Tales of Knotts Island
Tales of Knotts Island and History of Currituck County*
(unpublished manuscripts written by Henry Beasley Ansell)
Typed manuscript provided by CURRITUCK HISTORICAL SOCIETY
*A transcript of a handwritten manuscript. Consult the original manuscript for clarification. Not for commercial use.
KNOTTS ISLAND - PREFATORY NOTES
Synopsis - A general view of the history of Knotts Island in past days in its olden times. Before you commence reading the history of this Island go to pages 78 and 80 of this book and you can understand the arrangement of this book. Be sure and do so.
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
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