Documenting the Early Life of Charles Dorr (Translated to Dry)

My fifth Great Grandfather is Charles Dorr/Darr/Derr/Durr; Americanized to the surname – Dry. He first appeared in North Carolina about Jul 1777. On 26 Jul 1777, Charles Darr purchased land in Mecklenburg County, NC from Paul Barringer & Barbara Herenhart (Ernhart) heretofore Barbara (Hagler) Haygler, Extx of the LWT of John Haygler, late of Meck. Dec’d.

Prior to his move to North Carolina, we find him in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in July 1759 where he witnesses the Baptism of his son Johann Martin Dry on 29 July 1759.
Image 335, page 294
Baptism of Son, Johann Martin Dry
Parents: J. Carl Derr and Christina
Child/Baptism Date: J. Martin, July 29
Sponser: J. Martin Derr and Anna Clara Hinterleiter


A history of the Goshenhoppen Reformed Charge, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (1727-1819), by REV. WILLIAM JOHN HINKE, Ph.D., D.D.
Professor of Semitic Languages and Religions in Auburn, 1920, Lancaster, PA

Back in  North Carolina, the next event recorded in the life of Charles Dry occurred on 1 March 1779 where he was granted 112 acres of land - Grant #140--112 acres On the waters of Buffaloe Creek

Then in November 1779 he is mentioned in the Probate file for a German named - Christoph Rintelmann (1779)

Snippet from above document. 

In October 1784 he was appointed by the court and bound by law to apprentice a young lady named Elizabeth Reap.
Ordered that Elizabeth Reap, age 14 years, be bound unto Charles Dry until she attains the Age of 18 years and at the end of her Apprenticeship the said Charles Dry Engages to give her one cow & calf, one ewe & Lamb, one Feather Bed, one Spinning Wheel exclusive of her freedom dues.
     Court adjourned until tomorrow 8 o'clock. 

In March 1785, Charles was granted an additional land grant for 22 acres. 

• Grant no.: 645; 22 acres On the East side of Dutch Buffelow Creek

Charles Dry received his last piece of land on 2 January 1795.
141. Charles Dry 112 ac; warrant 451 Jan. 2, 1795 by Adam Alexander for Charles Dry for 200 ac on waters of Buffello Cr, joins his own land on NW side; entered Mar. 1, 1779 (sic); [on back] compared with transcript of entry taker’s books & found to compare (signed) W W; 112 ac surveyed Nov. 2, 1798 by Saml. Black; on waters of Buffelow Cr; border; begins at stone in line of an old survey, joins center of a gardon, Rinehart, Jacob Over, & Owen Dry; Own. Dry & Martin Dry, chain carriers; grant 140 issued Mar. 9, 1799.

[Cabarrus Co., NC, Land Warrants & Surveys (1792-1916);Dr. A. B. Pruitt, page 18]

Charles Dry died before 16 Oct 1797 at which time his Will was probated. The Will have since been destroyed by fire; but, the Pleas and Quarter Sessions minutes of the Court proceeding have survived.


Charles Dry is my fifth Great Grandfather 





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[1] Gary D. Walter, Genealogy.com, Prelude to "Focus on Johan Georg and Charles Dry (www.genealogy.com/ftm/w/a/l/Gary-D-Walter/FILE/0002page.html : viewed 17 July 2015), Mecklenburg Deeds 7:297-300, Deed- Barbara (Hagler) Haygler, Extx of the LWT of John Haygler, late of Meck. Dec’d. to Charles Darr, 25 July 1777.
[2] REV. WILLIAM JOHN HINKE Ph.D., D.D., A history of the Goshenhoppen Reformed Charge,: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (1727-1819) (Lancaster, Pennsylvania: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008417523, 1920), Page 294, Image 335.
[3] Grant #140 - Charles Dry, 9 March 1799, Book: 100, pg: 423; North Carolina State Archives of North Carolina Land Grants, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina.
[4] "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9PGL-95PP?cc=1911121&wc=Q6WB-GBC%3A184173301%2C183381101%2C197507501 : 21 May 2014), Rowan County > R > Rintelman, Christoph (1779) > image 5 of 13; State Archives, Raleigh.
[5] Court of Please & Quarter Sessions; Mecklenburg Co. NC;  1780-1800
[6] Grant #645 - Charles Dry, 7 August 1787, Book: 68, pg: 33; North Carolina State Archives of North Carolina Land Grants, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina.
[7] Cabarrus Co., NC, Land Warrants & Surveys (1792-1916); Dr. A. B. Pruitt, page 18
[8] Margaret Bost, Cabarrus Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions,: April 17, 1797- April 17, 1805., Clarence Horton (Cabarrus County, North Carolina: Cabarrus Genealogical Society, 1994), pages 55, 63 and 83.