Richard Smith – 300A – Black River

On 25 August 1778, Richard Smith made a entry for 300 acres of land lying in Cumberland County on the Black River joining his own line.

Four years later on 4 January 1782 a warrant was issued to conduct a survey for this entry. The survey was conducted on 30 April 1782.

The chainers for this survey was Simon Johnson (Johnston) and Hardy Smith. Simon was an adjoining land owner to Richard on Neills Creek (Neills Creek is about 4-5 miles to the west).

One thing to mention about this survey is that markers of the survey reads differently then the imagine created for the plot. In my plot of this property, I’ve followed the text.

Prior to November 1789, it appears that Richard sold, gifted or gave power of attorney rights to Ezekiel Smith. This is assumed because as of at least 1786 Richard is living in Wilkes County, Georgia. No deeds have been found that support the transfer of property or rights to Ezekiel. In November of 1789 Ezekiel sells 150A, the southern portion of Richards 300A patent to John Adams.

“…. land lying & being in the County of Cumberland, on the south side Black River *** *** being his land whereon the said Smith now lives containing in the whole 150 acres of land be the same more or less. Beginning at a run of said River where Hardy Smiths upper line at an oak thence south to a pine near said Smiths house thence West 300 poles to a pine Col Hunters corner thence North with said Hunters line to the said River thence down the run of said River to the first station. It being part of a tract of land taken up by Richard Smith ….”. View the full deed here.

Interestingly, Richard and Ezekial Smith are adjacent land owners Colonel Theophilus Hunter who also beholds a link back to Samuel Smith Sr. Theophilus married Jane Smith (her second marriage, was previously married to Joel Williams who supposedly drowned in the Cape Fear River).

Then on 30 January 1792, John Adams sold 100A of the 150A to his son Joseph Adams.

“…. land situated lying and being in Cumberland County and on the south side of black river beginning on the run of black river *** to Theophilus Hunters line then along the said **** said Richard Smiths line to a marked or measured line *** a to make the quantity of one hundred acres of land thence to said river thence up said river to the first station being apart of a tract of land that Richard Smith obtained a right to from the State for three hundred acres of land bearing date 1776 with all ….”. This deed was witnessed by Jobe Smith and John Champion. Job would prove this deed in the April Term of 1795.

In 1797 Joseph Adams sold this 100A (part of a 150A transaction) to James Gilbert. James Gilbert in 1803 would sell approximately 70A of this 100A to John McLeod (part of a 107A transaction).

I haven’t been able to find the disposition of the upper 150A of this 300A parcel. I’ve done some reverse searching, but the first 25 to 50 years of the transition from Cumberland to Harnett have me confused when trying to make the connection between the two counties.