Proprietary Grants
Land grants were made by the Lords Proprietor from about 1670 to 1719, and recorded by the Register of the Province. Proprietary land titles, abstracts of title, and registrations of land grants are sometimes called “memorials.” Governors issued warrants and ordered plats and surveys, but most of these documents are lost. After 1682 an indenture was often used to deed land in exchange for quitrents.
Lists of many early landowners of South Carolina are found in:
Salley, Alexander S. Records of the Secretary of the Province and the Register of the Province of South Carolina, 1671-1675, (Columbia, South Carolina: Historical Commission of South Carolina, 1944; Google Books; At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Film 1425662 item 5, Book 975.7 N2rs. This includes deeds, wills, and other records.
Land warrants were presented to the surveyor general and recorded by the secretary of state. They are often the most complete guide to early land settlement. Proprietary grants are listed in
Salley, A. S. Warrants for Land in South Carolina 1672-1711. Columbia, S.C.: Historical Commission of South Carolina, 1910-1911. Free Name Search[1]; publisher's bookstore: Genealogical.com; digital versions at FamilySearch, FamilySearch Digital Library and FamilySearch Digital Library ; Google Books. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Film 845162 Items 3-4
Royal Period
From 1719 to 1775, when South Carolina was a royal colony, grants were recorded by the secretary of the province and deeds were recorded separately by the public register. After land offices suspended much of their business in the 1720s, Sir George Carteret bought out most of the proprietor's lands in 1729. The portion originally held by Sir George, and later held by the Earl of Granville, remained under the proprietary system until the Revolution. A discussion of the land system, land frauds, and quitrents is in:
Smith, William Roy. South Carolina as a Royal Province, 1719-1776. (New York, NY: Macmillan, 1903). Digital Versions: Google Books and FamilySearch; At various libraries (WorldCat);FHL Film 1320960 item 4. Also see South Carolina Taxation for further information on quitrents.
North Carolina Records
In 1729 South Carolina was officially separated from North Carolina, although boundaries between the states remained unstable, and North Carolina granted some land to South Carolina. The North Carolina counties of Anson, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rutherford, and Tyron have records that pertain to South Carolina residents. An example of a printed source for these records is:
Holcomb, Brent H. North Carolina Land Grants in South Carolina. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1980. Free Name Search[2]; publisher's bookstore: Genealogical.com; FHL Book 975 R28n. Volumes. 1-2 are for years 1749-1773 for Anson, Mecklenburg, and Tyron counties).
Charleston Office Records
South Carolina deeds, releases, bonds, and mortgages from all counties were recorded at Charleston during the years 1719 to 1786. The original documents are in the office of the Register of Mesne Conveyance in Charleston. Copies are at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the Family History Library. They are indexed in:
Langley, Clara A. South Carolina Deed Abstracts, 1719-1772. Four Volumes. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1983-84. FHL Collection, FHL book 975.7 R2L. Witnesses, neighbors, and residences are often mentioned.
Charleston County (South Carolina), Register of Mesne Conveyance., An Index to Deeds of the Province and State of South Carolina, 1719-1785, and Charlestown District, 1785-1800. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1977. FHL Collection, FHL book 975.7 R2c. This indexes the names of grantors and grantees, but gives little additional information.
Royal land grants issued for the years 1731 to 1775 often pertain to the four original districts of Colleton, Craven, Berkeley, and Granville. The originals are housed at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and copies are available at the Family History Library. FHL Collection, FHL films 022581-97 and FHL Collection, FHL film 361873. The index is on film 022581 FHL Collection. Headright grants were awarded in South Carolina, and are in the South Carolina Council Journals (1749-1773) found at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
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