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From the Book "History of North Carolina"
By:
Charles Norwood, Sr. "Britton
Hood (1767 - 1848) was Wayne County's first Surveyor of record.
Britton, Bold Robin and John C. Hood, sons of Nathaniel B. Hood, came to
Eastern North Carolina from Lynn, Massachusetts, in the early part of
1790." (read the note below)
Britton
with Robin went first to New Bern but left his twin brother, Bold Robin
(also a surveyor). After a very short stay. He rode his horse
alone into Waynesborough a few years after it was incorporated.
Strapped to his horse were all his worldly goods - his surveying
instruments.
Britton Hood settled in the
Grantham Community in the western part of the county, between Big and
Little Creek of the Thoroughfare. Here he built a small log cabin.
Later in 1820 he built a larger house located on a farm to the rear of
Mrs. Stella Stevens home on the Old Grantham Road. This house is
still standing but it is long past been (sic) a home. His eldest
son, John Robert, later took over and raised his large family of 11
children here. John Robert's wife was Dizy Grantham, only daughter
of Solomon Grantham.
Britton Hood built a third
house just south of present Highway 13 near Grantham School. This
was his last home and here he died in 1848. The house still stands
in the center of his 1000-acre plantation that he left by will to his
son Daniel T. Hood. He retained a life estate.
For 50 years, no one's name
in this county appeared in the county records more frequently than that
of Britton Hood -- as a surveyor, as a witness, as a grantor and
grantee. He was involved in most all transfers and divisions of
land in the county. He surveyed and divided William Whitfield's
vast acreage after his death early in 1800.
He surveyed and laid out Old
Waynesborough into lots. In his later years he was surveying for
Wilmington & Weldon Railroad and still later he joined his twin
brother in New Bern to start surveying the right-of-way for the North
Carolina railroad know as the Mullet line running from Goldsboro to
Morehead City.
Britton Hood received land in
Wayne County as Early as 1795. He purchased, traded and finally
deeded away large acreages to his sons only two days before his death.
He owned at one time approximately 3,000 acres of land and 15 slaves.
In his will he left "2 acres in the fork of the road for a Meeting
House. This two acres was the site of Falling Creek Baptist Church
which was built in 1848, the year of Britton Hood;s death.
He directed that his personal
property, including the slaves and "my surveying instruments,"
be sold and the proceeds "together with my notes, after paying my
just debts" be divided amoung his children. To his son,
Daniel T., was bequeathed "My still and what belongs to it."
A son of John Robert
Hood and grandson of Britton Hood was Edward R. Hood. He moved to
Goldsboro from his home near Falling Creek Baptist Church and became
Wayne County Treasurer. At his death in 1899, his son, George E.
Hood, assumed the duties and titles to Treasurer. In 1901 George
Hood was Mayor of Goldsboro and later became Congressman, representing
this district for many years. In 1906 Mrs. Edith Hood, George
Hood's mother, was living at 105.
Another son of John Robert
Hood was Soloman Pope Hood. He was the father of Gurney P. Hood
and Clarence P. Hood, both founders of the Hood system Banks in this
state. Mr. Gurney P. Hood served as the first State commissioner
of Banks.
A daughter of John Robert
Hood, Polly Ann, married Moses Britt of the Grantham Community. A
grandson of this couple, W. G. Britt, Jr., resides in Goldsboro today.
Another son of Britton Hood
was Daniel T. who married Temperance Best. This son
inherited the homeplace and 100 acres of land, Britton retaining a life
estate.
A son of Daniel T. Hood was
Grover Hood, a prominent farmer in the Grantham Community. He
married Emma Rose and they had 11 children, most of whom live in the
community today.
Note:
(This has been disproven.
There has not been any evidence uncovered that Nathaniel Hood had a
middle name starting with a "B". The middle initial
"B" for Nathaniel Hood has been traditional for many years.
There is no source. Nathaniel Hood also did not have a son named John C.
Hood. He did however have a grandson named John Cogdell Hood who was the
son of Bold Robin.)
Nathaniel Hood and Elizabeth
Britton Hood Family |