Can anyone help David Custer of Finland? Barry H. Beattie, L-98 My name is David Custer, living in Finland, and I am interested in finding my ancester John Custer. He had bought land in Tryon Co., North Carolina in 1772, 1775 and sold it in 1778. On his property, one of the lines mentioned is belonging to Beatie, "Beaties line" and Beaties corner". The land that John Custer owned was "on both sides of the Buffalo Branch, off of Indian Creek. I don’t know if this land is next to John Beatty, or one of his sons, and I am really hoping that you might be able to help me with this. I do not have the Holcomb deed book of the Tryon County,NC and so I can’t look up the deeds for the time period when Beatty and Custer bought land. I don’t know when the Brent Holcomb book starts the deed period. However, a local genealogist, Robert Carpenter, has been nice enough to send me by mail, some pages from a local book. It is written by Lorena Shell Eaker, and is called “The Shoe Cobblers Kin". John Custer sold his land to a Christian Eaker, in 1778, and so I have been trying to find out all I can on him, and find out who his neighbors are. The witness to the deed, Peter Acker, could be either his father, so named or his brother. Christian was 28 at the time he bought it. I am hoping that you may have some of the deeds that the Beatty family owned, which might give a location as to where he lived. I believe there was also a Francis Beatty, around at the same time, and so the land may be his. I also believe that a Jacob Beck or Peck had land adj to John Custer, and I think he may have known him. John Custer bought land there in 1772, and then another 300 acres in 1775, and then sold both pieces in 1778. I have not determined whether he was a Tory or Patriot. He was of German descendant and had belonged to the Trappe Lutheran Church in Pa. Deed Information second day of Sept 1778, tract sold to Christian Eaker/Acker, by John and Elizabeth Custer...The waters of Indian Creek, both sides of Buffalo branch, including his own improvement. Beginning at a black oak near his corner, running thence So 16 E 304 poles to a stake near Beaties line, thence with his line thence West 106 poles crossing said branch to a stake near his own improvements, Beaties corner thence with his other line So 160 poles to a white oak thence W 160 poles to a white oak, thence No 16 E 240 poles to a stake near his own corner, thence with his own line to a beginning, containing by estimation 3 hundred acres... John Custard by patent bearing date 28th day of Feb 1775... signed in the presence of Vallentine Mauney and Peter Acker Tryon Co, NC Court Oct 1778 also on the same page 317 second day of Sept 1778 "the sum of 35 pounds provcl money "both sides of Buffalo branch of Indian creek, joining Nicholas Welch his other survey...300 acres more or less granted to Nicholas Welsh by patent bearing the date 20th of May 1772... witnessed by Peter Acker and Vallentine Mauney. When John Custer bought the land, he bought it off Nicholas Welch, and so I wonder if any of the land deeds that the Beatties had, also list Nicholas welsh as a nieghbor?, or Vallentine Mauney? Anyway, that’s what I have, though I do have more info on Christian Eaker. I am just hoping some of this will match up with what you have, Dave