blacksmithing.
They grew, fished or hunted what they needed to eat.
Pigs, corn, rice, indigo, and resin
from the long-leaf pines were the principle items
of trade, and corn was often used
to pay taxes.
The “Established Church” was the Church of England
and this was the religion followed by the settlers.
For amusements the settlers enjoyed barbeques,
quilting bees, barn raisings, house warmings, drinking, dancing and card
playing. In fact, the first
business usually taken care of by newly-formed village governments was
licensing a tavern and setting the price of whiskey, rum and gin!
Francis Rawls was born circa 1710-1720 in
Nansemond County, Virginia, son of William Rawls and an unknown
mother. Many of the earliest Nansemond County records were destroyed by
fires, but his name appears on a boundary “processioning” there in 1747.
(Other family names of interest in Nansemond were Duke and
Rountree. ) Francis moved to Martin County, North Carolina, and by 1748
he had established a plantation on Porter's Creek, a tributary of Durham
Creek, on the south side of the
Pamlico River in Beaufort County. There were no courthouses at
the time, so the settlers recorded their deeds in the Vestry Book, and
“processioned” or “possessioned” the boundaries.
The seller, buyer, and adjacent property owners, along with a
neutral person, met and walked the boundaries to agree on property
lines. The vestry made up
the parish budget, set taxes, built churches, hired ministers, and cared
for the poor.
No record exists of Francis serving in the
Revolutionary War, but this isn't unusual: most of the battles in North
Carolina took place in the central part of the state.
Troops were ordered up to protect the coastal area in 1775, but were disbanded in 1776,
and records are incomplete.
Francis was probably too old to serve, and no records of his sons
serving have been found.
Francis married a lady named Sarah, whose
last name was most likely Reddick.
They had five children who lived to be mentioned in his will
dated Oct. 20, 1789: Easter,
James, Joshua, William, and Jesse.
Will of
Francis Rawls
In the name of god amen I
Francis Rawls of Martin County in the State of North Carolina Being Low
in helth [health], But of perfect mind & memory & Calling to mind the
mortality of my Body and that is [it] is apointed [appointed] for all
men once to Die, I first Recommend my Sole into the hands of
almighty god that gave it
and my body to the Earth to be buried at the Discretion of my Exectters
[Executors], and as for the portion of goods that it hath pleased god to
hand me in this Life, I give as follows
first I [here was first
written "give", crossed out] Lend to my beloved Wife Sarah Rawls the use
of my plantation on porters Creek in Burfort [Beaufort] County During
her natural Life or Widdowhood, and after her Death or marriage the Sd
[said = same] plantation and Land there unto belonging, I give to my
Daughter Easter Rawls
Item
I leave my Riding horse to be Sold to Discharge my Just Debts, if
any there be, and if not, in the same manner as my plantation
Item
I give to my wife Sarah Rawls my working plow and all my hogs and
all my Crops now on the ground
Item
I give to my son James Rawls one Larg[e] pot---