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In researching Records in what was called the "Up-country" of the Carolinas,
one must under stand the geographical boundaries and what years they changed.
In 1683 the province of present day South Carolina, consisted of four
counties:
Berkeley, (From Indian Lands, discont'd 1797
Carteret, (From Indian Lands, renamed Granville 1700
Colletion, (From Indian Lands, discont'd 1897
Craven, (From Indian Lands, discont'd 1785
By virtue of the treaty of Royal Gov. GLENN and the Cherokee Indians in 1755, the greater portion of what
was called "Up-country" [West half of the State] South Carolina was ceded
to the "whites." In 1769, the four counties in this area were divided into
seven "Judicial Districts" and the original territory of present-day
Spartanburg County became a part of the old District of Ninety-six.
In 1785 the county of Spartanburg was officially organized.
In 1788 South Carolina entered the Union as the eight state.
Later in 1897 the Northeast part of Spartanburg
County was used in part to form Cherokee County.
Summery of dates and research area.
1683 to 1754 look in Craven District Carolina Colony
1755 to 1767 look in Cherokee Indian Lands, Colony
1768 to 1779 look in old Tryon Co., NC.
1769 to 1784 look in old Ninety-six Dist. SC.
1785 to 1896 look in Spartanburg Co., SC.
1790 Census look in Ninety-six Dist. SC. Reel 11, Pg. 18-44
1897 today look in Cherokee Co., SC.
TRYON County, NC. 1768 to 1779
To compound the problem of researching early Spartanburg Co. A
lot of records were "Recorded" in North Carolina.
After the "French & Indian War" ended in 1763, the second attempt was
made to draw the (North & South) boundary, of the Carolinas.
This time the surveyors began at 34 degrees 49 minutes North and
were to draw the lines so that the Catawba Indian Reservation would
be entirely in "South Carolina." The surveyors were too far south and stopped at a spot
which is now at the right angle separating Lancaster Co., SC. and
Union Co., NC.
In 1772 they tried again. Using the old "Sailsbury to Camden road
the survey party headed North and crossed "Sugar Creek" at the
Northern corner of the "Catawba Indian Reservation." General
William MOULTRIE, who headed the South Carolina surveyors.
At latitude 35 degree 8 minutes, Gen. Wm. MOULTRIE reported that the
survey teams representing the two colonies set their compasses together
and began their "westward" course. When the survey was completed and
accepted in London, South Carolina had "gained" the 11 miles West of
the Catawba River that it lost in 1763 on the East side of the Catawba
River. Henceforth, the Northern part of Spartanburg and York Co., would
be called the "New Acquisition."
In 1768 Tryon Co., NC was created from the western part of the
larger Mecklenburg Co., NC. and extended westward as far as the
state existed in 1768. (to the Mississippi River, including present
day Tennessee.) not only did TRYON consisted of part of Burk,
Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, part of McDowell Polk, Rutherford,
all of North Carolina. but all so part of Spartanburg, and small
parts of Chester, Greenville, Laurens, and York Counties all of
South Carolina.
The boundary line between North and South Carolina had not been
established at that time, so quite a number of land titles were
registered in Tryon Co., NC. which proved to be, when the boundary
line was surveyed westward to the Indian line in 1772 to be in
South Carolina.
When Tryon Co., NC. was dissolved, in 1779, it was divided into
Lincoln and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina -- Lincoln being
in the eastern portion, from the Catawba River to a line with-in
the present day Cleveland Co., NC.
Rutherford Co., NC. was created from the western portion of Tryon
Co., NC., from a line of Lincoln Co. westward to the limits of the
state, which extended westward even to the Mississippi River in the
years of the Revolutionary War and after.
Burke Co., was created in 1777 from the western part of Rowan Co.,
and the southern boarder was the old Granville Tract line, which
was a straight westerly line parallel to the Virginia state line.
Parts of Burke and Rutherford west of the mountains, were taken to
create Buncombe County in 1791. This being the first time a western
line had been set to the counties, as they were created in the
westward movements. When the state of Tennessee was established in
1796, this western line of Buncombe County became the eastern
boundary of that state.
Small parts of Rutherford and Burke were taken to form McDowell in
1842, also part of Lincoln and Rutherford to form Cleveland Co., in
1848.
Polk County was formed in 1855 from the "Polk District" of Rutherford
Co., and a very small strip of mountain side which had been added
to Henderson Co. only a few years earlier, making the western line
of Polk Co., be along the old Buncombe Co., line set in 1792.
One of my "Branch" member of Spartanburg Co.
In of my forefathers lived on the same property, but it was found in
four different jurisdiction.
In March 1771, land was Surveyed for 250 acres for father Samuel,
SARRATT/SURRATT, age 63 and 200 acres for his son Samuel,
SARRATT, Jr., age 29 and on 14 Nov. 1771, they, both received Land
Patent No. 3195, Grant No. 410 and Patent No. 3187, Grant No. 63
from the Colonial North Carolina Government, when JOSIAH MARTIN
was Governor. This was land identified as on the "West side of the
Broad River", of Tryon Co., North Carolina. Both Samuel'S
probably had entered prior to the 1771 Survey, because it was customary
for persons to improve land by erecting some kind of a dwelling to
live on prior to filing their Grant. When this survey and Grant was
issued 1771, this land was then in the jurisdiction of the Colony
North Carolina. In the boundary dispute between the two Carolina
Colonies in 1772, which was called the "New Acquisition" and residents
of this area were forced to re-register their property with the
Colony South Carolina. This property was then located in the Nintey-Six
District of South Carolina (formed 1769) Then in 1785, it became part
of the Spartanburg Co, South Carolina. Later when Cherokee Co. was
formed in 1897 from Spartanburg, Co.
Paul R. Sarrett
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