William Heritage (sometimes spelled "Herritage") born about 1700 in Devon, England was a lawyer in New Bern, NC. He donated the land that in now Kinston, NC. His son-in-law, Richard Caswell (b.1729-d.1789) was the first Governor of the free state of North Carolina. Caswell's son-in-law, William White (b.1762-d.1811) lived in Dobbs, county and moved to Raleigh, Wake county in about 1798 when he became the 2d secretary of state of NC. Also the 1790 USA census, and the 1790 North Carolina census contain listings for Dobbs, County. Other surnames are: Cobb, Croom, Taylor, Bryan