Jacob Brown Grant Deeds

Jacob Brown was a visionary who saw that providing land to colonial settlers would enable them to escape the confines of the British Crown.

It is noted on the Tennessee Historical Marker in Greene County that in 1771 Jacob Brown came to the Nolichucky River and set up tents on the northern bank.

Brown had previously made a deed of conveyance to parts of the leased land to others, including one Richard Trivillian.

Being a matter of law the formality of the term lease was not fully comprehended by the Cherokee but for the price paid they agreed not to bother Jacob Brown or those others settled upon the lands in question.

Jacob Brown negotiated with the Cherokee to sell outright in Fee Simple the lands along the Nolichucky watershed in addition to and including that for which he held leases.

Richard Henderson was the purchaser of both properties and Joseph Vann, who was titled Linquester, was the official translator for the Crown and considered trustworthy by both parties.

[10] The presence of Henderson and Vann yield credence to the belief that the Brown Grants were drawn and signed at Sycamore Shoals.

In the diary of Richard Henderson,[11] for the date of March 25, 1775 there is no mention of his presence under an oak tree on the Nolichucky that was some twenty miles to the southwest of Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga River.

It was the bargaining for the lease of the Nolichucky property in 1772 with the Cherokee that likely took place under the Big Oak Tree near Jacob Brown's trading post.

The Warrant #652 drawn by John Carter on April 22, 1779 some four years after the deed was signed, indicated the treaty was held on the property at the mouth of Cherokee Creek.

The Great Grant Deed article indicates that the entire proceedings at Sycamore Shoals were likely transactions by sellers with no right to sell and buyers with no right to buy.

In anticipation of the various land transactions eventually made at Sycamore Shoals, North Carolina Governor Martin issued a proclamation in February 1775 in opposition.[16][which?]

Subsequently, in accord with Virginia and the voices of the Watauga settlers demanding clarification of the boundaries, North Carolina nullified the Transylvania Colony and asserted sovereignty over the western territory.

As noted in the Great Grant Deed, the serious inquiry that took place in the form of hearings and formal proceedings with depositions and evidence were conducted by Virginia.

The sales and leasing of land beyond the existing treaty bounds resulted in war and bloodshed of settlers and Cherokee.

Jacob Brown Petition to the North Carolina Assembly May 10, 1784 To the honorable the General assembly of the State of North Carolina The memorial of Jacob Brown humbly showeth that in the year 1775 your memorialist for the valuable consideration of nearly two thousand pounds specie purchased of the Cherokee Indians a large tract of country adjoining the waters of Nole Chucky; part of which be at different periods sold out to persons desirous of becoming adventurers and settling there, with a desire of reimbursement himself by such sales for the monies he had actually expended in effecting the purchase; but to his great loss And disappointment on the Assembly passing an act granting a right of preemption to the first improvers of the land in that county Those persons who had before purchased of your memorialist not only actually refused to pay him the consideration money back but entered the lands by them formerly purchased of your memorialist in the land office of the state.

These together with many other unhappy circumstances oblige your memorialist to make application to your honorable body, and to request you will be pleased to submit the consideration of this matter to aforementioned when he does not doubt to be able to represent his case through them to the assembly In such a point of occur, as to induce the legislature to take same action for his relief and the promise And your petition shall Pray

May 6, 1784 Jacob BrownBrown was by then knowledgeable of the petition of Richard Henderson and the subsequent grant of 1783 by North Carolina of 200,000 acres as acknowledgement for his leadership and actions in pioneering the opening of the territory.

Unlike the situation described in the Great Grant Deed the petition of Jacob Brown was received by the North Carolina Assembly but refused.