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Ocracoke History A Brief History of Ocracoke The European history of the island begins on November 11, 1719 when John Lovick, Secretary of the Colony of North Carolina and a Deputy of the Lords Proprietors, was granted the island of Ocracoke, containing 2,110 acres. During the early eighteenth century Ocracoke was used chiefly for raising cattle and sheep. Because larger vessels were unable to navigate the shallow Pamlico Sound, Ocracoke Island soon became a settlement for pilots who transported sought-after goods to ports on the North Carolina mainland. Pirates have long been a part of our colorful island history. Buccaneers continued to use the island as a temporary campsite even after the infamous pirate Blackbeard was killed here in a naval battle on November 22, 1718. On July 30, 1759 William Howard, of the Province of North Carolina, bought Ocracoke Island for £105. He was the first owner to make his home on the island, and may be the same William Howard who served as quartermaster to Blackbeard the pirate earlier in that century. Many of his descendants continue to live on the island to this day. Over the next two hundred years Ocracoke prospered and grew. Located near the southern end of the island, and nestled around one of the most beautiful natural harbors in the new country, Ocracoke village attracted sailors, pilots, and commercial fishermen. Eventually, as sturdier homes were built and more families were raised on this isolated ribbon of sand, stores, churches, and a school were established. Today the year-round population numbers about 750. copyright, Philip Howard, 2002 Ocracoke Island |
