Benjamin Culpepper, (II), the Ferryman

https://www.culpepperconnections.com/ss/g0/p331.htm#i9905
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."2

• Reference: MyHeritage Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 20 2018, 18:19:26 UTC