between May 1793 and 1800 probably Johnston County, North Carolina
Buried:
unknown
The earliest record I've found that mentions 264James Price is the will of his father 528Rice Price, dated 27 September 1756 in New Hanover County, North Carolina. 528Rice left 264James with slaves London and Debroath, a bed, a furniture, and the western third of his plantation where the dwelling[?] house was. 264James' mother may have been 528Rice's then-wife Thomazine, who is named in the will, but there isn't enough evidence to be certain. Another part of the will (not pictured below) shows that 264James' brother Richard received a slave named Peter; this will come up again later.1
1756: 264James is named in his father's will. Full page.1
The DAR recognizes 264James as an American patriot during the Revolutionary War (DAR ancestor #A092959), based on the land entry record shown below.2 Before this 640-acre transfer could have been approved, 264James would have been required by law to take an oath of allegiance to the United States.
This 640-acre land entry for 264James, dated 29 December 1778, proves that he sided with American patriots during the Revolutionary War. Full page.2
Problem:Unresolved Are there other Revolutionary records for 264James?
Although the DAR's entry for 264James cites only the abovementioned land entry as proof of his patriotic service, there was certainly a man (or men) named James Price who was more actively involved with the Army in North Carolina. Below are links to some pertinent records, arranged chronologically. Unfortunately, one cannot be confident that they relate to our264James Price. However, several reflect less physical, "side job" activities that would have been well-suited for our 264James Price, since he was probably middle-aged during the war.
The abovementioned land entry is also the first record to show 264James in Johnson County, North Carolina, where he apparently spent the rest of his life.*
On 25 August 1786, 264James gave 132Rice and Micajah Price (apparently his two youngest sons) a large amount of property: 620 acres of land (total), which included his plantation and an orchard therein; his riding horse named Spook; a saddle horse named Davis; a four year-old colt named Pence; numerous other livestock; a shotgun and a rifle; 3 beds (total); baskets of corn; reap hooks; and other items, on the stipulation that they later pay their siblings 5 shillings each.3,4
A 1787 state census shows that 264James' household included (besides 264James himself) two males under age 21 (presumably 132Rice and Micajah) and three females. He was living next to his brother, Richard.5
By 1790, he only had himself and two females living in his home. He owned no slaves.6
1790: 264James' household in Johnston County, Georgia. Full page.6
In May 1793 264James appeared back in New Hanover County for a court matter concerning the sale of his brother Richard's slave Peter,7 presumably the same slave Richard received from his father's 1756 will1 (mentioned above).
1793: 264James facilitates the sale of Peter, his brother's slave. Full page.7
This May 1793 court record (alongside another, similar record from the same court term concerning a slave named Matt) is the last record I've found of 264James. His absence from the 1800 census suggests he probably died by then.
Footnote:
*
I know of no deeds, etc. that directly evince 264James' move from New Hanover County to Johnston County, so one may lack confidence that the 264James in 528Rice Price's will1 in New Hanover County is one and the same as the 264James in later Johnston County records. Consider, though, that the will mentions 264James, Richard, and Edmond, and we later find 264James and Richard living effectively next door to each other in Johnston County.4 Also consider that the 1790 census includes no Price households whatsoever in New Hanover County, so its former Price settlers surely must have moved.
Sources Cited:
1: North Carolina Secretary of State Wills. The will of Rice Price, New Hanover County, dated 27 September 1756, North Carolina MARS ID 12.96.20.63. North Carolina Digital Collections, <https://www.digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p16062coll41/id/9404/rec/1793>, accessed 19 August 2023. This is the original will.
2: Johnston County, North Carolina. Land entries for 1778-1780, entry #585 for James Price Sr. on 29 December 1778. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8983-N8XT?i=105&cat=348244>. You'll notice that the land entry numbers in this book proceed in a manner that is not at all straightforward and is frankly comically confusing. It's helpful to think of the left-side pages as utterly separate from the right-side pages. Furthermore, while the right-side pages proceed in normal, numerical order, the left-side pages go in reverse as you move to each new left-side page. The number sequences also sometimes start over at what seems to be arbitrary start numbers. In any case, 264James' entry is on a right-side page. See also: <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99D4-BCMK?cat=341689>.
5: Alvaretta Kenan Register, State Census of North Carolina, 1784-1787: From Records in the North Carolina Department of Archives and History (self-published, Norfolk, VA, 1971), page 83.
