The Fate of Captain Charles Bissell
The War of 1812 caused a collapse to American trade. The tiny American fleet was no match for the British blockading squadrons. Chowan County was on guard from the beginning. The first 79 local recruits left for Tarboro in August under the command of Captain Jesse Copeland. The difficulty in reaching foreign ports was great but profits unusually high. Therefore most of Edenton merchants who attempted it shared the fate of Captain Charles Bissell, master of the sloop Betsy. When Bissell tried to sneak from Edenton to St. Bartholomew Island in November of the year, he was run down by a privateer. Bissell was taken to St. Kitt's Island in the Carribbean and relieved of his ship and valuable cargo of shingles before being permitted to find passage back to the United States.
The Chowan Settlement had 4000 People in 1667
During 1663 Sir William Berkeley, the Governor of Virginia, visited a small settlement on the Chowan River and appointed William Drummond as the first Governor of the Colony of Carolina. Drummond was a Scotch Presbyterian and was prudent, cautious and deeply impressed with the love of liberty. Such were the pioneer settlements, and such was the first Governor of North Carolina. However, in 1665, it being discovered the settlement on the Chowan was not situated within the limits of the Carolina charter, and was in Virginia instead. King Charles solved the issue by granting an enlargement of the charter so as to make it extend from twenty-nine degrees to thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes, north latitude. These charters were liberal in the concession of civil rights and the proprietors were permitted to exercise toleration towards non-conformists, if it should be deemed expedient. Immigrants from abroad were encouraged to settle at Chowan where it had a representative government where certain freedoms were given. As the people were chiefly refugees from religious oppression, they had no claims on government, nor did they wish to draw its attention. They regarded the Indians as the true lords of the soil; treated with them in that capacity; purchased their lands, and obtained their grants. At the death of Governor Drummond in 1667, the colony of Carolina contained about four thousand inhabitants. In 1712 a town was established and was later incorporated in 1722 as "Edenton" which remains the seat of Chowan County today.
Do we have the Guts to Accomplish another Celestial Adventure?
Since our quest to reach the moon in the 1960s, this country has colonized there, or on Mars. Although lots of taxpayer money has been spent in sending out rockets for discovery, we have yet to accomplish another great feat such as reaching the "moon!" Perhaps if we take a long look at the past of our ancestors and how they dared to cross the seas to find something better, we might latch on to their strengths and perseverence. Because once they arrived in America, they had to first tame a wilderness through hard working labor. Despite the dangers, they came. Despite the risks, they ventured. Elon Musk, the Canadian business-magnate, dared to dream and create Space-X, and so far, it is looking pretty interesting. Just as our ancestors!
Buzz from the blog....
- Are Genealogists Good Readers? #northcarolinapioneerscom #ncgenealogy
Are Genealogists Good Readers?Nowadays scanning with our eyes is the trend. It is probably the new technology which prompts a faster method of absorbing data. However, genealogy is an intricately involved pursuit which requires proper focus and concentration. We can scan over the records if we choose, however, there is a good chance of missing some important details. Like the names of communities or small towns, witnesses, dates of probate, who kept the roads, served as jurors or in the militia, tax defaulters, letters left at the post office, and so on. It is just words, after all, yet those words had specific meanings during the life times of our ancestors and will help provide a proper basis for our conclusions. Images of Onslow Co. NC Wills & Estates. See Names Comments are welcome.. Genealogy Records in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Get More Genealogy Real Estate JOIN 8 Genealogy Websites Subscribe to 8 Genealogy Websites and Get More Genealogy Real Estate
Index to Virginia Wills and Estates
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