NCBERTIE-L Archives

From: Crilley <>
Subject: Duckenfield
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 98 20:55:26 CDT

Harry Thompson shares this information on the Duckenfield name.

Duckenfield

Seth Sothel , one of the Lords Proprietors, was appointed Governor of
the Colony of Carolina. He owned eventually 5 or 6,000 acres of land
encompassing the Merry Hill area from Charlie Whites to Avoca point. So
crooked, he was finally run out of his office. At his death, he willed
his entire estate to a “Kinsman” Ardenne in Perquimans Precinct. This
man died soon thereafter, and his widow then inherited all the land in
Bertie Precinct.

His widow married William Duckenfield of Perquimans, and William then
came into possession of all the Bertie Lands.

Duckenfield and the ladie moved to Bertie and settled on Salmon Creek
where Seth Sothel formerly had an Indian Trading Post, and reopened it.
He then signed all important papers with the title, “Duckenfield of
Salmon Creek.” Circa 1690

This man had a son – “Nathaniel.”

William’s brother was a titled man in England, and upon this brother’s
death, Nathaniel was the next in line to receive the title “Sir
Nathaniel Duckenfield.”

Sir Nathaniel was now in possession of 6,000 acres along Salmon Creek
including “Avoca” (The meeting of the waters as translated in the Indian
tongue.) His land extended to Black Walnut Swamp.

He courted very heavily Miss Hannah Johnson, sister of Gabriel Johnson
of Edenton. Also in contention for the ladies hand was James Iredell,
the Customs Collector for the Port of Edenton. Iredell won the fair
lady, and Nathaniel left for England to escape his feelings of loss.
Iredell and Nathaniel were dear friends, and James asked Nathaniel to be
his best man, but Nathaniel politely declined.

Nathaniel left his plantation and lands in the hands of his mother, who
had married an attorney Person of Edenton. He later died, but Mrs.
Person operated the ferry, a tavern and 6000 acres of land with the aid
of an armed, black overseer.

Nathaniel purchased an officers position in the British Army on the eve
of the Revolution, and when the war started, refused to fight against
his former nation and friends. He was sent to Ireland to complete his
military duties and never was antagonistic to America. Still, his land
was confiscated by the NC Courts under the Tory Acts.

His mother, Mrs. Person. Retained James Iredell, now an atorney, to
plead for the uckenfield family. The State Leguslature ruled that she
might have a lifetime right in the lands, and the conscription would
only take place at her death. Such was the case.

The lands were sold circa 1889, and the entire advertisements are listed
in the Edenton Gazette of that period. Also in Raleigh at A&H, is the
Duckenfield file which lists every advertisement, every purchaser, and
the amounts received. This file was gotten from England because a
lawsuit or claim filed before the King to receive re-imbursment from the
King for all that he had lost in America. Some restitution was made to
Duckenfield.

A couple of notes:

I have a set of drawn maps, with descriptions from A&H of each plat of
Duckenfield’s land, purchaser, and sales price if you can’t find them.

Look in the James Iredell Letters, (two Volumns) by Higgenbotham.
Duckenfield letters are there to Iredell.

The large size of the land, shipyards, tavern, home etc. of Nathaniel’s
holdings provided the State of NC with enough funds to open the
University of North Carolina. Thus Bertie became the source of funding
for the establishment of UNC!

There are abstracts made in book form of the Edenton Gazette. There is
a ton of Bertie information in this paper. From 1770’s to early
1800’s. Wonderful reading.

I even have information on the Architect Churton in England who designed
Sir Nathaniel’s home on what is now the Avoca Farm.

More if you need it later.

Harry Thompson

Virginia

This thread:

• Duckenfield by Crilley <>