North Carolina Headrights: A List of Names, 1663-1744

In North Carolina's proprietary period (1663-1729), the primary means of acquiring land was by headright. A free person was allowed to claim a specified amount of land for each person, including himself/herself, that he/she transported into the colony for the purpose of settlement. While the amount of land attached to a headright varied throughout the era, the most common amount was fifty acres.