Pleasant & Susan Potts
(b. after 1755 - d. before 1810)
Lenoir County, North Carolina


It is not proven Pleasant was a son of Robert Potts but due to his close proximity to Stringer Potts it is assumed he is a son.


November 4, 1789 - Francis Shine, Dobbs County, on the north side of Neuse River, adjoining White's line, Samuel Caswells, John Coarts, Pleasant Potts's & Stringer McIllweans lines and including all the vacant land between the said lines. Winston Caswill and William White Exors of Jno. Stringer McIlwean Dec'd enters a caveat against a warrant issuing on this entry 20th Jan'y 1790. [Secretary of State, Land Entry Books, 1778-1795, S.108.220]


1800 Lenoir County, NC Census
Patts, Pleasant
1 free white male 10-15
1 free white male 16-25
1 free white female under 10
1 free white female 10-15
1 free white female 45 and over
Pleasant's age not given - likely older than wife

Neighbors: Richard Milner, William Pate, William Pate Jun, Frederick Pate, John Patridge, Daniel Powell, William Peters, James Pool, Stringer Potts, William Mullen, Elizabith Nicholson, Mary Norris, Francis Nunn, John Nobles, William Nobles, Philmon Nobles.

Pleasant doesn't appear in the 1810 census. His daughter Susanna had neighbors Mary Potts and Stringer Potts indicating Pleasant had died and Susanna was living on her inherited part of his land.


Pleasant's wife was named Susan according their daughter Susanna's 1815 deed. The daughter is refered to as "the "younger" so her mother would have had the same name and been the older of the two. Susanna signed her name on the deed as Susan Potts.

1815 - Susanna Potts the Younger deeds her undivided part of the lands where Pleasant Potts lived it being 1/7th part of said lands and estimated at four acres and 3/4.

Another daughter's name comes from the following deed.
1816 - Louis (Lewis) & Lucy Falkner deed their undivided part or share of land on which Pleasant Potts lived it being 1/7th part of said lands and estimated at four acres and 3/4.

1810 census, Mary Potts and Susanna Potts were neighbors. Mary had one male under 10 and likely a widow.

1810 census James Potts is shown living close to Lewis Falkner and other Falkners indicating they were not living on Lucy's inherited share of her father's land.

1830 census Charlotte Potts and Lucy Faulkner were neighbors.

Assuming wife Susan drew a 1/7th part of Pleasant's estate, that would leave one part distributed to an unknown sibling.


Book 23, Lenoir County Grantor Deed Index - 1805 - 1810
Pleasant Potts to W. & F. Williams, page 157 - Deed burned


The following deeds are found in the Lovit Hines Collection, PC 1759.12 at the State Archives and abstracted by Martha Mewborn Marble. Lovit Hines was a large timber owner and most of these deeds appear to have come into his possession as a result of land he purchased. He owned land in Lenoir, Greene, Craven, Jones, Wayne and other counties. This Collection consists of two boxes. Box 1 appears to be mostly Craven, Jones and other counties but scattered through the documents are references to Dobbs, Lenoir and Greene Counties. Box 2 consists mostly of Dobbs and Lenoir Counties. Both boxes are arranged by folders with the name of the Grantee and that is how they are presented.


3 March 1805 - Ambrose JONES of Lenoir to William CROOM of Lenoir - $1700 - NS Neuce adj William WHITE including house and plantation where Eleanor CASWELL now lives - adj McIWEAN's corner below the hill near where Old Wm. SHINE lived - road leading to Kinston, DASHER's, W. COART's field now W. WHITE's, KIDDENING's old field, to river at mouth of Cypress Creek, BOX's Corner - 114 acres - another tract of 100 acres part of a part of a patent granted to Doctor STRINGER - adj Pleasant POTTS - also one half of 100 acres, part of a tract deeded to Benjamin SHEPPARD and James McILWEAN - adj where Francis SHINE lives - 100 acres to be equally divided between Benjamin SHEPPARD and Francis SHINE, - 264 acres free and clear of all lawful claims
A. JONES
Wit W. CASWELL, Wm. LOVICK
January Court 1815 on oath of Wm. LOVICK - C. WESTBROOK, Clk
Enrolled 15 Jan 1815 - Jas. BRIGHT, Regr - Images


28 January 1809 - Indenture - Ambrose JONES of Lenoir to Joseph WILLIAMS of same - 950 pds - tract - NS Neuse - adj McILEWEAN, below the hill where old W. SHINE formerly lived, road to Kinston, W. COART's field now W. CROOM's field, KEELING's old field, river at mouth of Cypress gut, BOXE's corner - 114 acres; another tract - adj above tract, and Doc. STRINGER, Pleasant POTTS - being part of a patent granted to Doc. STRINGER of 100 acres; another tract adj to above being part of a patent granted to Benjamin SHEPPARD, adj McILWEAN, adj land where Francis SHINE lived and that 100 acres to be equally divided between Benjamin SHEPPARD and Francis SHINE - total of 365 acres
A. JONES
Wit Wm. CROOM, John HORRELL
April Court 1809 on oath of William CROOM - C. WESTBROOK, CC
Enrolled 15 April 1809 - Jas. BRIGHT, Regr - Images


8 December 1809 - Indenture - William CROOM of Lenoir to Joseph WILLIAMS - $1,250 - tract NS Nuse - stake in original patent line in Pleasant POTT's field - 100 acres which sd tract heretofore conveyed by deed by sd Joseph WILLIAMS to Benjah WHITE and by Benjah WHITE to William CROOM
Wm. CROOM
Wit Wm. ANDERSON, J. HANDCOCK
October Term 1810 on oath of Wm. ANDERSON - C. WESTBROOK, CC
Enrolled 15 October 1810 - Jas. BRIGHT, Regr - Images


6 February 1814 - Indenture - Joseph WILLIAMS of Lenoir to William CROOM of same - $2400 - NS Nuce being land formerly owned by James SHINE, Francis SHINE and Shine CASWELL - adj Pleasant POTTS being Dr. STRINGER'S NW corner - 200 acres; another tract - beginning at Dr. STRINGER's below the Hill where W. HINES formerly lived up the river Wm. SHINE formerly lived, flat branch, W. COART's field now CROOM's, KEELING's old field, Cypress Creek, BOX's corner - 114 acres; also another tract adj the above being part of a patent granted to Benjamin SHEPPARD adj McIWEAN's line that is to say 100 acres in the said patent to be land where Francis SHINE lived and that 100 acres to be equally divided between said Benjamin SHEPPARD and Francis SHINE - altogether 365 acres
Joseph [his x mark] WILLIAMS
Wit John COX
April Court 1815 on oath of John COX - C. WESTBROOK, CC
Enrolled 15 April 1815
Jas. BRIGHT, Regr - Images


2 October 1817 - Indenture - Wilie J. CROOM of Lenoir to William CROOM of Kinston - $11,000 - NS Neuse, Atkins Branch being land conveyed by William WHITE and wife to WILLIAM and Hardee CROOM executors of Richard C. CROOM for the benefit of the heirs of sd Richard CROOM and in partition allotted to the said Wilie J. CROOM -- mouth of Cypress gut some distance below a Sein Beach called the Blue Banks and running up courses of the river to mouth of Adkins Branch, to line formerly owned by Jesse COBB and John WASHINGTON known as Atkins upper tract - adj patent of Robert ATKINS, beginning corner of 300 acre patent of Richard CASWELL, corner of Stringer POTTS formerly owned by Francis STRINGER now William CROOMS, to a field formerly Pleasant POTTS, line of Robert HAYS patent - to Gov. CASWELL's land described in his will as DOSRER'S corner and down line willed by CASWELL to Shine CASWELL, land said WHITE bought of John COART, to a small branch that runs through KEELING's old field - all houses, buildings and gardens.
Wilie J. CROOM
Wit H.B. CROOM
Note on the back that states this was not recorded - Images


2 October 1823 - Indenture - John C. JONES of Alabama to William CROOM of Lenoir - $538 - my undivided 1/2 part of 264 acres - NS Neuse - lying between the land owned by Wm. WHITE and McILWAIN - beginning at "MCILWAIN's corner below the hill where OLD formerly lived" --- Flat Branch, COART's field, now W. CROOM's, KEYLAND's old field, Cypress Gut, BONEY's corner - 144 acres; another tract adj the above beginning at Dr. STRINGER's corner, Pleasant POTTS - being part of a patent granted to Dr. STRINGER - 100 acres; another tract - part of a patent granted to Benjamin SHEPPARD adj McILWEAN's line - 100 acres - in said patent where Francis SHINE lived and that 100 acres to be equally divided between Francis SHINE and Benjamin SHEPPARD - in total 264 acres
John C. JONES
Wit J.J. BYRD, Thos. CAMPBELL
Note on back says this was not recorded - Images


8 October 1834 - Indenture - Richard CROOM of Lenoir to William B. KILPATRICK of same - $8000 - NS Neuse - mouth of Atkins Branch to main Kinston road, COX, John WASHINGTON, COLE's BRANCH, Shadrack LOFTIN, Pleasant POTTS, where negro fife (sic) lived 50 acres pattent granted to John HARTSFIELD now John WILLIAMS, river, Jesse JACKSON, mouth of Atkins; also one acre at west end of milldam.
R. CROOM
Wit Stephen WHITE, Watson WILCOX
March Court 1835 on oath of Stephen WHITE
Enrolled 5 June 1835 - M. BRIGHT, Regr - Images


8 October 1841 - Indenture - William B. KILPATRICK of Lenoir to Henry TULL of same - $10,000 - NS Nuse adj Walter DUNN, John WASHINGTON - mouth of Adkins Branch, Aron WIGGINS - road leading from Kinston to DAUGHTY's ?, Shadrack LOFTIN, Coles Branch, Flat Branch, Pleasant POTTS line of 50 acre patent granted to John HARTSFIELD now Walter DUNN'S line - to river, Jesse JACKSON'S line - 1315 acres
W.B. KILPATRICK
Wit Stephen WHITE, F.H. SMYTH
Enrolled 16 April 1844 - James E. METTS, Regr. - Images


NC Archives

Will of William Croom - June 2, 1828, Lenior County, NC
...4th. I give to my son Richard Croom all my lands below the Atkin branch, beginning at the mouth of the said branch where it enters the river, thence up the run of said branch to the main road leading from Kinston to Coxes Ferry, to John Washingtons line, thence up the branch with his line to his corner, thence with his line to Coles branch, thence with another of said Washingtons to his corner in Shade Loftins line, then with Loftins line east to the Flat branch back of the Pleasant Potts place, then up that branch to the main road at the turn where negro Fife lived, and from thence a direct line to the first corner of a fifty acre patent granted to John Hartsfield, now John William's, and with the line of said patent to the river at the upper end of Jess Jacksons sein beach, thence up the river to the beginning at the mouth of the Atkin, which boundary is intended to include the William White land, the Frank Shine, Shine Caswell, Joe Williams and Pleasant Potts lands, to him, his heirs and assigns forever.


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