Preserving North Carolina’s Proprietary Heritage

Our History

The Order of First Families of North Carolina™ was founded in 1992 to honor and connect descendants of the earliest European settlers of proprietary North Carolina. Our society recognizes individuals who can prove direct lineal descent from a person who resided in the Province of Carolina—in the area that later became North Carolina—on or before July 12, 1729.

This date marks a pivotal moment in North Carolina history: the transition from a proprietary colony, governed by the Lords Proprietors, to a royal colony under the direct control of the British Crown. The settlers who arrived before this date were true pioneers—the men and women who carved communities from the New World, established the first institutions, and built the foundation of the state we know today.