Mark, to answer some of your question marks: A chain/"chane" carrier was a surveyor. Your James Murphy was obviously employed as such. Land was measured with a sextant (they now use a transit--same thing) and a chain of a specified length. >From the journal of William Vincent b. 1779 NC: _______________________________________________________________________ LAND MEASURE Note 3 barley corn make 1 inch 12 inches makes 1 foot 3 feet make 1 yard 2 yards make 1 fathom 5 1/2 yards or 16 1/2 feet makes 1 pole or perch 40 perches or 220 yards makes 1 furlong -------? furlongs makes 1 mile 3 miles 1 league 20 leagues or 60 miles one degree and 360 degrees is the circumference of the earth. William Vincent His Cyphering Book Anadomine 1797 _______________________________________________________________________ *A "pole" was also known as a "perch" and also a "rod." They all measured 16 1/2 feet. *There are 4 poles to a "chain" or 66 ft.---so a "chain" was an object for measuring and also a length of 66 ft. *There are 10 square chains to an acre. *The First Continental Congress adopted the term "chain" in 1796, but oddly enough, it was a term neither enforced or repealed since that time for surveyors. William Vincent was the grandson of Peter Vincent b. ca 1718. Peter was a surveyor and land speculator in Granville Co. NC about 1744. In May of 1800 surveyors were paid the equivalent of $2.00 per mile for 7 ranges (whatever a range is?) After that, they were paid 3.00 per mile of land surveyed. Considering the times, it was a good wage, but hard earned. They trekked a wilderness to accomplish the job. There were Indians to pacify, landowners? already claiming title (willing to shoot them), and often the flies were so bad that they threatened to suffocate the horses by filling and packing their nostrils. On occasion, these early day surveyors had to stop to pull cattle or horses from bogs and quicksand. The term "su ch carrier" referred to substitute Chain carrier. One might assume there were many substitutes considering the conditions under which they labored. Hope this helps. Regards, Judith Vinson in Texas Mark Murphy wrote: > > [Murphy extracts from Bute Co. NC Land Plat entries, 1773-1778] > [From: "Bute County, North Carolina Land Grant Plats and Land Entries", > Compiled and Abstracted by Brent Holcomb, 1974, Chapel Hill, NC.] > [*transcribed from photocopies of original plat entries in the book > Mark Murphy, 2 May 2001] > > *File #4 > c b 600 acres d a [plat drawing] > November 25th 1773 Surveyed for Benja. Hill 600 acres of Land of > Land[sic] > aGreeable to the annexs plan Lying In Bute County on the N. Side Sandy > Creek > Beginning at a Black Lark[?] at the Settn. a thence East 366 pole to a > white > oak thence by Murfeys line So. 272 pole to Murfeys Corner a pine thence > by > parsons [?] fosters Line Wt. 232 pole to a pine thence So. 27 [?] pole > to a > Red oak hills corner thence by hills & Goodwins line Wt. 80 poles to a > hickory > thence by hills & Dorseys line No. to the first Station. > Jn. Hogg & Jacob Waddel} Su Ch Cars. [?] by Wm. Christmas, Junr. > > *File #59 > [plat drawing] 293 > Sep. 17th 1778 Then Testified[?] for Henry Hill From 293 acres of > of[sic] > Land Being in Bute County on the South Rise[?] of Tar River Beginning at > a > oake[?] at Bakers[?] Corner Thence N 276 pole to a White Oak thence E[?] > 50 ps. > to a White lob[?]y pine Bakers Corner thence W. 128 p. to a White oak > Bakers > corner thence N 178 pls. to a Black Jak atBakers Corner thence W. 168 > pl. to a > W[?] oak Rolands Corner Thence N 78 P. to a spanish Oak [??] thence E > 234 p. > to a black Jak Murphery Corner thence Nth[?] E 132 p. to a pine thence S > 130 > p. to a pine thence to N 75 spinners[?]. > James[?] Cunyard[?] > Joshua Jones Chane Carriers[?] f.m. John Shackline[?] for Joseph > Hawkins. > > *File #91 > [plat drawing] > Frt.[?] 200 p. to an Jn. Febr.[?] 26th 1773 Then Sur[?] tified[?] for > James > Murphry 110 acres of Land lying in the County of Bute on the Water of > the Wolf > pit[?] swamp on SE[?] side of Tar River Beginning at a black Jack thence > N. > 5W[?] 132 poles to a pine thence W[?]sW[?] 170 poles to Geoffries Branch > toS[?] > thence W 46 poles to Sharpers[?] line to n thence S44[?] poles to a pine > > Sharpers corner thence W 33 ps. to a White Oak his own corner thenc to > the > Beginning. > John Friednof[?] Kline[?] John Dent > Romig Curyear[?] for Joseph Hawkins, L.S. > Shae Carriers > > *File #97 > 78 [plat drawing] > Sept. 5 1778 > Frt. 200 poles to a [?] Then Surveyed for Jake Roland Senr. 78 acres of > Land > on the North Side of Cedar Creek Beginning at a White Oak Perrys[?] > Corner > thence N25 poles to a White Oak thence [?] poles to Perrys Corner thence > N 53 > poles to a Red oak thence E230 poles to a Spanish Oak Gilds[?] Corner > thence > [?] poles to a White [?] in [?] line to the first station. > James Murphery Chane Carrier Hon.[?] John Fink[?] Senr[?] > To his first for Joseph Hawkins, L. S. > > [the following are typed in the book already transcribed] > p. 89 #107 > W Issued 16 June 1778 > Benj Hill enters 640 A where Samson Bobo formerly lived adj. Thos Hill > Junr > line, Micholas [should be Nicholas] Murfey's line, John Person's. > 17th March 1778 Benj Hill > > p. 90 #110 > This land is sold and the Entry Altered Jas Murphey Caveat 4 Apl 1778 W > Issued > 26 June 1778 Henry Hill (Richard Conyars written and stricken) Enters > 400 A on > south side Tarr River, beg. on the long branch in Maceas(?) line to Jos > Bakers > to James Murphy to Henry Hill. > 17 March 1778 Richard Conyers (stricken) Henry Hill > > p. 93 #148W Issued 22 Sepr 78 > James Murphrey enters 640 A lying on south side of Tarr River on waters > of > Woolf Pit Swamp beg. on Hill's line, Bakers line, Persons line, Birds > line, > my own line, Straughters line, to include two improvements. > 4 Apl 1778 Jas Murphrey > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB

Thanks Judith! Check out the Franklin Co. Vinsons on my Web Project at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~freshnup/markmurph/ One year anniversary of bringing Murphy & related genealogy to the Web. My ggggrandfather Parker Murphy had a lot to do with David Vinson. -Mark p.s. Got tons of Franklin Co. minutes (Murphy extracts) left to transcribe. I transcribe the whole page that contains a Murphy item. Sorry, don't have the time or the money to copy & transcribe all the pages from the microfilm. Finished up through 1805. judith wrote: > Mark, to answer some of your question marks: > > A chain/"chane" carrier was a surveyor. Your James Murphy was obviously > employed as such. Land was measured with a sextant (they now use a > transit--same thing) and a chain of a specified length. > > >From the journal of William Vincent b. 1779 NC: > _______________________________________________________________________ > > LAND MEASURE > Note 3 barley corn make 1 inch 12 inches makes 1 foot 3 feet make 1 > yard 2 yards make 1 fathom 5 1/2 yards or 16 1/2 feet makes 1 pole or > perch 40 perches or 220 yards makes 1 furlong -------? furlongs makes > 1 mile 3 miles 1 league 20 leagues or 60 miles one degree and 360 > degrees is the circumference of the earth. > William Vincent His Cyphering Book > Anadomine 1797 > _______________________________________________________________________ > > *A "pole" was also known as a "perch" and also a "rod." They all > measured 16 1/2 feet. > > *There are 4 poles to a "chain" or 66 ft.---so a "chain" was an object > for measuring and also a length of 66 ft. > > *There are 10 square chains to an acre. > > *The First Continental Congress adopted the term "chain" in 1796, but > oddly enough, it was a term neither enforced or repealed since that time > for surveyors. > > William Vincent was the grandson of Peter Vincent b. ca 1718. Peter was > a surveyor and land speculator in Granville Co. NC about 1744. > > In May of 1800 surveyors were paid the equivalent of $2.00 per mile for > 7 ranges (whatever a range is?) After that, they were paid 3.00 per > mile of land surveyed. Considering the times, it was a good wage, but > hard earned. They trekked a wilderness to accomplish the job. There > were Indians to pacify, landowners? already claiming title (willing to > shoot them), and often the flies were so bad that they threatened to > suffocate the horses by filling and packing their nostrils. On > occasion, these early day surveyors had to stop to pull cattle or horses > from bogs and quicksand. The term "su ch carrier" referred to substitute > Chain carrier. One might assume there were many substitutes considering > the conditions under which they labored. > > Hope this helps. > > Regards, Judith Vinson in Texas > Mark Murphy wrote: > > > > [Murphy extracts from Bute Co. NC Land Plat entries, 1773-1778] > > [From: "Bute County, North Carolina Land Grant Plats and Land Entries", > > Compiled and Abstracted by Brent Holcomb, 1974, Chapel Hill, NC.] > > [*transcribed from photocopies of original plat entries in the book > > Mark Murphy, 2 May 2001] > > > > *File #4 > > c b 600 acres d a [plat drawing] > > November 25th 1773 Surveyed for Benja. Hill 600 acres of Land of > > Land[sic] > > aGreeable to the annexs plan Lying In Bute County on the N. Side Sandy > > Creek > > Beginning at a Black Lark[?] at the Settn. a thence East 366 pole to a > > white > > oak thence by Murfeys line So. 272 pole to Murfeys Corner a pine thence > > by > > parsons [?] fosters Line Wt. 232 pole to a pine thence So. 27 [?] pole > > to a > > Red oak hills corner thence by hills & Goodwins line Wt. 80 poles to a > > hickory > > thence by hills & Dorseys line No. to the first Station. > > Jn. Hogg & Jacob Waddel} Su Ch Cars. [?] by Wm. Christmas, Junr. > > > > *File #59 > > [plat drawing] 293 > > Sep. 17th 1778 Then Testified[?] for Henry Hill From 293 acres of > > of[sic] > > Land Being in Bute County on the South Rise[?] of Tar River Beginning at > > a > > oake[?] at Bakers[?] Corner Thence N 276 pole to a White Oak thence E[?] > > 50 ps. > > to a White lob[?]y pine Bakers Corner thence W. 128 p. to a White oak > > Bakers > > corner thence N 178 pls. to a Black Jak atBakers Corner thence W. 168 > > pl. to a > > W[?] oak Rolands Corner Thence N 78 P. to a spanish Oak [??] thence E > > 234 p. > > to a black Jak Murphery Corner thence Nth[?] E 132 p. to a pine thence S > > 130 > > p. to a pine thence to N 75 spinners[?]. > > James[?] Cunyard[?] > > Joshua Jones Chane Carriers[?] f.m. John Shackline[?] for Joseph > > Hawkins. > > > > *File #91 > > [plat drawing] > > Frt.[?] 200 p. to an Jn. Febr.[?] 26th 1773 Then Sur[?] tified[?] for > > James > > Murphry 110 acres of Land lying in the County of Bute on the Water of > > the Wolf > > pit[?] swamp on SE[?] side of Tar River Beginning at a black Jack thence > > N. > > 5W[?] 132 poles to a pine thence W[?]sW[?] 170 poles to Geoffries Branch > > toS[?] > > thence W 46 poles to Sharpers[?] line to n thence S44[?] poles to a pine > > > > Sharpers corner thence W 33 ps. to a White Oak his own corner thenc to > > the > > Beginning. > > John Friednof[?] Kline[?] John Dent > > Romig Curyear[?] for Joseph Hawkins, L.S. > > Shae Carriers > > > > *File #97 > > 78 [plat drawing] > > Sept. 5 1778 > > Frt. 200 poles to a [?] Then Surveyed for Jake Roland Senr. 78 acres of > > Land > > on the North Side of Cedar Creek Beginning at a White Oak Perrys[?] > > Corner > > thence N25 poles to a White Oak thence [?] poles to Perrys Corner thence > > N 53 > > poles to a Red oak thence E230 poles to a Spanish Oak Gilds[?] Corner > > thence > > [?] poles to a White [?] in [?] line to the first station. > > James Murphery Chane Carrier Hon.[?] John Fink[?] Senr[?] > > To his first for Joseph Hawkins, L. S. > > > > [the following are typed in the book already transcribed] > > p. 89 #107 > > W Issued 16 June 1778 > > Benj Hill enters 640 A where Samson Bobo formerly lived adj. Thos Hill > > Junr > > line, Micholas [should be Nicholas] Murfey's line, John Person's. > > 17th March 1778 Benj Hill > > > > p. 90 #110 > > This land is sold and the Entry Altered Jas Murphey Caveat 4 Apl 1778 W > > Issued > > 26 June 1778 Henry Hill (Richard Conyars written and stricken) Enters > > 400 A on > > south side Tarr River, beg. on the long branch in Maceas(?) line to Jos > > Bakers > > to James Murphy to Henry Hill. > > 17 March 1778 Richard Conyers (stricken) Henry Hill > > > > p. 93 #148W Issued 22 Sepr 78 > > James Murphrey enters 640 A lying on south side of Tarr River on waters > > of > > Woolf Pit Swamp beg. on Hill's line, Bakers line, Persons line, Birds > > line, > > my own line, Straughters line, to include two improvements. > > 4 Apl 1778 Jas Murphrey > > > > ============================== > > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB