C.024.48001. I suspect someone—perhaps the same person, since the handwriting style looks very similar—wrote two separate copies of the same deed book. FamilySearch's copy is much less legible, unfortunately.

5: Chowan County, North Carolina. Deeds book B-1 (1715-1719), an unnumbered page labeled "July Court 1719." A later editor added a small page number "44" in the upper right corner of the microfilm image. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L98M-898G?i=690&cat=379675 >, accessed October 2019. Hoffman's abstract reads, "#1654 pgs. 10 and 11 The Court met as per Adjournment [...] Ordered that NA. EVERETT be Overseer of the highway from Morattock bridge to the Flatt Swamp [...]." (This is Bailey's and Everett's citation #48.)

6: William L. Saunders, ed., The Colonial Records of North Carolina, Volume II (P. M. Hale, Raleigh, NC, 1886), page 265. The record is from 1 November 1716 "At a General Court of Oyer & Terminer & General Gaol Delivery" and lists "Na. Averitt" as a member of the grand jury. (This is Bailey's and Everett's citation #49.)

7: Betty Fagan Burr, Tyrrell County North Carolina Minutes Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1735 thru 1754, Book 1 (printed by Mrs. Frances Terry Ingmire, St. Louis, Missourri), pages 38-39. The record is from December 1739 and reads, "on a motion made in behalf of Elizabeth BELL widdow praying that a Jury be appointed to Lay out a Road from her house to the Main Road leading to Marratuck bridge Granted and Ordered that the following persons be and they are hereby appointed a Jury to Lay out the said Road according to Law & to make a Return thereof to the next Court (vizt.) Nathl. EVERT Senr., Nathl EVERET Jr., [...]." (This is Bailey's and Everett's citation #52.)

8: ibid., page 44. The record is from March 1739/40. (This is Bailey's and Everett's citation #53.)

9: Chowan County, North Carolina. Deeds book B-1, page 320. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-898M-8VK?i=263&cat=379675> et seq., accessed 28 October 2019. Hoffman's abstract reads, "#865 pg. 320 WILLIAM HAUGTON of Albemarle Co. to EDWARD PORTER (residence not given) 8 Apr. 1715 40 L 90 acres land made over to me by deed of sale from NATHANIEL AVERITT in Apr. 1709 and is on the back of JOHN PORTER and now in the possession of his son EDWARD PORTER Wit.: THOMAS CARY, JOHN LILLINGTON, JOHN PORTER, JOSH PORTER Ack. 31 July 1716 before me C. GALE Re. 3 Aug. 1716." (This is Bailey's and Everett's citation #25.)

10: North Carolina State Land Patent book 8, page 300, file number 1013. MARS ID 12.14.46.989. <http://www.nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.46.989&qid=495053&rn=1>, accessed October 2019. Reportedly also on North Carolina Archives microfilm S.108.160-2 frame 636. (This is Bailey's and Everett's citation #26.)

11: North Carolina State Land Patent book 8, page 300, file number 1014. MARS ID 12.14.46.990. < http://www.nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.46.990&qid=495055&rn=1>, accessed October 2019. Reportedly also on North Carolina Archives microfilm S.108.160-2 frame 636. (This is Bailey's and Everett's citation #32.)

12: Chowan County, North Carolina. Deeds book C-1 (1720-1735), page 4. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G982-ZJV6?i=148&cat=379675>, accessed 15 October 2019. Also available on North Carolina Archives microfilm C.024.48002. There's also a transcription.

13: Tyrrell County, North Carolina. Guardians bonds 1739-1829, n.p., bond record dated 5 June 1739. Although the pages aren't numbered, the relevant record is near the beginning of the book on the second page of actual content. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99G4-SZCW?i=5&cat=327424>, accessed 28 October 2019. (This is Bailey's and Everett's citation #21.)

14: William L. Saunders, ed., The Colonial Records of North Carolina, Volume IV (P. M. Hale, Raleigh, NC, 1886), page 391. The record is from 15 February 1738/9 and reads, "Mr Stevens Lee moved this House in behalf of Nathaniel Everet senr praying the said Everet might be exempt from paying levys and other Publick services. The same granted." (This is Bailey's and Everett's citation #20.)

15: North Carolina, Secretary of State records, will of Nathaniel Everitt of St. Andrew's Parish, will dated 2 November 1749, NC Archives MARS ID 12.96.8.39. <http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16062coll41/id/5323/rec/1>, accessed 14 October 2019. This is 5216Nathaniel Everitt's will.

16: Tyrrell County, North Carolina. Estate Records 1738-1968, microfilm set for William Davis to Lemuel G. Godfrey, folder for Nathaniel Everitt. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99GJ-69N4-5?i=1270&cc=1911121&cat=989728>, accessed 28 October 2019. This is very likely 5216Nathaniel Everitt's estate inventory.