Albemarle Settlements
Encyclopedia
The Albemarle Settlements were the first permanent English settlements in what is now North Carolina
, founded in the Albemarle Sound
and Roanoke River
regions, beginning about the middle of the 17th century. The settlers were mainly Virginians migrating south.
south of Chowan
, to be located "next to those persons who have had a former grant." In 1662, George Durant
purchased lands from the Indians in this region and there is evidence to indicate that others had done the same.
When it was learned that the Albemarle settlements were not included in the Carolina proprietary grant of 1663, a new charter was granted in 1665 which included them. A Government was instituted in Albemarle
in 1664 and within a decade settlements extended from the Chowan River
to Currituck Sound
.
During Bacon's Rebellion
in 1676, Albemarle Settlements offered assistance and refuge to the rebels. The rebellion's strongholds were mostly south of the James River, a region linked to the Albemarle Settlements by roads and rivers. A road linked "southside Virginia" to Edenton, North Carolina
, skirting the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp
. The Blackwater River
of southside Virginia flowed south to the Chowan River, providing another link.
The boundary between Virginia and North Carolina was uncertain until a 1728 survey was done under William Byrd II
, described in his book The History of the Dividing Line
. Until then, many settlers did not know whether their lands were in Virginia or North Carolina.
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, founded in the Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a long barrier peninsula upon which the town of Kitty Hawk is located,...
and Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
regions, beginning about the middle of the 17th century. The settlers were mainly Virginians migrating south.
History
In 1653, the Virginia Assembly granted one Roger Green a tract of land on Roanoke RiverRoanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
south of Chowan
Chowan
Chowan is a variation of the name of the Chowanoke American Indian tribe in North Carolina, and may refer to*Chowan, the first name of the bark later to be named USS Crusader*Chowan County, North Carolina*Chowan River in Virginia and North Carolina...
, to be located "next to those persons who have had a former grant." In 1662, George Durant
George Durant
George Durant was an attorney, Attorney General and Speaker of the House of Burgesses in the Province of Carolina. He is sometimes credited as being the "father of North Carolina"....
purchased lands from the Indians in this region and there is evidence to indicate that others had done the same.
When it was learned that the Albemarle settlements were not included in the Carolina proprietary grant of 1663, a new charter was granted in 1665 which included them. A Government was instituted in Albemarle
Albemarle
The name Albemarle comes from the city of Aumale and may refer to:-People:*Duke of Albemarle, the most notable being:**George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle , English soldier, naval officer and statesman*Earl of Albemarle...
in 1664 and within a decade settlements extended from the Chowan River
Chowan River
The Chowan River is a blackwater river formed with the merging of Virginia's Blackwater and Nottoway rivers near the stateline between Virginia and North Carolina. According to the USGS a variant name is Choan River....
to Currituck Sound
Currituck Sound
Currituck Sound is a protected inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northeastern part of North Carolina. Thirty miles N-S and 3–8 miles wide, this shallow, island-filled sound is separated from the ocean by Bodie Island, part of the Outer Banks...
.
During Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was an uprising in 1676 in the Virginia Colony in North America, led by a 29-year-old planter, Nathaniel Bacon.About a thousand Virginians rose because they resented Virginia Governor William Berkeley's friendly policies towards the Native Americans...
in 1676, Albemarle Settlements offered assistance and refuge to the rebels. The rebellion's strongholds were mostly south of the James River, a region linked to the Albemarle Settlements by roads and rivers. A road linked "southside Virginia" to Edenton, North Carolina
Edenton, North Carolina
Edenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Chowan County. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for...
, skirting the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp
Great Dismal Swamp
The Great Dismal Swamp is a marshy area on the Coastal Plain Region of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina in the United States. It is located in parts of southern Chesapeake and Suffolk in Virginia, as well as northern...
. The Blackwater River
Blackwater River (Chowan River)
The Blackwater River of southeastern Virginia flows from its source near the city of Petersburg, Virginia for about 105 miles through the Inner Coastal Plain region of Virginia . The Blackwater joins the Nottoway River to form the Chowan River, which empties into Albemarle Sound...
of southside Virginia flowed south to the Chowan River, providing another link.
The boundary between Virginia and North Carolina was uncertain until a 1728 survey was done under William Byrd II
William Byrd II
Colonel William Byrd II was a planter, slave-owner and author from Charles City County, Virginia. He is considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia.-Biography:...
, described in his book The History of the Dividing Line
The History of the Dividing Line
The History of the Dividing Line Betwixt Virginia and North Carolina is an account by William Byrd II of the surveying of the border between the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia in 1728...
. Until then, many settlers did not know whether their lands were in Virginia or North Carolina.