The Quarter: A Nickens Nucleus

June 15, 2018.Reading time 12 minutes.

Jarvis Jones (originally of Norfolk County, VA) was a man of great influence in Pasquotank County, NC. In 1754 he was a field officer in the Pasquotank County Militia at the onset of the French and Indian War and his brother (?) Nehemiah Jones was captain of the third company “on the Fork Creek on the North side […]

Hidden Influences on Migration: The Hall & Nickens Families

August 13, 2016.Reading time 17 minutes.

On my first research trip to North Carolina, I went to the Camden County Register of Deeds and searched for one surname—Bass. I am a Bass and I had a list of verified Bass ancestors so it was the natural thing for a new genealogist to do. As I processed the information from the deeds I found […]

This site contains a historical and genealogical overview of the Great Dismal Swamp. The primary focus is free people of color who lived in the counties of Norfolk, Princess Anne, Pasquotank, Camden, and Currituck (with relationships extending throughout southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina) and environmental influences on historical communities and migration.

I am a Washington, DC-based scientist, an advocate for responsible research, and a Descendant of the Great Dismal. Thank you for reading.