Old Dobbs Grantor/Grantee Indices
Evolution of Counties of Wayne - Greene - Lenoir Counties
1746 - Johnston County was formed from the western part of Craven County. Land records prior to 1746 are in Craven County.
1758 - Dobbs County was formed from the eastern portion of Johnston County. The records of the area ceded by Johnston County were transferred to Dobbs County.
1779 - Wayne County was created from the western portion of Dobbs County.
1791 - The remainder of Dobbs County was divided into Glasgow (renamed Greene in 1799) and Lenoir counties. Dobbs ceased to exist.
Early records of the original Dobbs County (Wayne, Glasgow, Lenoir), held in the Lenoir County Courthouse in Kinston (originally the Dobbs County Courthouse), burned in fires of 1878 and 1880. All records were destroyed except an original grantee index.
A grantor book was later prepared from the grantee index, but it has been suggested that perhaps the original index was the grantor book rather than the grantee index. Either way there are two indices to provide some information regarding early land transactions of these counties.
Greene County also experienced a fire in 1876 destroying many court records and all land records.
The Grantor/Grantee Indices of Johnston, Dobbs and Lenoir Counties, transcribed by Martha Mewborn Marble, are found at the Lenoir County, NC GenWeb Archives, http://www.usgwarchives.org/nc/lenoir/lenoirindices.htm. This transcription was developed by crosschecking the grantor and grantee indices.
The transcription is labeled "Johnston, Dobbs and Lenoir" because the common courthouse was in Kinston for those counties. Records after the formation of Wayne and Glasgow (Greene) would have been transferred to those counties. However, records pertaining to Wayne and Glasgow (Greene) before the creation of those counties were contained in the Dobbs County records and therefore destroyed by the Kinston courthouse fire. The only surviving early land records for pre-1779 Wayne County and pre-1791 Glasgow (Greene) are included in these indices.
Note: Identification of Reaves and their locations in present-day counties are based upon my conclusions after looking at other records that provide clues of their county of residence. Items in parenthesis after the individual entries provide some details in support of these conclusions.
Summary of Individual Reaves and their location.
Wayne County Greene County
(pre-1779) (pre-1791)
William Reaves (1757-58; 1769-71) Thomas Reaves (1757-58; 1765-69)
James Reaves (1758-65)
Joseph Reaves (1758-65)
Drury Reaves (1765-69: 1769-71; 1771-73;
1773-75; 1777-79)
Reuben Reaves (1773-75; 1746-1810)
W. Reaves (1773-1775)
Individual entries from the Grantor/Grantee Indices
Book 1 1746 - 1750 No ReavesBook 2 April 1750 - April 1754 No Reaves
Book 3 April 1754 - April 1755 No Reaves
Book 4 1756 - 1757 No Reaves
Book 5 April 1757 - April 1758
Andrew Bass to William Reaves p. 638 (This is Wayne County based upon numerous deeds placing these two in Wayne County
William Williams to Thomas Reaves p. 568 (Greene County based upon many deeds placing William Williams in Greene County near Tyson's Marsh. A 1773 NC grant to John Irons references William Williams, Francis Harper, Dunn, Timothy Reeves and Tyson's Marsh as adjoining.)
Book 6 April 1758 - April 1765
Jane¹ (
Joseph Reaves to William Williams p. 511 (Relationship to William Williams places this tract in Greene County. William Andrews, Francis Harper, James Glasgow, James Homes, Thomas Pridgeon, William Reaves, Joseph Reaves are on the 1793 voters list for Glasgow County, http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DANIEL/2004-05/1084565098.)
Book 7 April 1765 - April 1769
Drury Reaves to Thomas Pridgen p. 316 (In 1767 Drury Reaves received a grant for land on Fort Run near Ready Branch in now Greene County. Adjacent landowners were Robert Williams (son of William Williams) and Thomas Pridgen. William Andrews, Francis Harper, James Glasgow, James Homes, Thomas Pridgeon, William Reaves, Joseph Reaves are on the 1793 voters list for Glasgow County, http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DANIEL/2004-05/1084565098.)
John Hull to Timothy Reaves p. 462 (Greene County See Book 5.)
John Garland to Drury Reeves p. 489 (Greene County See Book 7.)
Book 8 April 1769 - April 1771
John Garland to Drury Reaves p.236 (Greene County See Book 7.)
William Reaves to Andrew Bass, Jr. p.241 (Wayne County See Book 5.)
Ignatius Flowers to William Reaves p.243 (Flowers also conveyed land to Andrew Bass, Jr., neighbors of Reaves in Wayne County.)
Andrew Bass, Jr. to William Reaves p.247 (Wayne CountySee Book 5.)
Book 9 April 1771 - April 1773
Francis Harper to Drewry Reanes? p.383 (Greene County See Book 7. Harper owned several tracts on the north side of Contentnea Creek. William Andrews, Francis Harper, James Glasgow, James Homes, Thomas Pridgeon, William Reaves, Joseph Reaves are on the 1793 voters list for Glasgow County, http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DANIEL/2004-05/1084565098.)
A note for this entry states that it does not appear in the Grantor Index. See Book 10 for an almost identical entry but for Drury Reeves.
Book 10 April 1773 - April 1775
Drury Reaves to William Bridger p.3 (Greene County See Book 7.)
Drury Reaves to Francis Harper p.20 (Greene County See Book 7. William Andrews, Francis Harper, James Glasgow, James Homes, Thomas Pridgeon, William Reaves, Joseph Reaves are on the 1793 voters list for Glasgow County, http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DANIEL/2004-05/1084565098.)
Reuben Reaves to Robert Taylor p.194 (Greene County- In 1774 Reuben Reaves was an adjoining landowner to James Homes for land on south side of Contentnea Creek and Tyson's Marsh. William Andrews, Francis Harper, James Glasgow, James Homes, Thomas Pridgeon, William Reaves, Joseph Reaves are on the 1793 voters list for Glasgow County, http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DANIEL/2004-05/1084565098.)
Robert Reynolds to Drury Reaves p.234 (Greene County See Book 7.)
Francis Harper to Drury Reeves p.383 (See Book 9 for almost identical entry. William Andrews, Francis Harper, James Glasgow, James Homes, Thomas Pridgeon, William Reaves, Joseph Reaves are on the 1793 voters list for Glasgow County, http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DANIEL/2004-05/1084565098.)
Samuel Dunn to Timothy Reaves p.398 (Greene County_See Book 5.)
Timothy Reaves to Lemuel Dunn p.445 (Greene County_See Book 5.)
Drury & W. Reaves to William H. Andrews p.487 (Greene County See Book 7.) (A reward was offered in 1795 for the apprehension of Stephan Sheppard and William Andrews, both of Glasgow County for forging grants, North Carolina Journal, February 16, 1795, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paday/dobbers/caswellconnection/Gats&shep.htm. William Andrews, Francis Harper, James Glasgow, James Homes, Thomas Pridgeon, William Reaves, Joseph Reaves are on the 1793 voters list for Glasgow County, http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DANIEL/2004-05/1084565098.)
Book 11 April 1777- April 1779
Drury Reaves to Thomas Pridgen p.143 (Greene CountySee Book 7.)
Drury Reaves to James Glasgow p.357 (Greene CountySee Book 7.) (Note: James Glasgow was NC Secretary of State but resigned in disgrace in 1798. Glasgow County was named after him but renamed Greene County after his resignation. Glasgow lived on Contentnea Creek. William Andrews, Francis Harper, James Glasgow, James Homes, Thomas Pridgeon, William Reaves, Joseph Reaves are on the 1793 voters list for Glasgow County, http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DANIEL/2004-05/1084565098.)
Book 12 April 1779- April 1784 No Reaves
Book 13 April 1784- April 1789 No Reaves
Book 14 April 1789- April 1792 No Reaves
Book 15 April 1779- April 1784 No Reaves
Book 15 is the end of Dobbs County and the first book of Lenoir County
Book 22 1746 - 1810
This book is unique. Because of land grant frauds the General Assembly enacted a law requiring persons holding lands under grants or doubtful deeds to re-register. Many of those appear in Book 22, but the date of the original grant was not indicated.
Simon Holmes to Reuben Reaves p.214 (Greene County- In 1774 Reuben Reaves was an adjoining landowner to James Homes for land on south side of Contentnea Creek and Tyson's Marsh. William Andrews, Francis Harper, James Glasgow, James Homes, Thomas Pridgeon, William Reaves, Joseph Reaves are on the 1793 voters list for Glasgow County, http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DANIEL/2004-05/1084565098.)
¹ A 1763 Deed to Jane Reeves confirms this individual was truly Jane and a female since all pronouns used in the deed were feminine. [Duplin County Deed Book 1, pg. 359-360]