martygrant.com: Home > Genealogy > Grant > Families > William
I (Marty Grant) am not related to the William Grant family as far as I know. I am very interested in him though.
William Grant was born ca 1748 or before. I don't know who his parents might be or where he came from. He appeared in Dobbs (now Lenoir) Co, NC beginning in 1769. There were no other Grant families in that area at the time. He probably moved there from another area.
The first record we have for this William Grant was the 1769 Dobbs Co, NC tax list. Another William Grant (of Buck Swamp) was in the records several times before 1769, but it was always for land on Buck Swamp, so we can tell who he was fairly easily. The 1769 tax list revealed three different men named William Grant. The list didn't give enough information to tell which was which, but since all three were only charged with 1 white taxable, it doesn't matter which was which. However, one of them was William Grant of Buck Swamp, one of them was William Grant under study here (of Lenoir Co, NC), and the third one was William Grant son of John and Mary Grant,
John Grant sold land to William Grant circa 1769-1771. This is the same land that John purchased from Robert Hines ca 1754-1755. The original deed from John Grant to William Grant was lost, but when William Grant sold this land in 1795 he stated it was the same land Robert Hines sold to John Grant. This is clearly the William Grant of the Walnut Creek area (Wayne Co, NC) and not the William under study here. (Dobbs Co, NC Deed Book 8 page 135 1769-1771)
On 11 Dec 1770 a land Patent was issued to William Grant for 200 acres on the Neuse River and Contentney Creek, adjoining Benjamin Creech, Richard Byrd and Thomas Martin. The only place where the Neuse River and Contentnea Creek are near each other is where they join. This is the border between Lenoir County, Craven County and Pitt County. The community of Tick Bite is in this area. This is eastern Lenoir County. This is the first record (besides the 1769 Tax list) for this William Grant. (Dobbs Co, NC Crown Patents 1759-1775 Book 20 page 599)
The William Grant of Buck Swamp made his Will on 23 Sep 1773 and was dead by 11 Nov 1773, so we can be sure that any record for a William Grant after that are for either the William Grant under study here, or for the William Grant of what is now Wayne County. Since most of the deed records are only from the index (no details available) it won't be easy distinguishing them, though in some cases we can.
William Newton sold property to William Grant circa 1773-1775. I don't know which William Grant this might have been. A William Newton was on the 1769 Dobbs tax list, but not on any later lists or the 1790 census. (Dobbs Co, NC Deed Book 10 page 188 1773-1775)
William Grant sold property to Benjamin Creech circa 1773-1775. This is most likely William Grant of Lenoir as when he received his 1770 patent, Benjamin Creech was one of his neighbors. Benjamin Creech was listed on the 1769 Dobbs Co, NC tax list and on the 1788 Dobbs Co, NC voter list and the 1790 Dobbs Census, indicating he lived in modern Lenoir or Greene County. (Dobbs Co, NC Deed Book 10 page 215 1773-1775)
William Grant sold property to John Walters circa 1773-1775. Two John Walter's were listed on the 1769 Dobbs Tax list but not on later lists, so I can't be sure which William Grant this is. (Dobbs Co, NC Deed Book 10 page 219 1773-1775)
Joseph Williams sold property to William Grant circa 1773-1775. The 1769 Dobbs Tax list shows a Joshua Williams, and the 1779 Dobbs Voter List shows a "Jos. Williams" listed. The 1788 list shows both a Joshua and Joseph Williams in Dobbs. If this is the same person, then that probably indicates that this is the William Grant of Lenoir Co, NC. (Dobbs Co, NC Deed Book 10 page 230 1773-1775)
William Grant sold property to Andrew Scott circa 1773-1775. This is probably the William Grant of Wayne Co, NC, as Andrew Scott was listed on the 1790 Wayne Co, NC census. (Dobbs Co, NC Deed Book 10 page 353 1773-1775)
Martha Creech sold property to William Grant circa 1777-1779. This is probably William Grant of Lenoir Co, NC, since he was associated with the Creech family. (Dobbs Co, NC Deed Book 11 page 426 1777-1779)
In 1779 Wayne County was created from the western half of Dobbs County, leaving modern Lenoir and Greene as parts of Dobbs. So any records found for a William Grant after 1779 in Dobbs pertain to the William Grant of Lenoir and not to the William Grant of Wayne Co, NC.
Interestingly, the deed dated circa 1777-1779 from Martha Creech to William Grant was the last record found for this William Grant. He didn't appear on any later records. The 1779 Dobbs Co, NC voter list didn't include anyone named Grant.
The 1780 Dobbs tax list included a John Grant, but not a William Grant. This is probably the same John Grant who first appeared in 1777 on a Militia list, and listed as John Grant Jr (to distinguish himself from John Grant and wife Rachel of what is now Wayne Co, NC). This John was born ca 1756 if at least 21 in 1777. That puts his birth well before the first records found for the William Grant under study here, so it probably isn't likely that they are father and son. They didn't really seem to live in the same area either, though both John (c1756) and William were in what is now Lenoir County.
The 1790 census for Dobbs County shows an apparent widow Mary Grant with several children, and an Isaac Grant listed next door. This family moved to Washington Co, VA in the 1790's. This Mary, said to be a widow of an Alexander Grant, was the mother of Isaac Grant (1763), Anne (1767), Mary "Polly" (1769), Elizabeth (1771), Gardner (1773), John (1775) and James B. Grant (1777). Notice that the last child was born just before William Grant disappeared from the record. I've never found any record of an Alexander Grant in this area, so I don't know what source was used to list him as Mary's husband. The children's names and dates I have on this family came from Gloria Inciong. She mentioned a publication called "Grant Gleanings", but I don't know what that is exactly. Possibly a newsletter.
The widow Mary Grant and her children were listed in 1790 Dobbs Co, NC between Jacob Micks and James Fortner. None of these were found on previous tax or voter lists for Dobbs (1769, 1779, 1780, 1788). She was only about 30 or so households from the Benjamin Creech family whom we know was a neighbor to William Grant as far back as 1770 (if this is the same Benjamin Creech). Two houses from Benjamin Creech is Richard Byrd Sr, who was also listed as a neighbor of William Grant in 1770.
Taking 6 neighbors on both sides of the Grant family in 1790 (to try and figure where they lived) we have: Job Williams, Elijah Baker, Frederick Baker, Willowby Adams, John Powell, Jacob Micks, Isaac Grant, Mary Grant, James Fortner, Daniel Powell, Emanuel Fortner, William Moore Sr, William Moore Jr, John Moore.
Of these listed near the Grant's in 1790, the 1769 Dobbs Tax list shows Elijah Baker and William Moore, but no districts or location given. The 1779 Voter list shows only Elijah Baker of the 1790 neighbors. The 1780 Dobbs tax list shows Job Williams listed in Kennedy District, which is west of Kinston, but north of the Neuse River. Elijah Baker was listed in 1780 in Harvey District, which is East of Kinston in the Tower Hill Road vicinity. John Grant was also in that district. John and Daniel Powell were both in that district also. William Moore Sr and Jr were also in Harvey District.
Since John Grant was listed there in 1780, it stands to reason that Mary may be his widow and not the widow of the William Grant I am documenting on this page. It should be noted though, that Harvey District also included that area in the corner of Lenoir County where it borders Craven and Pitt, which is apparently where William Grant lived. It seems that William Grant and John Grant may be connected somehow. They could be father and son, if William Grant is older than we think he is. He may have moved to Dobbs County ca 1769 already with a family including a son John, then just a young teenager. This is just speculation though.
William Grant either died, or moved away after circa 1777-1779 when his last record was found (a deed from Martha Creech to him). John Grant appeared in the records beginning 1777, and he lived more or less in the same area as William, so it may be that they are father and son.
Possible children of William Grant (not proven, by any means):
John Grant was born ca 1756 or before. He first appeared in Dobbs Co, NC records in 1777 when he was included on a Militia List in Captain Kennedy's company. He was listed as John Grant "Jr". The only other John Grant in Dobbs Co, NC at that time was John Grant of the Walnut Creek area (now Wayne Co, NC) and he was probably just a few years older than this John. On 14 Mar 1778 John Grant entered 50 acres in Dobbs Co, NC for land on the south side of Briery Branch adjoining Thomas Bond, Thomas Phillips, William Moore and William Wooten. (Dobbs Co, NC Land Entries 1778-1790 Book 1 page 285). John Grant was listed on the 1780 Dobbs Co, NC tax list in Harvey District, which included that area. William Moore named as one of his neighbors in 1778 was listed in 1780 Harvey District also. Thomas Phillips wasn't too far from the widow Mary Grant in the 1790 census, and of course William Moore was just a house or two away from her. I think all this leads to the conclusion that Mary Grant (of 1790 dobbs census) is the widow of this John Grant. The 1780 tax list is the last record I found for him (so far). That is consistent with their last child born ca 1777. I'm not 100% sure that this is correct, but Mary, an obvious widow, was listed in the same neighborhood, with the same neighbors in 1790 that John Grant had in 1780 and 1778, so it is a reasonable assumption. See John's own page for more data on his family.
Persons researching this family (click here for data on how to get on or off of this list: