The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-01-28
ENFIELD FARM
Where the Culpepper Rebellion
Began
(By CATHERINE ALBERTSON.)

some TWO or tnTte mites Souln VI
Elizabeth City on the banks Of the
Pasquotank river, just where that
lovely stream suddenly broadens> out
into a wide and beautiful expanse, lies
the Ole plantation known in our coun-
~ from earliest days as Enfield Farm.
sometimes Winfield.
1t is hard to trace the original own
ers of the plantation, but the farm is
probably part of the original patent
granted in 1868 by Sir William
Berkeley, one Of the Lords Proprie-
tors, to MIR. Thomas Relfe, ION ac-
sount Of his bringing into the colony
fifteen persons and paying on st.
st. Michaels day. the 18th Of Sep
4ember. one shilling for every acre OF
land"
on this plantation, close to the river
shore. was erected about 1870, accord
ing TO our local tradition, the home
of the planter, two rooms Of which are
still standing and in good preServa-
ton. Possibly "Thotnas Relfe, Gentle
man." as he is styled in the colonial
records, was the builder Of this relic
Of bygone days, whose massive Drlck
walls and stout timbers have for SO
long deied the o~nslaughts Of ume
Many are the stories, legendary and
historical, that have gathered around
\ this ancient building. Anon the
most interesting of the latter is that
connected with the Culpepper ebel-
lion, an event as important In North
Carolina history as Bacon's rebellion
is in the history of Virginia.
The cause Of Culpepper's rebellion
dates back to the passing Of the navi-
cation act by Crom.JelPS Parliament.
when that vigorous ruler held sway IN
England and over the American colo
~;@, v~ls- a. lnfnc hrna6pnaH and
amend d, finally prohibited the colo
nists not only from importing goods
from Europe unless they were shipped
from England, but forbade the use
of any but English vessels in the carry
n ing trade: and finally declared that
inter-colonial trade should cease. and
that England alone should be the mar
sket for the buying and selling OF
goods on the part Of the Americans
Naturally the colonies objected 10
such a selfish restriction OF their
trade. and naturally there was much
smuggling carried on wherever anc
this avoidance of the navi
cation acts could be made in safety.
To some of the Thirteen Colonie!
we're these laws more injurious thar
to the infant settlement on the north
ern shores Of Albemarle sound IN Car
DINA. The sand bars along the coas
OreEeuleO the VI =" ~
port from whence trade could be car
ried on with the mother country. Tn.
large. English built vessels could nc
PASS through the shallow inlets tina
connect the Atlantic with the Carolln;
inland waterways. TO have strictl
obeyed the laws passed by the British
Parliament would haye been the dealt
blow to the and to tn
prosperity Of the AlbemaTle settle
ment. SO, for about fifteen years afte
George Durant bought his tract Q
land on Durant's Neck from Kilco
kanen. the great chief OF the Yeoplms
the planters in AlbemaFle had pal
but little attention to the trade law.
Th ProprietOrs appointed no custom
collectors in the little colony. and ha
not considered it worth their while
interfere with the trade which tn
shrewd New Englanders had built II
in Carolina.
E~nterprisine Yankee s~hipbuilder1
realizing their opportunity. construct
ell staunch little vessels which coul
weather the seas, sail over to EurOp'
load up with goods necessary to tn
p}anter, return and glide dow tn
:roast till they found an opening be
Tween the dreaded bars. then, slippin
from sound to sound, carry to til
planters in the Albemarle region til
rgO Tor Whlcn tney were Wdltlnl
Another law requiring payment {
an export tax on tobacco. then til
principal crop Of the Aibemarle SCI
tions. as it was of Virginia, was evade
for many years by the settlers in tn
region. Governors Drummond an
Stevens, and John jenkins, presidel
of the council, must have known
this disregard Of the laws, both on tt
part Of the Yankee shippers and tt
HAlbemarle planters. But realiZiT
that too strict an adherence to EN-
lands trade laws would mean ruin
the colOnists, these officers were col
v%eniently blind to the illegal proceed
inSs Of their people.
But after the organization of IL
board Of trade in London, Of whit
four Of the ProprietOrs were member
the rulers Of Carolina determined
enforce the laws more strictly amor
their subjects in far-away CarOlin
49, NJ - - ~