Benjamin Culpepper the Ferryman

Male, #9905, (say 1721 - 1772)

ParentBenjamin Culpepper son of Robert (say 1698 - circa 1746)
ParentMartha (?) (say 1696 - after 1746)
Benjamin Culpepper the Ferryman|b. say 1721\nd. 1772|p9905.htm|Benjamin Culpepper son of Robert|b. say 1698\nd. circa 1746|p3211.htm|Martha (?)|b. say 1696\nd. after 1746|p41316.htm|Robert Culpepper of Lower Norfolk Co., VA|b. say 1664\nd. circa 1742|p834.htm|(?) (?) Unknown wife of Robert CULPEPPER of Norfolk Co., VA|b. say 1666\nd. before 16 Oct 1739|p840.htm|||||||

Birth*say 1721 Benjamin was born at Norfolk Co., Virginia, say 1721. 
 He was the son of Benjamin Culpepper son of Robert and Martha (?). 
Marriage*circa 1741 He married Elizabeth (?) at Edgecombe Precinct, North Carolina, circa 1741. 
Deed*14 Mar 1752 A deed was granted to him by Benjamin Culpepper son of Joseph on 14 Mar 1752 at Edgecombe Co., North Carolina.
(Edgecombe County NC Deed Book 4, p. 265 – North Carolina – To all to whom these presents shall come – I BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Junr. of Edgecombe County in the said province planter, send greeting. Know you that I the said BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Junr. for and in consideration of the sum of sixty pounds current money of Virginia to me in hand paid by BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Senr. Ferryman of the said County the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge and myself fully satisfied contented and paid. Have given granted bargained sold conveyed and confirmed and do by these presents fully freely and also lately give grant bargain sell convey and confirm unto the said BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Senr. A plantation and tract of land containing by estimation one hundred and sixty acres be the same more or less situate in the county of Edgecombe on the south side of Fishing Creek beginning at a Beech thence to a White Oak thence to a White Oak thence to a Red Oak, thence to a Pine, thence along the patent line west 160 poles to a Pine, thence north 110 poles to a Red Oak on the said Creek, thence down the water course thereof to the first station, being part of a patent granted to John Edwards for 320 acres dated the 4th day of August 1720. Together with all woods under woods waters profit commodities and appurtenances to the said land belonging or in any wise appertaining with the reversions and remainders thereof and every part and parcel thereof; to have and to hold the said one hundred and sixty acres of land and premises hereby granted unto the said BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Senr. To the only proper use benefit and behoof of him the said BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Senr. his heirs and assigns forever, and I the said BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Junr. for myself my heirs Executors and Administrators do covenant and agree to and with the said BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Senr. his heirs and assigns that he the said BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Senr. his heirs and assigns shall and may at all times forever hereafter peaceably and quietly have hold use occupy possess and enjoy the said one hundred and sixty acres of land with all the appurtenances thereto belonging freely and clearly acquitted and discharged from all former and other gifts grants bargains sales leases mortgages and all other encumbrances whatsoever and the same will warrant and forever defend unto the said BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Senr. his heirs and assigns against the clams and demands of all persons whomsoever. In witness whereof I the said BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Junr. have hereunto put my hand and seal the fourteenth day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and fifty two; BENJAMIN CULPEPPER Junr. (“B” his mark) (seal) In presence of William West, Nathan Powell (“N” his mark) – Edgecombe County May Court 1752 – the within deed of sale was in open Court duly proved by the oath of William West, an evidence thereto and on motion was ordered to be registered. Benjamin Wynns, Clerk Court). 
Will*15 Apr 1767 He made a will at Edgecombe Co., North Carolina, on 15 Apr 1767.
     The full text of the will reads more or less as follows, with slight editing for clarity:
          In the Name of God Amen. I Benjamin Culpepper of Edgecombe County being in Perfect Health Praised be God do make Constitute and order this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following.
          Item: I give and Bequeath to my I lend to my Loving Wife Elizabeth During of her Widowhood two Negroes, Toney and Fibb, one Feather Bed and Furniture and five Cows and Calves and one mare.
          I give and bequeath to my loving Daughter Rahab Whitehead one Negro named Robbin, three Hundred and twelve Acres of Land lying on the North side of Mochsin [Moccasin] Creek in Edgecombe County to her and her heirs for ever.
          Item: I give and Bequeath to my Loving Daughter Martha Manning one Negro named Dinah to her and her heirs forever and two hundred Acres of Land lying on the South Side of Peachtree Creek to her and her heirs forever.
          Item: I give and bequeath to my loving Daughter Elizabeth Culpepper one Negro Boy called Jessy and Feather Bed and Furniture and two hundred Acres of land lying on the North Side of Peachtree [Creek] with a Plantation belonging there to her and her heirs forever.
          Item: I Give and bequeath to my loving Son Arasmus Culpepper Three hundred and twenty acres of land lying on the South Side of Fishing Creek with two Plantations belonging to its [sic] to him and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body and one Negro named Will, Negro Called Moll, Negro Boy called Peter, Negro girl called Doll, Negro Boy called Tom
          and also two negros named Toney and Fibb, after the Old woman's [wife Elizabeth's] death or widowhood [willed to her above]
          and as for my cattle, hog and horses, them to be sold and the money equally divided amongst them [presumably meaning "the above mentioned children"].
          And lastly I do hereby Constitute and ordain Erasmus Culpepper my sole ... executor of this my last will and testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 15 day of April and in the Year of our Lord 1767. Wit: Thomas Whitehead, Nathan Whitehead. Edgecombe County, August Court, 1772, will proved by the oath of Thomas Whitehead..1 
Death*1772 He died at Edgecombe Co., North Carolina, in 1772. 
Probate*26 Aug 1772 Benjamin's will was probated at Edgecombe Co., North Carolina, on 26 Aug 1772. 
Biography* It was once speculated that this Benjamin may just as easily have been the son of Joseph Culpepper, rather than of his brother Benjamin, Sr. However, based partly on naming conventions used by the two Bens, this one was assumed to have been the son of Benjamin, Sr. See also the discussion of the Fishing Creek deeds in the Theories Section of this web site, for further details. Subsequent to this analysis, DNA testing of the descendants of Joseph and Benjamin revealed that Benjamin's descendants do not have a paricular DNA marker that is found in all of Joseph's descendants.
     Perhaps around 1741, Benjamin married Elizabeth, whose surname is unknown.
     In 1746, his father Benjamin died, and Benjamin "Ferryman" inherited from him, by right of primogeniture, one-half of the original 320 acre tract on Fishing Creek, originally purchased by Joseph, and sold to his brother Benjamin. This writer believes this was the east half of the property, but this cannot be proven.
     In 1749, Benjamin (mark 'B') witnessed a deed by George Nicholson to Lemuel Nicholson, for 160 acres on the north side of Fishing Creek. (Edgecombe Pct, NC DB 3-483) Both Nicholsons were apparently the men of these names from Norfolk County, VA tithable records. There were clearly many former residents of Norfolk Co., VA living in this area. The Fishing Creek area in Edgecombe County also included many former residents from the Roanoke (Moratock) River area of Northampton (Bertie prior to 1741) County, NC.
     In August 1755, Benjamin bought a 200 acre tract on the south side of Great Peach Tree Creek from his cousin Job Wilder of Johnson County, NC.(Edgecombe Co. Deed Bk. 2, p. 320) The land joined "David Cooper, the branch and the fork of the Creek." Witnesses were William and Nathaniel Wilder.
     In November 1757, the Edgecombe Court ordered that "the Surveyors of the Roads on each side of Culpepper's Bridge open and Clear their respective Roads to the said Bridge and make sufficient Causways."(Edgecombe County Court Minutes, by Haun) This seems to be one of the earliest references to Culpepper's Bridge over Fishing Creek.
     In June 1758, Benjamin Culpepper was one of three men appointed to divide the estate of William Mason, deceased, son of Ralph Mason. The others were nearby landowners Wallis Jones and Thomas Tatum. (Edgecombe County Court Minutes, by Weynette Parks Haun)
          Wallis Jones owned land adjacent to both John Edwards, Jr., and Emanuel Rogers, probable brother of John Rogers (above). (Land Patents by Hofmann)
          Thomas Tatum was mentioned in 1762 in a grant to Nathaniel Powell, as one of the adjacent land owners. Other adjacent land owners mentioned in this Powell grant included James Cain, John Hardy, Lemuel Nicholson, Benjamin Foreman, William Dortch, and Jacob Whitehead. (Granville Grants, by Margaret M. Hofmann, her #1811, from Vol. IV, Abstracts of Miscellaneous Land Office Records )
     In March 1760, Benjamin Culpepper was appointed overseer of the road from Fishing Creek to Swift Creek. (Edgecombe County Court Minutes, by Haun) This is probably present day State Road 48.
     In July 1760, Benjamin Culpepper was granted 312 acres in Edgecombe County on Moccasin Creek, joining the said creek and (a point) below Culpepper's Plantation. (Granville Grants, Vol. I, by Margaret M. Hofmann, grant #637 in the book, from Patent Book 11, page 149.) The warrant for this grant was dated October 1751 and the survey was in April 1752, SCC: Solomon Joyner and John Fountain. The mention of Culpepper's Plantation above, suggests that Benjamin already owned or was farming land adjacent to this grant, but which tract of land "Culpepper's Plantation" might have been is unclear to this writer.
     Benjamin's will was probated in 1772 in Edgecombe Co., NC. He left two Negroes, five cows and calves and a mare to his wife Elizabeth; one Negro, and 312 acres on the north side of Moccasin Creek to his daughter, Rahab Whitehead; one Negro and 200 acres on the south side of Peach Tree Creek to his daughter, Martha Manning; one Negro and 200 acres on the north side of Peach Tree Creek to his daughter, Elizabeth; and 320 acres on the south side of Fishing Creek to his son, Erasmus.
     In 1777, the northwestern half of Edgecombe County, including all of Benjamin's Edgecombe County land, became Nash County.
     In Oct 1784, Benjamin's widow, Elizabeth, petitioned the Nash Co., NC court for her dower since her husband "who died some years past" owned land "adjoining Culpepper's Bridge over Fishing Creek."
(Names referenced above: Benjamin Culpepper the Ferryman Benjamin Culpepper the Ferryman).2 

Family

Elizabeth (?) (circa 1721 - before May 1789)
Marriage*circa 1741 He married Elizabeth (?) at Edgecombe Precinct, North Carolina, circa 1741. 
Children

Charts Descendants of Benjamin Culpepper of Edgecombe Co., NC (Six generations)
Warren Culpepper's Ancestry Chart
Last Edited 5 Jan 2008

Citations

  1. Transcribed by Lew Griffin from LDS Film 1548857.
  2. Lewis W. Griffin Jr., 4307 North 34th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85018, e-mail address, Phone: (602) 955-2597.
  3. In his will, Benjamin named his son Erasmus as an heir and executor.