This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

agreement, he was soon sent to America. This John Lott, if age 21 when he was captured in 1662 would have been born in or around 1641. Who this John Lott was is uncertain at this time, but of interest is the fact that Polly Lott, daughter of John Lott and Elizabeth Joyner (to be discussed in detail later) married a Revolutionary War patriot named “William Hatten”! In October 1679, a “John Lott” is named as a servant of Colonel John Hill who resided in Charles City County, VA. He was “adjudged as ord.” in “Orphan’s Order Book 1671-1679” of that County, as listed on p. 112 of Margaret M. Ayers 1968 publication.
Additionally, we find a “John Lott” arriving in this country on December 16,1714 in New Kent Co., VA. He appears to be one of 97 names listed as indentured servants to work on the 4,843 acre plantation of George Alves. See Patent Book #10, pages 162-163, Vol. 3 (1695-1732) of “Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstract of Virginia Land Patents and Grants”, abstracted by Nell M. Nugent, three volumes and from p. 18 “The Lott Newsletter” April 1985.
We are certain that our Lotts are of English descent and are from the first English settlers of the communities near the James River area of Virginia. Also of note is the family names of Joyner, Boddie, Whitehead, and Ford that were of English descent, lived in this same area of Virginia, intermarried with Lott descendants and followed each other as they moved south into the Carolinas, Georgia, Mississippi, and other neighboring states as well. As Mr. and Mrs. Hilton W. Lott note, these family names are found in these same areas of Virginia at the same time making a very compelling argument that William and/or Mary Lott are probably part of our family.
Now the question - is the above William Lott, one of the above John Lotts, or some other Lott — our ancestor? As stated above, both William and John were bom in 1641 or earlier. If either this William Lott or John Lott was our ancestor, there could possibly have been another generation between them and what is generally accepted as our ancestor, John Lott, bom around 1700, as Mr. Hilton Lott suggests.
At this point, it is speculative as to which of the above, if any, is our direct ancestor. With more certainty of direct linage is a John Lott bom c. 1700, probably in or around New Kent County, VA. There is a John Lott, probably the one bom c. 1700, signing as a witness to the Will of Thomas Roberts in 1736 in Edgecombe Co., North Carolina. Then on November 13, 1739, we find John Lott c. 1700 filing for a 100 acre patent in the same county, adjoining James Turner. This grant was later voided, Grant #080. In 1740, John Lott receives his grant, later descried as on “Lott’s branch” located in Edgecombe Co. This branch begins near today’s Nash Co., NC line and flows into what is today Wilson Reservoir. In 1742 John Lott is listed as a “tax payer” in Edgecombe Co., NC.
Then on March 22, 1742, we have “John Lott” receiving a patent of 600 acres in Edgecombe Co., north of Tosneot Swamp (Patent Book 5, p. 144, Patent Book 4, p. 191). This property is now in present day Wilson Co., NC and this is where John Lott c. 1700 made his homestead and established “Lott’s Mill” which will be discussed later.
On November 24, 1744 “John Lott” patented “100 acres in Edgecombe Co., south of Tar River and above Green’s Path and against Turkey Creek” (Patent Book 5, p. 169, Patent Book 10, p. 17). Same day, he sold this property to Michael Dorman. Then on November 27, 1744, “John Lott” petitioned for 300 acres in Edgecombe Co., NC. The
3