I learn something new everyday!

Peter Vess: Cedar Creek Property

Peter Vess obtained land on Cedar Creek in Rutherford County, North Carolina that is now part of Buncombe County (Broad River Township). He entered the claim in 1829 and the grant was officially issued in 1831.

Family researchers noticed that there is a “John Vess” on the land record, which is unlikely to be his son, John Vess, as his son would have been around 11 years old at the time.

In extremely rare cases, an 11 year old could have been listed as a witness, but today, I learned that “John Vess” on this record is not a witness but a Chain Bearer.

Chain Bearers (C. C. )

Names, followed by the abbreviation C. C., at the bottom of survey plat maps mean “Chain Bearers/ Chain Carrier.”

Chain bearers consisted of two adult males, who assisted the county surveyor, by physically walking the property boundaries, using a chain to place down marking pins. The county surveyor administered an oath to both men, swearing to measure the distances accurately and honestly without altering the count.

Chain bearers were often times close relatives (father, brother, adult son, cousin) or next door neighbors, as it was cheaper, than having to the county surveyor hire a local laborer.

What This Information Tells Us

This information tells us that John Vess was a living, breathing, adult relative of Peter Vess who physically walked Peter’s property in Rutherford County, North Carolina.

Chain bearers did not have to be county residents, they could travel from another county or even another state.

In this case, John Vess might be the recently discovered “John Bess” in Spartanburg County, South Carolina with Nathaniel Bess (potentially Nathaniel Vess). If true, they would certainly, without a doubt, be brothers, as we have records of each of their ages! AND, if true, they would have been orphaned (kind of), as “John Bess” is on census with an older woman, who may have been his widowed mother.

John, Peter, and Nathaniel Vess as potential brothers– now that’s intriguing!

Unfortunately, we need more information. BUT, what we do know as a solid fact, is that Peter Vess had a close adult Vess relative (not his son) help survey his property in 1831.