In researching Records in what was called the "Up-country" of the Carolinas, one must under stand the geographical boundaries and what years they changed. In 1683 the province of present day South Carolina, consisted of four counties:

Berkeley, (From Indian Lands, discont'd 1797
Carteret, (From Indian Lands, renamed Granville 1700
Colletion, (From Indian Lands, discont'd 1897
Craven, (From Indian Lands, discont'd 1785
By virtue of the treaty of Royal Gov. GLENN and the Cherokee Indians in 1755, the greater portion of what was called "Up-country" [West half of the State] South Carolina was ceded to the "whites." In 1769, the four counties in this area were divided into seven "Judicial Districts" and the original territory of present-day Spartanburg County became a part of the old District of Ninety-six. In 1785 the county of Spartanburg was officially organized. In 1788 South Carolina entered the Union as the eight state. Later in 1897 the Northeast part of Spartanburg County was used in part to form Cherokee County.

Summery of dates and research area.
1683 to 1754 look in Craven District Carolina Colony
1755 to 1767 look in Cherokee Indian Lands, Colony
1768 to 1779 look in old Tryon Co., NC.
1769 to 1784 look in old Ninety-six Dist. SC.
1785 to 1896 look in Spartanburg Co., SC.
1790 Census look in Ninety-six Dist. SC. Reel 11, Pg. 18-44
1897 today look in Cherokee Co., SC.

TRYON County, NC. 1768 to 1779

To compound the problem of researching early Spartanburg Co. A lot of records were "Recorded" in North Carolina. After the "French & Indian War" ended in 1763, the second attempt was made to draw the (North & South) boundary, of the Carolinas. This time the surveyors began at 34 degrees 49 minutes North and were to draw the lines so that the Catawba Indian Reservation would be entirely in "South Carolina." The surveyors were too far south and stopped at a spot which is now at the right angle separating Lancaster Co., SC. and Union Co., NC.

In 1772 they tried again. Using the old "Sailsbury to Camden road the survey party headed North and crossed "Sugar Creek" at the Northern corner of the "Catawba Indian Reservation." General William MOULTRIE, who headed the South Carolina surveyors. At latitude 35 degree 8 minutes, Gen. Wm. MOULTRIE reported that the survey teams representing the two colonies set their compasses together and began their "westward" course. When the survey was completed and accepted in London, South Carolina had "gained" the 11 miles West of the Catawba River that it lost in 1763 on the East side of the Catawba River. Henceforth, the Northern part of Spartanburg and York Co., would be called the "New Acquisition."

In 1768 Tryon Co., NC was created from the western part of the larger Mecklenburg Co., NC. and extended westward as far as the state existed in 1768. (to the Mississippi River, including present day Tennessee.) not only did TRYON consisted of part of Burk, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, part of McDowell Polk, Rutherford, all of North Carolina. but all so part of Spartanburg, and small parts of Chester, Greenville, Laurens, and York Counties all of South Carolina.

The boundary line between North and South Carolina had not been established at that time, so quite a number of land titles were registered in Tryon Co., NC. which proved to be, when the boundary line was surveyed westward to the Indian line in 1772 to be in South Carolina.

When Tryon Co., NC. was dissolved, in 1779, it was divided into Lincoln and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina -- Lincoln being in the eastern portion, from the Catawba River to a line with-in the present day Cleveland Co., NC.

Rutherford Co., NC. was created from the western portion of Tryon Co., NC., from a line of Lincoln Co. westward to the limits of the state, which extended westward even to the Mississippi River in the years of the Revolutionary War and after.

Burke Co., was created in 1777 from the western part of Rowan Co., and the southern boarder was the old Granville Tract line, which was a straight westerly line parallel to the Virginia state line.

Parts of Burke and Rutherford west of the mountains, were taken to create Buncombe County in 1791. This being the first time a western line had been set to the counties, as they were created in the westward movements. When the state of Tennessee was established in 1796, this western line of Buncombe County became the eastern boundary of that state.

Small parts of Rutherford and Burke were taken to form McDowell in 1842, also part of Lincoln and Rutherford to form Cleveland Co., in 1848.

Polk County was formed in 1855 from the "Polk District" of Rutherford Co., and a very small strip of mountain side which had been added to Henderson Co. only a few years earlier, making the western line of Polk Co., be along the old Buncombe Co., line set in 1792.

One of my "Branch" member of Spartanburg Co.

In of my forefathers lived on the same property, but it was found in four different jurisdiction. In March 1771, land was Surveyed for 250 acres for father Samuel, SARRATT/SURRATT, age 63 and 200 acres for his son Samuel, SARRATT, Jr., age 29 and on 14 Nov. 1771, they, both received Land Patent No. 3195, Grant No. 410 and Patent No. 3187, Grant No. 63 from the Colonial North Carolina Government, when JOSIAH MARTIN was Governor. This was land identified as on the "West side of the Broad River", of Tryon Co., North Carolina. Both Samuel'S probably had entered prior to the 1771 Survey, because it was customary for persons to improve land by erecting some kind of a dwelling to live on prior to filing their Grant. When this survey and Grant was issued 1771, this land was then in the jurisdiction of the Colony North Carolina. In the boundary dispute between the two Carolina Colonies in 1772, which was called the "New Acquisition" and residents of this area were forced to re-register their property with the Colony South Carolina. This property was then located in the Nintey-Six District of South Carolina (formed 1769) Then in 1785, it became part of the Spartanburg Co, South Carolina. Later when Cherokee Co. was formed in 1897 from Spartanburg, Co.
Paul R. Sarrett