old Chowan Precinct map

meant what they said, said what they meant

old Chowan Precinct map

The amount of info available online is staggering… even 20 years ago we were still snail mailing stuff from say, the Raleigh Archives or from the very patient Traci the Librarian in Rocky Mount, NC. Just Google “colonial records NC” and you will access yourself to the complete records of the very folks I map below. The history is breathtaking. Over the years I have peppered this site with quotes from the Colonial Records. Think of it… did you even imagine “copy and paste” 20 years ago?

To my knowledge, no one has ever attempted to do what I am doing. Surely folks have mapped some small areas and impressed other genealogists… Ohhh…Awww…wow. It was a tremendous amount of work. But it could drive a person to drink (I’m having a Mich Ultra as I type). My previous maps (Isle of Wight and Surry County) were my learning experiences… getting my feet wet, so to speak. This map is coming along nicely. But it may take a year or more just to get me to a simple sigh of satisfaction.

Below is my preliminary map to explain the starting point. Also is the 1863 Civil War map (which is the oldest I can find) the map that got me fired up to start this project. The Civil War map is simply too inaccurate to work by… otherwise I would use it as the base map. But it is invaluable for reference. Also of interest is the measly (3) 1908/9 maps that I could dig up from the USGS history maps. It is a treat not to have those pesky bridges and Interstate Highways clogging up the mapping.

Enjoy… and feel free to comment.

Note that I have found Maule’s Haven. It took me about a week to work out the boundaries. If you want to double check my placement go here and search out the original deeds (its where I find them). And feel free to correct me… (I may be drinking a beer while I map!!!)

http://www.nclandgrants.com/index/

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Click the filename in blue for a larger image to zoom…

_1Chowan Prec WORKING

The BIG KAHUNA…

Have you ran across the statement “at a court held at the house of William Branch”? There is a record in the Colonial Records where William Branch was brought up on charges of selling “intoxicating spirits” or something like that… uh, huh… he was a Bootlegger. (laughing).

The 1863 (Confederate) Civil War map for reference.