W e l c o m e
T o
Bertie County, North Carolina
Last update :
Bertie County District Map - Modern Day
Contributed by Lynn C. McCarthy
Bertie County Township Boundaries
On my trip to Bertie County while the staff were photocopying some documents
for me in the Register of Deeds Office,
Processioner's Book. Someone
had penned in below the title, "Township Boundaries -8- all but Indian
Woods".
The inside Title Page was marked, "Bertie County Book A for records
of Processions of Lands - begun August Term 1804 by George Gray, Clk.".
In the back of the ledger and on pages 27-32 were indeed these wonderful
hand-written descriptions of the township boundaries, formulated in 1868. The value of extending our searches to include every possible document is
evidenced in this material. Someone researching the surname Bunch, who might
not have known when "Jerry Bunch Sen." died, would find in the Windsor
Township material that he had died before December, 1868, the time when the
township boundary data was submitted to the North Carolina General Assembly.
Used in concert with the Gilmer maps as well as more current maps, we gain
further knowledge of the location of certain Bertie Countians 131 years ago.
And, once more, we see the familiar names of creeks, swamps, mills with their
variant spellings based on the phonetic pronunciations of the day.
TOWNSHIP BOUNDRIES
The Board of County Commissioners, after the Election in May, 1868, having
qualified, proceded to lay off the County into districts to be known as
'Townships', which was required by law in the following terms, Viz: -
'It
shall be the duty of the Commissioners first elected in each county, to
divide the same into convenient districts, to determine the boundries and
prescribe the names of said districts, and to report the same to the General
Assembly before the first day of January, 1869'. The following are the names and boundry lines of the several Townships, as
reported to the General Assembly in December 1868.
Windsor Township No. 1
Beginning at Coneyott Creek, on the Roanoke river, and running up the
Coneyott creek to Town swamp; thence up Town swamp to the old slab road;
thence along said road to Roquest swamp; thence down said swamp to the
Jacocks road at Cullen Bunch's; thence in a North direction, along said road,
a little west of the Hope house, to the Roquest, Hotel road; thence East in
the direction of Windsor to Jerry Bunch's cart-way, leaving the public road
on the right hand; thence North, along said cart-way, through, by the
residence of Jerry Bunch sen., deceased - to the Republican, Hotel road;
thence west, along said road, to the Thomas' branch, at the west end of Mrs.
Thomas' field; thence down said branch too a North direction, to Craig's
Mill-pond; then commencing on the North side of said Mill-pond, at the mouth
of Tayloe's Mill-stream, and running up said Mill-stream and Mill-pond, on
the west side, to Guye's hall-swamp; thence up said swamp, a short distance,
to Redbut swamp; thence up Redbut swamp to its head; thence a straight line
through a pocosin to buckoldmaker swamp; thence down said swamp to the
Colerain & Windsor road; thence North along the Colerain road; to the x roads
at James Todd's; thence a South East direction, along the New-road, to the
Windsor & Merry Hill road; at the Mountain place; thence Eastward along the
Merry Hill road, to the Bear-swamp-Mill-road at Starky Mizell's; thence in a
South East direction, along said Mill-road, to the the S.E. end of said
Mill-dam; thence about the same direction, along Deep run, to John
Heckstall's, on the Windsor road; thence commencing on the South side of said
road, at the S.W. end of said Heckstall's lot, and running a private road,
known as the Charles Jacocks road, to the Jacocks landing on Cashie river;
thence down said river to the Thoroughfare, at the Ryon place, which connects
the Cashie, with the Roanoke river; thence along said thoroughfare to the
Roanoke river; thence up Roanoke river - the middle of the chanel - to
Coneyott Creek - the point at which we set out.
Merry Hill Township No. 2
Commencing at the mouth of Salmon Creek, on on the Choan river, and running
up said Creek, by Mill-landing, to Chapel-bridge, on the Merry Hill road;
thence running the Merry Hill road N.W., to the Mill-landing loc'd; thence
running said road in a S.W. direction to the Windsor road; thence running
said road in the direction of Windsor, to the the Bear-swamp Mill road, at
Starky Mizell's; thence running the Windsor Township-line to the Roanoke
river; thence down said river - the middle of the channel - to Albemarle
Sound; thence runnning the shore about West, to the mouth of Eastermost
river; thence a straight line about north, to the lower end of the Terrapin
Point Fishery; thence running the shore of the Albemarle Sound to the mouth
of the Chowan river; thence up the Choan river, to Salmon Creek - the point
at which we set out.
White's Township No. 3
Commencing at the mouth of Salmon creek, on the Chowan river, and running the
Merry Hill Township line, to the Bear-swamp Mill-road, at Starky Mizell's;
thence running the Windsor Township line along the new road, to the x roads,
at James Todd's; thence along the Colerain road in a North direction, to
Thomas White's Avenue; thence along said Avenue to the Jackson-Old-road;
thence along said road to Perry Town; thence along the new road, by Mark
Perry's to the Colerain and Merry Hill road; thence a straight line across
said road to the Burk Holley Landing, on Chowan river; thence down said river
to Salmon Creek - the point at which we set out.
Colerain Township No. 4
Commencing at the Burke Holley Landing on the Chowan river, and running the
White's Township line, back to the x roads, at James Todd's; thence running
the Windsor road in a south direction, to Cuckoldmaker Swamp; thence up said
Swamp to its head; thence a strait line through a broad, uninhabited pocosin,
to the fork of the road, at James S. Mitchell's Avenue; Thence along the
Pitch-Landing road, to Powel's x roads; thence along the left hand road a few
hundred yards, to the Stony Creek-road; thence along said road, to the
Hertford County line; thence along said line to the Chowan river; thence down
said river to the Burk Holley landing - the point at which we set out.
Mitchell's Township No. 5
Commencing at the Hertford County-line, on the stony-creek road, and running
the Colerain line back to the Windsor Township line, oposite Red-bud swamp,
from Cuckoldmaker-swamp; Thence running the Windsor line down the Redbud
swamp to Guye's-hall swamp; thence up Guye's hall swamp, to Buck-branch;
thence South along said branch, to Conaritsy-swamp; Thence up said swamp to
the Winton road; thence N.W. along said road to Harman's store; thence North
along the Muffreesboro' road - or new road - to the Hertford County line; but
so as to include within Mitchell's Township, all persons living immediately
on the new-road, leading from Harman's store or x roads, to the Hertford
County-line; thence East along said line, to the Stony-creek road: The point
at which we set out.
Roxobel Township No. 6
Commencing at the Mitchell Township-line on Conaritsy Swamp, and running the
Colerain & Woodville road, in the direction of Woodville to Hardy's store or
Turner's x roads; thence running the Roxobel road to Lewis Cotton's; thence a
S.W. direction, along said Cotton's river road, to his landing, on Roanoke
river; Thence up said river, to the Northampton County line; Thence along
said line to the Hertford Co - line; Thence along the Hertford County line,
to the Muffresboro' road, running by Harman's store - Thence running the
Muffresboro' road by Harmon's store, along the Mitchell Township-line, to the
Colerain & Woodville road, on Conaritsy swamp - the point at which we set out.
Woodville Township No. 7
Commencing at Lewis Cotton's landing, on Roanoke river, and running the
Roxobel line back to the x roads, at Hardy's store; thence running the
Colerain road N. (the Roxobel line) to the Snakebite road, at the Rhodes
place; thence along said road to Opossom-branch; thence down said branch, to
Wattom swamp; thence down said swamp, to Cashie swamp; thence down Cashie
swamp nearly oposite Jackson Veal's; thence running a large ditch south
through said Veal's field, a little West of his house, to the Windsor-road;
thence running said road E. in the direction of Windsor, to the fork of the
road, at the Grimes place; thence along the right hand or Roquest-road, a
short distance, to a bottom in the field on the right, known as Reedy-branch;
thence running the course of said branch, or down the Canal which drains said
branch, about south, to Roquest-swamp; Thence down said swamp, to an old road
on the south side known as "the old slab-road"; Thence running said road in a
south direction, to Town-swamp; Thence down Town-swamp, following the run, to
Coneyott-Creek; thence down said creek, to Roanoke river; Thence up said
river, the middle of the channel, to Lewis Cotton's landing - the point at
which we set out.
Snakebite Township No. 8
Commencing at Cullin Bunch's, on Roquest swamp, and running the Jacocks-road,
in a north direction along the Windsor line, out by the Hope-house, a little
west of said house - following the cart-way, to the front of said house, and
then straight to the Roquest-Woodville-road; Thence running the Roquest-road,
in the direction of Windsor, to Jerry Bunch's cart-path; thence N., along
said path, through to the road running from Windsor to the Hotel, by the
Republican Church; thence west along said road, to the West end of Mrs.
Thomas' field, to a branch known as 'the Thomas-branch; Thence North along
said branch, to Craig's Mill-pond; Thence a straight line from the mouth of
the Thomas branch, to the mouth of Tayloe's Mill stream, on the North side of
said Mill-pond; Thence running the west side of Tayloe's Mill stream, and
Mill-pond, to Guye's Hall-swamp; Thence up said swamp, to Buck-branch; Thence
south, along said branch to Conaritsy-swamp; Thence up said swamp, to the
Colerain & Woodville road; Thence along said road to the Colerain & Woodville
road; Thence along said road to the Snakebite-road, at the Rhodes place;
Thence along the Snakebite road, to Opossom branch; Thence down said branch
to Wattom swamp; Thence down said swamp to Cashie swamp; Thence down Cashie
swamp to Jackson Veals; thence running a large ditch, south - a little west
of said Veal's house, to the Windsor & Woodville road; Thence East in the
direction of Windsor, along said road to the ditch near Madison Hardy's gate;
Thence along the said ditch to the canal; Thence following the course of said
Canal which drains said farm to Roquest swamp; Thence down said swamp to the
Jacocks' road, at Cullen Bunch's, - the point at which we set out.
Return to the Bertie County Main Page
