Although we have found no material evidence, we have assumed that John and Nicholas of Isle of Wight were sons of John Baggott of Surry. And the Abraham of Isle of Wight and the Nicholas who was imported in 1715 were the sons of the old Nicholas Baggett of Isle of Wight County. There has been a lineage established from the latter Nicholas Baggett, and we will follow this lineage in the United States down to the present time.

Nicholas Baggett has been proven to be one, and maybe the only, progenitor of the family in the United States. A vast majority of those that have traced their ancestry found that they are his descendants, connecting with this lineage. If you trace your family far enough, you will probably eventually find that your family also descends from Nicholas Baggett of Bertie County, NC.

A copy of his very important import in 1715 is shown below. Nicholas Baggett and Bartholomew Highsmith acquired passage and John Watts received sixty-five acres of land there in Isle of Wight County for their ship passage to America. Shortly after his import Nicholas Baggett is found in Colonial Bertie County in North Carolina.

A map shows how the two counties, Surry and Isle of Wight, were partitioned at that particular time. Isle of Wight County reached far below the present North Carolina line, because John Watts received land in Isle of Wight situated on the north side of the Meherrin River. This land probably joined the land later owned by Abraham Baggett, son of Nicholas. His land was in Northampton County (then in North Carolina) on the north side of the Meherrin River, beginning at the dividing run on the said river. The family's importation may have been paid with a portion of this land. The Meherrin River is now in Southampton County, VA and Northampton County, NC.

The first time we find Nicholas after his import is in 1723. He witnessed three deeds found in Bertie County records in Book A, Volume 1, 1720-25. One is on page three, dated 14 May 1723; one on page four, dated 11 May 1723; and one on page eight, dated 12 August 1723. In another document he buys land from John Blackman.

Mary Hardy Baggett, presumed to be his wife, is either appointed or appoints John Sutton power of attorney to sell land in 1726. Nicholas Baggett and his wife Mary Baggett sold or bought land to/from John Dickinson in 1726.

Shown below are legal documents that are found in the first half of the eighteenth century. There are several more documents relating to Nicholas, Sr. and these will be presented and added in sequence with the dates thereof as we continue. There are also documents relating to his sons: Thomas, Abraham, Joseph, Barnaby, Hardy, John, Nicholas III; and to some of the daughters of Nicholas Baggett of Bertie County, NC.

The history of the North Carolina territory (Old Virginia) shows that a colony was founded on what is now called Roanoke Island 17 August 1585, but was abandoned a year later. In 1587 another group led by John White settled on the island, but the entire colony completely vanished. They are remembered in history as the "Lost Colony."

At this time the territory was known as Virginia. In 1629 the land south of Old Albemarle, which was called Carolina, was granted to Sir Robert Heath by Charles I, King of England. In 1663 Charles II granted the territory north to the 36th parallel to eight proprietors who later divided the grant into North and South Carolina. In 1665 North Carolina's boundary was extended north to include Old Albemarle. The proprietary period of the colony existed until 1729.

VIRGINIA STATE LIBRARY
Patents 10 (1710-1719)

Reel 10, Page 259.
Virginia--George--To All: Know ye that for divers good causes & considerations, but now especially for & in consideration of his importation of two persons to dwell within this our Colony & Dominion whose names are Nicholas Baggett & Bartholomew Highsmith, we have given, granted and confirmed and by those presents for us our heirs and successors do give, grant and confirm unto John Watts one certain tract or parcell of land containing sixty-five acres lying and being on the north side of Maherin River in ye said County of Isle of Wight & bounded as followeth, to witt: Beginning at a Spanish oak go . . . of a reedy branch, . . . begun upon and down the various courses of the run of the said branch to the beginning with all.

To have, hold--to be held?yielding & paying. Witness welbeloved Alexander Spotswood, our Lt. Governor?signed at Wms. burg under ye seal of our said Colony this the 23rd day of March 1715 and in ye second year of our Reign.

If you look on a map, Nottoway River runs into and becomes part of Meherrin a few miles below the North Carolina line. Beginning at the point where the Nottoway runs into the Meherrin River, look up the Meherrin to the dividing run where Meherrin Creek begins, and it is at this point that you will see where,  apparently, Abraham Baggett's land is situated.

It is believed that Abraham later lived near Cattawisky Creek. Deeds reveal that he owned land near his brother, Barnaby Baggett. Abraham later owned land that was close to land owned by his father Nicholas in Bertie County, whose land joined Northampton County.

North Carolina contains at the present time about a hundred counties and in its beginning history Albermarle contained all of these! Bertie was created one of the original thirteen counties. Original Bertie County bordered the Virginia line. Information on these counties is found in a book, Old Albermarle, by Ray, published in 1947. and reprinted in 1976 (this information was provided by Eileen Baggett of Clarksville, TN).

Edgecombe and Northampton were cut from Bertie in early 1725-30; Bath County was formed in the late 1720s; New Hanover was cut from Bath in 1729; Bladen from New Hanover in 1734; Anson from Bladen in 1748-9; Rowan from Anson in 1753, a part of which later became Catawba County; Pitt was cut from Bertie in 1760; Montgomery from northern Anson in 1779; Richmond was organized from a part of the Pee Dee River in 1779. During the 1730s, the whole North Carolina territory consisted of only six of the one hundred counties: Bertie, Northampton, New Hanover, Bath, Bladen, and Edgecombe.

Knowing all this indicates that the family may have not moved for decades, but they appear to have moved from place to place there in Virginia and North Carolina. In 1673 and 1683 we find them in Isle of Wight and Surry. Early in the next century we find them just below the Virginia line, which are (at present) Northampton, Bertie, Gates, and Hertford counties, NC.

During the second part of this century they spread to other parts of North Carolina, and then at the turn of the century they are in the northern part of South Carolina. The family may have settled first in Jamestown, and Nicholas settled on land first called Virginia, which is now in North Carolina.

It appears that the Abraham that is closely related to Edward Chitty is not of the same lineage as the Abraham who made deeds to his sons in 1762. These Abrahams are accepted with little doubt that they are a lineage from Nicholas Baggett, Sr. of Bertie County, NC, who came to North America in 1715 and made a will in 1753. This Nicholas Baggett named a son Abraham in his last Will and Testament.

His son Abraham bought land from Sarah Bridgers in 1730 (whose married name became Sarah Cotton later). A deed shows that Sarah's son William bought back this land in 1750.

This is not the Abraham who was in Isle of Wight County, VA in 1720. That Abraham is the one who witnessed the will, or deed, of Edward Chitty in 1739. Edward and Susannah Chitty left to their nephew, Abraham Baggett, land on the north side of the Maherring (Meherrin) River in 1739. Their nephew was Abraham, son of Nicholas Baggett, Sr., a brother of Susannah Chitty and the witness, Abraham.

The Abraham of Isle of Wight, along with Edward Chitty, witnessed the will of John Carrell in 1720. Abraham witnessed the will of John Stevenson and Joseph Price in 1725 and 1727. We will later find that Chitty is still alive in 1754. He witnessed a deed of William Boon to Nicholas Boon in that year.

As you can see we are not only tracing the family through wills in the United States, we are also tracing them through deeds, and in most cases we are able to establish the approximate age of each individual in this family and can determine precisely where each family lived.

In the deeds here Abraham Baggett, Sr. sold land to Abraham Baggett, Jr. in 1749. One deed states that Abraham, Jr. lived on the land at the time. Abraham Baggett, Jr. witnessed a deed of his father in 1750. He and his father together bought or sold land to Newit Drew in 1750. We believe this deed is the first land Abraham Baggett, Jr. (II) owned.

Since Nicholas had a grandson of age in 1749 by his second son, this would show Nicholas II to be born ca. 1683-94. There is no doubt that the above Abrahams mentioned are the descendants of Nicholas Baggett, Sr. of Bertie County, North Carolina.

Notice in deeds that sometimes Nicholas, Sr. is in Bertie and other times he is in Northampton County. In 1743 Nicholas, Sr. (Nicholas, Jr. is witness) is in Northampton in a land transaction with Joseph Jordan. He is in Bertie County when he sells land to his son Abraham in 1751. In 1743, 1750 and 1753 Nicholas, Sr. is in several deeds, but some of the deeds may refer to Nicholas Baggett, Jr. Some are in Northampton and some are in Bertie County. One explanation may be that the county lines change. There were many changes in this century in North Carolina.

Nicholas Baggett owned land that joined Abraham. Early deeds of Abraham were in Northampton County, showing land very close to the Virginia line. It may be that Nicholas owned land on the borders of both counties, which could explain why deeds were written the way they were. No doubt, the deed from John Cook and Sarah Cowman is Nicholas, Jr., because he has owned land joining Cowman since 1747, which he bought from James Wood.

Apparently Nicholas, Sr. received a land grant in 1727, or the deeds leave the impression that he did. The deed from Joseph Jordan verifies that the land near Uraha was received in a "grant" in 1727, and the deed also verifies that James Wood received a "grant" in 1745.

Nicholas Baggett, Sr. first bought land patented to William Brasswell on Quonke Branch in the 1720s. On one of the deeds it pinpoints Yourah (Uraha) Swamp in 1727. In another deed it leaves no doubt that this is where Nicholas, Sr. settled after his import in 1715. The deed (noted above) gives the impression that the land on Uraha Swamp (or at least a part of it) was "granted" to Nicholas Baggett, Sr. in 1727.

It appears that Nicholas, Sr. begins to distribute land to his sons in the early 1750s. He probably senses that he is very ill, and in 1753 he writes his last Will and Testament.

We have already presented enough information to determine just where in Bertie and Northampton counties this family of Nicholas Baggett II lived. Fortunately there have been maps preserved since that time, so we can pinpoint the area in which each family owned land, and can sometimes tell exactly where they lived.

In another legal paper later we will see that Nicholas Baggot (this may be Nicholas, Jr.) was granted 470 acres of land in Northampton County in 1745. This document does not tell exactly where the land is, but according to information presented here we know that Nicholas, Jr. lived near Ahotskey Creek. The deeds below pinpoint the community in which Nicholas, Jr. settled as being near Ahotskey Swamp.

On other deeds, they indicate that Nicholas, Sr.'s son Barnaby settled near Cattawisky Creek, but he sold part of his land in 1752 to his sister, Elizabeth Wood. Elizabeth's husband, James Wood, Sr., owned several hundred acres of land near Nicholas Baggett, Sr. on or near Uraha Swamp in 1745.

Barnaby's land on Cattawisky is identified on one deed as joining the creek and the mouth of Dawes' Branch. This branch is mentioned again in the deed from Nicholas Baggett, Sr. to James Boyd, Sr, and Daw's Branch is either a branch running from Cattawisky Creek or Uraha Swamp.

Nicholas, Sr.'s land near Uraha Swamp was identified as being above "Old Field." Old Field was a large cleared piece of land above Ahotskey Swamp on the north side of the heading of Bridgers' Creek. This 150 (160) acres where Nicholas Baggett II settled is identified in a deed as being on the west side of Quonkey Branch. This was a branch running south into Bridgers' Creek. Bridgers' Creek is shown running between Uraha Swamp and Ahotskey Swamp into the Roanoke River.

We know that the family owned about 400 acres around Cattawisky, between there and Uraha Creek. Nicholas III owned 300 acres on Wattom Swamp, joining William Whitfield in 1750. Nicholas, Sr. (II) owned probably in excess of 400 acres around Uraha Swamp in the 1720s, between Uraha Creek and Ahotskey Creek.

Abraham I bought 100 acres joining his brother Barnaby's land in 1752 from Nicholas II (or III), which joined land of James Boyte (Boyd). Boyte's land was land he bought from Nicholas III in 1749.

Abraham Baggett, Jr. bought land from his father near Ruskin's Branch, Bridgers, other lands of Abraham Baggett, Sr., and Nicholas Boon. It states on the deed that Abraham Baggett, Jr. lived there on the land in the year 1749.

Abraham, Sr. still owned land on the north side of the Meherrin River in 1750, when he sold to William Bridgers 150 acres of land he bought from Sarah Bridgers in 1730. On several deeds Abraham, Sr. sold his son Abraham, Jr. land which joined him.

In 1751 Nicholas, Jr. owned at least 150 acres around Ahotskey Swamp in the same general area, so it appears that the entire family of Nicholas Baggett, Sr. (II) lived in this five mile area.

It is very doubtful that Baggett family tilled the land across the Meherrin River. But it is very probable that they had sharecroppers. If Abraham or others of the family did till the land across the Meherrin River, they had to pay ferry toll at least twice each day to cross the Meherrin River to reach the land on the north side. Abraham's family lived near Cattawisky Creek. There are others of the family that may have had to cross the Roanoke River or others to reach their land. The family traded land often and they may have owned land on the opposite side of several rivers.

In those days many families probably made their living running ferries. At each crossing of both the Meherrin and the Roanoke rivers the Mouzon Map shows the names of those who owned ferries in 1775. There are many roads that cross both rivers. Although the map shows the roads continuing across the rivers, they actually stop on both sides of each river's edge. The ferry owners then towed their passengers along with their cargo across to the other side.

On one deed of Nicholas, Jr. it states that his land joined Cotton's Road, Barefield and Cowman, and another from Cowman to Nicholas it states that his land joined Barefield and Ahotskey Marsh. It appears that since his land joined it, Cotton's Road goes down on the East Side of Ahotskey Swamp to the bridge close to Hill's Mill.

The Ahotskey and Uraha swamps are now in Hertford County, NC, according to a modern map. The Uraha Swamp appears to reach beyond the Northampton County line. The town of Ahoskie is on a modern map of North Carolina in Hertford County. Hertford was made from Bertie County.

Nicholas II and Nicholas III had several deeds written between 1745 and 1753. Most of these deeds, however, apply to Nicholas Baggett, Jr. Both he and his father owned hundreds of acres of land in Northampton County, NC at that time.

A deed in these documents show that it is witnessed by Abraham Baggett, and shows that he lived on Cattawisky Creek close to Nicholas II's son, Barnaby Baggett. It is not known, however, which Abraham this is because both father and son owned land east on the Cattawisky Creek along with several hundred acres on the north side of the Meherrin River.

The deeds from Richard Sumner and Barnaby show this land and Daw's Branch to be somewhere on Cattawisky. This witness may be Nicholas Baggett, Sr. He owned land on Cattawisky when he sold land to Barnaby in 1750. The deed from Nicholas to Duning is probably Nicholas Baggett, Jr., because his land joined Richard Barefield. This land is found near Ahotskey Creek.

Looking at a map of the area and then looking at a scale of distances located on the map produced somewhat of a surprise. This area is not as large as one might think. It is approximately twenty miles from where Meherrin Creek runs into the Meherrin River to the nearest point on the Roanoke River, and about fourteen to sixteen miles from Meherrin River to the beginning of the northeast corner of Ahotskey Swamp.

It is approximately three miles between the Ahotskey Swamp and the Uraha Swamp, and only about five miles from Cattawisky Creek to Ahotskey Creek. Cotton's Road probably goes down and crosses on Lumber Bridge, as shown on two of the maps.

The map above shows a close-up view of the area in which the family lived before they began to migrate to other sections there in North Carolina. There are many roads on the original map in the Atlanta Archives.

Lumber Bridge is identified in a legal piece in 1759, and is also identified on the Mouzon Map. A deed of sale was proven in court by the oath of Nicholas Baggett III. A new bridge was registered as being built where the old Lumber Bridge stood. We are fortunate that this document is still found today in history.

Apparently the Nicholas Baggett II family was related to John Cotton in some way. Also the family appears to be related to Simon West, Sr. Simon West, Sr. may have married Mary Baggett. We know that there was a Simon West that married a woman named Ann. Ann is named on a deed with Simon West. More than likely this was Simon West, Jr.

Notice on the deed from Simon West, Sr. to his son, Simon West, Jr., the deed is witnessed by James Wood, Jr. and Abram Baggett. The Abram Baggett on the deed was Abraham Baggett II. Apparently this is the Abram Baggett who died in South Carolina in ca. 1800. I first thought that this Abram was Abraham III, but he could not be the first Abraham's grandson because there is not enough time since 1715 for Abraham Baggett III to be of age to witness deeds in 1754.

A deed shows where Nicholas Baggett, Jr. (III) bought/sold 300 acres on Wattom Swamp. Wattom Swamp is apparently a part of Ahotskey Swamp.

Seemingly all the family of Nicholas Baggett lived in practically the same area. They owned several hundred acres of land from Ahotskey Creek to Cattawisky, and hundreds more from Cattawisky east to the other side of the Meherrin River.

Patrick Bagot of Australia related to me that Nicholas Baggett received two land grants in North America. Apparently someone had told him about the one on Uraha Swamp in Bertie County in 1727 and another one in Northampton County in 1745. Nicholas, Sr. apparently received the grant in 1727 there on Uraha Swamp and Nicholas, Jr. (III) received the grant in Northampton County in 1745. All other lands of Nicholas III, other than the land on Ahotskey and Wattom swamps, were in Northampton County. Nicholas III may have lived in Northampton County, but near Ahotskey Creek. Land deeds always state that he was of Northampton County.

Peter Daniel (in the document concerning his estate above) was probably a relative of Nicholas Baggett, Sr. (II). This may have been Nicholas' mother's people, or maybe some of Nicholas' wife Mary's kindred. Peter could have been an in-law of Nicholas or Mary Baggett.

We now have come to some important information concerning Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas and Mary Baggett. These documents prove that Elizabeth married James [Wood], Sr. In the will of Nicholas Baggett, Sr. (II), Elizabeth's last name is somewhat smeared and almost everyone that I have heard from thought she had married a Ward. There are documents that prove she married James Wood, Sr.

One agreement stated that Elizabeth was bound to her stepsons, Isaac and James Wood, Jr., in the amount of £400 sterling money of Great Britain at their request after his decease. It states that she had a jointure settled on her before the date of their marriage and Elizabeth's father, Nicholas, is mentioned in the agreement.

James Wood, Sr. had already reared a family by his first wife, and after her decease the records show that he married Elizabeth [Baggett], daughter of Nicholas Baggett, Sr. of Bertie County, NC.

There are some of these deeds and legal statements that are so confusing. At this time Nicholas is in Northampton County, and there is no doubt that this is Nicholas, Sr. Nicholas, Jr. did not have a daughter of age in 1748. All his children are under 18 in 1761, except his son Lewis. In just a short time after this, Nicholas Baggett, Sr. made his last Will and Testament in Bertie County.

Nicholas, Sr. (II) had reared twelve children, eight sons and four daughters, and left with them a part of the reality of his dreams. No doubt his hopes and aspirations which he beheld when he left the Old World were fulfilled in his lifetime here in America.

After Charles Horne had written the will, Nicholas made his mark and sealed it with his ring. No doubt, the seal contains the imprint of a goat's head descending from a ducal crown. This has been the Crest of the family since the fourteenth century. The original will, showing the imprint on the seal, would be in the Bertie County courthouse.

We have been following Nicholas II, our immigrant ancestor, and his family since the 1720s. Now, in 1755, he has died, and we will continue to follow his children. Our immigrant ancestor led a long and prosperous life and left a pioneer legacy, one that very few citizens of America can claim.

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
NICHOLAS BAGGETT, SR. (II)

In the name of God, Amen. I, Nicholas Baggett, of Bertie County in the Province of North Carolina, being of perfect mind & memory, do make & ordain this my last Will and Testament.

Principally & first of all, I give & recommend my Soul in the hands of God that gave it, and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give & dispose of the same in the following manner & form:

Imprims: I give & bequeath unto my well beloved Son Benjamin Baggett four Pounds Virginia Currency to be raised & levied out of my estate and to be paid to him in clothing & other necessaries as he shall have occasion, at the discretion of my executors.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my Son Nicholas Baggett one Shilling Sterling to be levied out of my estate, it being all that I intend to give him in this my last Will & Testament, or all that he shall have out of my estate.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my son Abraham Baggett one Shilling Sterling to be levied out of my estate, it being all that I intend to give him in this my last Will & Testament, or all that he shall have out of my estate.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my Son Joseph Bagget two Cows & Calves, by him freely to be possessed.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my Son Barnabey Bagott one Cow & Calf, by him freely to be possessed.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my Son Thomas Baggett the Plantation whereon I now live, & all the Land belonging to it, and one young Mare to him & his heirs forever.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my Son Hardy Baggett one Cow & Calf, & one Musquet Gun.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my Son John Baggett two Cows & Calves.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Mary West one Shilling Sterling, it being all that I intend to give her in this my last Will & Testament, or all that She shall have out of my estate.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Martha Baggett two Cows & Calves, being the same which hath been called her own.

Item: I give unto my Daughter Elizabeth Wood one Shilling Sterling, it being all that I intend to give her in this my last Will and Testament, or all that She shall have out of my estate.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Sarah Baggett one Cow & Calf, one Box Iron, one Pottle Pewter Bason, & one Pewter Dish.

Item: I give & bequeath unto my Dearly Beloved wife Mary Baggett all my movable estate that is not given out in legacies to my Children, & the use & privilege of my Houses, Land & Plantation whereon I now live, during the time of her Natural life & after to my Son Thomas Baggett, to him & his heirs forever.

I likewise constitute, make & ordain my Sons Joseph Baggett & Thomas Baggett Sole & lawfull executors of this my last Will & Testament and I do hereby utterly dissallow & dissanull all & every other Will & Testament.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seall this the 9th day of January in the year of our Lord Christ 1753 and in the 26th year of our Sovereign King George the Second - Defender of the faith.

Signed, Sealled & Declared in presents of us:

Bertie County, April Court, 1755.
The before Written Will was Exhibited into Court by Thomas Baggett, one of the Executors thereof and Proved by the oath of Charles Horne, one of the Subscribing Witnesses thereto, and at the same time the said Executor Qualifyed according to Law Which was ordered to be Certifyed.

Test:  Benjamin Wynns, Clerk of Court.

There is a piece of evidence you may overlook as I did in the will of Nicholas, Sr. His will is shown in this chapter at the bottom of the page. Inasmuch as this information was here all the time, I had not noticed it until I read some papers that I received from Ruth M. Park from Tennessee. In Nicholas Baggett, Sr.'s will that he had written in 1753, Charles Horne wrote the word Item at the left margin preceding the bequest that was to distribute each his or her inheritance. But at the beginning at the left margin of the first item that pertained to Benjamin, he instead wrote the word Imprims. The WordPerfect dictionary corrects this passé word in the computer to the word imprimis.

The word, imprimis, is a foreign word meaning: First; in the first place. Another form of the word, imprimatur, is Modern Latin meaning: Let if be printed. As the writer insists in his document, the word imprims obviously has something to do with primogeniture, which signified in law, the right of the eldest son to inherit his father's estate. The law of primogeniture was abolished in America in 1789.

I have seen a copy of the original will and the word is definitely Imprims. Being archaic, the word has apparently been deleted from our modern dictionary. What the word probably meant was that Benjamin had some kind of disability of mind or body and was not capable of taking care of himself. If he was an invalid, and apparently he was, there had to be some way of getting by this item of the law, and the use of the word imprims in this case provided an exception to the rule.

I had first thought that he was very young and had thought that this was the reason that his bequest was written the way it was. It had never occurred to me that he was the eldest son with some kind of disability. Nicholas did make a difference between Benjamin and all the other children.

This portion of the will reads as follows: "I give and bequeath unto my well beloved Son Benjamin Baggett four Pounds Virginia Currency to be raised & levied out of my estate and to be paid to him in clothing & other necessaries as he shall have occasion at the discretion of my executors." Nicholas addressed the other children as my Son or my Daughter. He addressed his wife as my Dearly Beloved wife. There was apparently something special about the child Benjamin that caused his father to leave to him four pounds while at the same time leaving only one shilling to most of the other children.

I am now persuaded to believe that Benjamin, listed in the will as the first son, was the eldest son of Nicholas Baggett, Sr. Thomas Baggett, Sr. (I) was younger than I originally estimated when his children were born. There is no way to know for sure if Nicholas listed his children in the order of their birth in his will. Nicholas Baggett II signed his will with an (N) and sealed it with his ring. No doubt, the ring contained the family Crest that has been in the family for centuries. The original Coat of Arms claimed by the family is here:

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