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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Memorandum from James Huey to the Board of Trade of Great Britain concerning a land grant in North Carolina
Huey, James
November 17, 1736
Volume 04, Pages 260-262

Memorandum from Mr Huey containing Some Proposals for making his Settlement in North Carolina.

When we had the honour to attend your Lordships, we proposed that Murray Crymble, James Huey and each of their Associates should (after the whole of the lands are Surveyed) have seperate Grants for their respective shares, but at the same time that no Grant should be given for a less quantity than 12000 Acres Our reasons for desireing this from your Lordships is that if we were only to have one General Grant for the whole of the Lands to be run out and that some of the partys should settle and cultivate their respective shares according to the undertakeing in the Petition and others should not, that in such case we are of Opinion those that have settled might be subject to the Forfeiture of part of their Lands and we apprehend at the same time that they would be lyable

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to pay the Quit Rents of the whole and it would have this farther inconveniency that such of the poor people who are to go and settle there could not have a proper Title made out to them for in case the settlement was not compleated those that were settled would be subject to the Quit Rents of the whole, this objection has been made to us allready by people who we are upon termes with and we are satisfyed if your Lordships do not indulge us in this particular it will be out of our power to form the settlement according to the undertakeing in our Petition, therefore what we beg leave to propose to your Lordships is, that we may have seperate Grants given us, and that such as do not settle the numbers they engage according to the undertakeing in the petition should forfeit such part as they have not settled or if it should be his Majesty's pleasure not to grant the lands but upon condition that the whole should be forfeited, in case the settlement is not compleated, we are ready to acquiesce therein.

We have mentioned to some of the other Gentlemen concerned what your Lordships proposed to us about our takeing up the Lands in one Entire Tract, which they are not willing to agree to as the Lands in that case must be first survey'd into one intire Tract and afterwards resurveyed into different parcelles, which by the Laws of the Colony, will entitle the surveyor to double Fees, and we are also apprehensive that method might occasion disputes amongst ourselves, to avoid these inconveniences we beg leave humbly to propose to your Lordships that we may be admitted to take up the Lands in different Tracts, but at the same time no less quantity than 50000 Acres should be run out in one place this indulgence has been granted to others in a more favourable manner than what we desire besides it has always been the practice of the Colonys to run out the Lands in small tracts, and such as have had Grants here from the Crown, have allways been admitted to take up Lands in the manner we propose to take up ours and in much smaller parcells we humbly conceive that no persons hitherto have offered more advantageous terms to the Crown, therefore hope there is nothing particular in our case to exclude us from the like favours and 'tis our Opinion that the Crown can be no sufferer from this as there is very little Swampy lands within 70 or 80 miles from the Mountains and it appears pretty evident to us that it will be more for the service of the Colony to have the Lands run out in the several divisions under the Restrictions we have before mentioned than it would be to have the lands all run out in one Tract for in that case such Forreigners that settle there would retain their Language and their children would not have the Opportunitys of learning to speak English which would allways make

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them consider themselves as a distinct people; the charges attending this settlement will be very great therefore we submit it to your Lordships whether or no we do not deserve suitable encouragement particularly as we desire nothing from the Crown but what we are satisfied your Lordships would grant in a private capacity; for instance should any of your Lordships employ us to improve your Estates, we doubt not but at the same time your Lordships would make us a reasonable allowance for our expence and trouble in so doing. We beg leave also to obviate the objection your Lordships made against our desireing that we should only forfeit such part of the lands as were not settled according to the undertaking in our Petition, if we understood your Lordships right you apprehend that we should settle the best of the Lands first therefore if the whole of the settlement was not made the Lands that would revert to the Crown would be of the worst quality. We can assure your Lordships with great Justice that would not be the case as it is our Interest to give the worst of the Lands to the first settlers for thō we put ourselves to great charge in settling them we have no manner of service by it (further than to ascertain our Titles) as we give the Lands to the people upon the very same terms as we have them from the Crown, from which it will appear clear to your Lordships that it is our Interest to reserve the best of the lands unsettled, as that is the only benefit we are to have to answer our Expences.

That it be measur'd out in fifty thousand Acres Tracts in one parcell, and with Liberty to have power to have that fifty Thousand Acres and seperet grants for each of these divisions.

JAMES HUEY.

Recd Novemb: 17th 1736.