Farnifold Green

Farnifold Green (born May 30, 1674 in Virginia) arrived in North Carolina in July of 1697. On December 20, 1707, the Lords Proprietors issued Farnifold Green a land grant for 780 acres—part of the land that would eventually become early Beaufort.

Green, a planter, colonial militia officer, commissary, and Indian fighter had a plantation on the north side of the Neuse River (see http://beaufortartist.blogspot.com/2007/11/farnifold-green-owner-of-first-land.html for more information).

In 1706 Farnefould Green sent the following petition to the Governor & Executive Council of North Carolina:

"...Farnefould Green humbly sheweth That whereas your honors humble orator haveing a great desire to settle a stock upon the Banks at or near Occacok Inlett and haveing understood that the honorable Governor hath given orders that the said Places should not be settled by any straingers but what are of good fame, least any harme should befale any of her Majestys subjectes that should through Chance be Cast away there, Therefor your humble Orator prays Lycence from your honors for the settlement of the same, and Your humble Orator shall as in duety bound for ever pray etc. Farnefould Green."

In 1711 the Minutes of the Executive Council record this sentence:

"Upon Petition of Farnifold Green praying he may have Liberty to Settle upon the Sand banks neare Okacock Inlett. Ordered that the Said Farnifold Greene have Liberty to Setle on the Said place accordingly."

We don't know exactly what stock Farnifold Green brought to Ocracoke, but it likely included cattle, sheep, and/or goats. Perhaps horses as well. All of these domestic animals were still grazing freely on Ocracoke Island in the 1950s, when I was a boy.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is about the almost forgotten 1890 "Oyster Wars" that pitted islanders against outside business interests. You can read the article here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012115.htm.