Early Plantation Grants
An excerpt from the book, The Beginning and Development of Holden Beach 1756-2000, by John F. Holden.

After some early settlers were located by the Cape Fear River, others came seeking lands along the Lockwood's Folly River and westward. Here newcomers were applying for land patents and planning to purchase preferred acreage. Following the Royal Governor's warrant for survey of a tract, the applicant was notified to pay for the land within eighteen months. Upon his payment of fifty shillings for each hundred acres, the warrantee could then receive a permanent grant from the Royal Governor (Arthur Dobbs 1754-1765; William Tryon 1765-1771).

At this "going rate," Benjamin Holden in 1756 bought four tracts of land for his mainland plantation. Also, he paid for and was granted by Governor Dobbs the island between his plantation and the ocean. By this purchase he acquired the 100-acre island extending from Lockwood's Folly Inlet to Bacon Inlet for fifty shillings.

In Benjamin Holden's will of February 19, 1778, he bequeathed the eastern half of "my beach" to his son Amos, and the western half to his son James. By later transactions the whole island became the property of another son, Job, from whom it passed to his son John and later to grandson John, Junior. The lattermost owner made the initial efforts toward developing a resort.