"Know all
men by these presents that I William Grant have sold, bargained,
delivered unto Cristyfor Nation three head of cattle, one black
cow marked with a crop in the near ear and a slit in the off
ear, one black heifer marked with a slit in each ear, and one
calfe with a crop in the near ear and one stack of hay; and the
said Grant doe warrant and defend the said catle to the said
Nation his heirs or assigns as witnesses my hand and seal this
24 day of September 1745.
Sig: William (his mark) Grant
Teste: William Roberts, Thomas Waters
At a court held for Frederick Co. on Tuesday the 1st day of October
1745, William Grant in open court acknowledged this his bill
of sale to Chris Nation which, on his motion, is admitted to
record.
Test: T. Wood, Clark, Court N.C on 24 Sep 1745 at Frederick Co.,
VA.
As far as we know, Christopher
was not a Quaker, but he and his brother John Nation III witnessed
the Quaker wedding of Joseph Lamb and Frances Beeson in 1751
at New Garden Monthly Mtg., Guilford Co., NC. He immigrated there
from VA before 1755.
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New
Garden Meeting House, Guilford Co., NC, 1751-61, site of
North Carolina Yearly Meeting. Picture was drawn at yearly meeting
time, about 1867, by New Jersey Quaker Artist John Collins.
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He was a Justice of Peace
for Rowan Co., NC, in 1755: "Carter & Forster, trustees,
to Alexr Osburn, John Brandon, John Brevard, Walter Carruth,
Andrew Allison, Joseph Tate, George Smith, Jonathon Hunt, Alexr
Cathey, Squire Boone, John Hanby, Edwd Hughes, Robt Simonton,
Thos Potts, Wm Morrison, Wm Buis, Christopher NATION ­
Justices of the Peace for Rowan ­ for 20 sh proc, part of
lot #4 in Salisbury adj Corbin & Water St. whereon the Prison
is erected together with the Diamond where the Court House offices
& stocks are erected. John Dunn, George Carter, Wm. Sheppard
on 15 Apr 1755 at Salisbury, Rowan Co., NC.
DEED: Christopher and
wife Elizabeth sold Benjamin Cox the 216 acres for 23 pounds,
11 May 1757. Christopher was first listed in the Rowan County
tax rolls in 1759 on 11 May 1757 at Rowan Co., NC. He lived in
1759 at Rowan Co., NC.
DEED: between John Nation
of Rowan Co. NC, planter, and Christopher Nation, planter ...
John Nation for and in consideration of the natural love and
affection which he hath and beareth unto the said Christopher
Nation . . . grants 174 acres by indenture, 28 May 17853 by Earl
Granville and registered in Rowan Co. NC Book IV, p. 38:
Sign: John Nation, Witnesses: Thomas Lamb, Jeremiah Reynolds.
Recorded Apr 1761 on 18 Apr 1761 at Rowan Co., NC.
At New Garden Monthly
Meeting (Quaker), witnessed the marriage of Samuel Osborn to
Elizabeth Lamb; his brother John was also a witness on 7 Jun
1761 at Guilford Co., NC. He witnessed the wedding of Benjamin
Beeson to Bertha Lamb; his brother John also witnessed on 9 Jul
1761 at New Garden Monthly Mtg., Guilford Co., NC.
Politically, Christopher
was a controversial figure. He along with 21 other Regulars assembled,
petitioned the Governor, his Excellence, William Tryon, in 1768,
"Whereas through the exactions and extortions of several
officers of Orange, we have involved ourselves in many difficulties
and by means of reports, false spread, the condition has arose
to a great extremity and being desirous to submit ourselves to
the clemency of your excellence, and to lay aside all method
of redress of our grievances, but by a due course of law, and
beg that your excellence will forgive all our past offenses
by your gracious proclamation, that peace and tranquility may
be restored agin, to all the inhabitants of this province,
and confiding in your assistance and favor to execute the laws
against said exactions and extortions and conclude."
It was decided at a council
to issue such Proclamation as the petitioners requested. Signed
3 Oct 1768 by Governor Tryon, it read in part, "I do, therefore,
out of a compassion for the misguided multitude, being much
more inclined to prevent than punish crimes of so high a nature
by and with the unanimous advice and consent of his Majesty's
Council issue this proclamation granting unto them His Majesty's
most gracious pardon for the several outrageous acts by them
committed at any time before the day of the date thereof,
except Jame Hunter, Ninion Hamilton, Peter Craven, Isaac
Jackson, Harmon Husband, Matthew Moffit, Christopher NATION,
Solomon Cross and John O'Neal, of which all officers of Justice
and others concerned therein are to take notice" on 1 Oct
1768 at Hillsboro, NC.
It is unknown how Christopher
Nation avoided arrest and imprisonment, but he seems to have
gone on with "business as usual." Within seven years
the Revolution had begun and Governor Tryon fled to New York
to take up the Royal Governorship there.
DEED: Christopher sold
"174 acres on Polecat Creek adjoining Widow Lamb, part of
451 acres granted to John Nation, 18 April 1761" on 8 Jun
1769 at Rowan Co., NC.
He was elected to the
"Colonial House of Representatives," which met at New
Bern, NC. He was paid for eighteen days' attendance, and sixteen
days' travel time from his home and back, a total of 12 pounds,
18 shillings, 4 pence on 5 Dec 1769.
He was described in a
letter on 30 Mar 1770 from a Londoner Henry Eustace McCulloch
to Col. John Harvey in NC: "I thank you for the journal
of Political Proceedings . . . the madness of the people must
be great indeed, to trust such wretches as Harmon Hubbard and
Christopher Nation, as their representatives . . . But it is
a comfort that violent mad fits seldom last long."
DEED: Christopher Nation
is granted 100 acres by the State of North Carolina, by Richard
Caswell. Made 18 Aug 1787, recorded 17 Mar 1788 in Jun 1769 at
Rowan Co., NC.
He appeared on the census
of 1790 at Stokes Co., NC.
"The State of North
Carolina grants Christopher Nation grant #603 for 100 acres on
Pole Cat and Deep Creek Rivers, by Gov. Alexander Martin"
on 20 Dec 1791. He left a will recorded on 11 Jan 1799 at Randolph
Co., NC
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