INTRODUCTION

It has been in evidence, since time began, for children to ask questions, and they enjoy nothing more than tales told of the far past. Often has the writer sat and spun out on the thread of remembrance yarns both pleasant and tragic, gathered from the old "folks of Knotts Island", to the great delight and edification of his and others' children.

One day some years back, the writer being in a fanciful mood, the panorama of his birth-placed passed, so often before, once more before him: - The Eves carding and spinning; their lords fishing, fowling or assembled in mirthful groups talking war, religion, ghosts and other such matters for recreation boys spinning tops, storming Yellow Jackets and bumblebees nests, and robbing the nests of birds, especially the nests of catbirds, and all going to church on preaching days (Fridays), which days were considered holidays, as well as the muster and election days.

When in one of these moods the writer asked himself: Why not write and give details of the events, incidents and traditional stories he had gathered together in past days on this Island? So there and then, with daring venture, he determined to attempt to do what his meditations had suggested, and has since produced a manuscript of many thousand words.

Knotts Island cut off geographically from other lands, is rich in local tradition. Its inhabitants from time immemorial have by the nature of their isolated situation forms many customs and habits--social, religious and political peculiarly their own; and if there doings and their traditions were graphically set out by a master mind, they would make interesting local history.

The writer of the following pages doesn't claim to be a writer of local history, but ventures simply to record incidents and events, some of which were matters of his personal observation, others of local knowledge, and others still matters of tradition--all of which made a lasting impres-sion on his young mind. The writer's memory goes back to the year, 1835, when he was but three years old, and his mind ever reverts to the associations that surrounded him in his youth in his never-to-be-forgotten birth-place.

The writer, his parents and his far back ancestors were all born and reared on this Island, and its people are well acquainted with the writer's life and his surroundings there; therefore, if these pages of reminiscences crudely related, should prove the least offensive to these people, he relies upon a common ancestry and an intimate life-long friendship to insure their forgiveness; whereas, if he succeed in reviving the memory of the old, and amuse and perhaps instruct the young of this Island, his effort will not have been in vain.

Now to others as well as the people of this Island who may chance to read these tales herein told, some for the curiosity sake, some seeking the novel and coming, & still others expecting the "Wild Western Scenes" of long ago; they may all be mistaken in their findings.

While the writer pleads to a degree of recklessness, yet, there may a commendable ray of light that penetrates this story; for is it not the produce of a Currituckian, and is it not the first transcript of local history ever written in Currituck by a Currituckian? For this reason he invites you who may read what he has to say, go with him over the scenes herein set out. Thus he will carry you back to his early days, to his native Island and present to you the life there in which he was bred, born and reared.

H B Ansell
Barco, Currituck County, North Carolina
1907 to 1912

From Chapter IX. Remarks by the writer:

Notice, my red ink is almost out and it blotches worst than black, not so easy to read. This book as you will see was intended to incorporate the history of Currituck County from its first settlement up and including the Revolutionary War, culled from the Colonial Records and State Records. The first ten volumes compiled by Secretary Saunders and the State records by Judge Walter Clark; and these volumes are of recent date. North Carolina to get any history of itself had at the late date of 1885, get copies of transcripts from London, and through these transcripts, Secretary Saunders compiled the ten volumes aforesaid from which we can glean some of the proceedings of the people of North Carolina up to and including a portion of the Revolutionary War. And Judge Clark has tried his best to find out what was going on in North Carolina from 1776 to 1790, but with little success. To tell the truth, N. C. history in the far past day, is quite poverty stricken.

Now take particular notice that from these many volumes the writer has tried to cull from them what is said of Currituck and has tried somewhat to glean its history in her far back past days; and tried to write a summary of her proceedings in those days. It was found quite impossible from these volumes to cull much of a history of any isolated place in North Carolina; I have done my best, however to get what was possible and have in a crude way pinned a portion in this volume, which can be found in each of its right hand pages. I soon found every other page would not hold it all, so I got a larger book and have put all I could get of Currituck County into it. So the blank pages of this book I concluded to put the history of Knotts Island also into it and commenced with Red ink, so as not to confuse too much the reader. My red ink getting low and it does not show as well as black, therefore I am going to finish Knotts Island history with black ink.

Now take further notice that every left hand page in this book is the history of Knotts Island and every right hand page that of Currituck. Now this is plain enough and need not create any confusion. Read the history of Knotts Island throughout to its end; any one disposed to read what is said of Currituck, let him begin on page l and read every right hand page through as far as Currituck may go etc.

Begin at page 4 in red ink which reaches to page 78, then the Red ends. Read what the writer has to say on page 78 and 80 in black ink and after this the remainder of Knotts Island history will be written in black ink on every left hand page throughout till the Currituck portion may end.

I will write "Knotts Island" over every page of Knotts Island history from now on. I have written up to Chapter IX in Red, the next will be Chapter X on page 82 in Black ink and on to its end.

Again take notice after page 261 where Currituck stops; after this every page both left and right are allKnotts Island to its end.

Editors note from Chapter XXXIV: (Remember the original was a handwritten notebook)

Particular Notice

Every left hand page from here back to the beginning is the history of Knotts Island, and every right hand page is the history of Currituck. Further, every page from here to page 328 is Knotts Island; then Currituck Commences again and goes to the end, page. What is said of Currituck up to this page 317 where it stops' as my book would not allow me to go farther, so I concluded to finish Knott's Island and did so up to page 328; now there being some blank pages left, I have added others and Continued Currituck again from page 329 and on.

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