It is very likely that Thomas Jr. and his younger brother, John Sr., traveled from the Westmoreland County homeplace to the Toisnot Swamp area of what is now near Elm City, Wilson County, NC in the 1740s. This was much cheaper land and much of it could be granted by the State.

On 6-Aug-1751, Thomas Jr. witnessed a transfer of 300 acres of land from Thomas Horn to John Dew in Edgecombe County, NC.

On 1-May-1754, Thomas Jr. bought 400 acres of land from John Lott of Duplin County, NC for 17 pounds Virginia money.

On 18-Feb-1758, Thomas Jr. bought 200 acres of land from William Boyette for 18 pounds Virginia money.

On 20-Nov-1761, Thomas Jr. received two land grants in Edgecombe County. One grant was for 528 acres and the other was for 662 acres.

On 9-Oct-1775, Thomas Jr. bought 472 acres of land on Poplar Branch in Edgecombe County from Mills Barfield for 70 pounds procurement money.

Thomas Jr. left a will dated 4-Dec-1775 which was proved in the Superior Court of Edgecombe in the January session of 1776. In the estate records which followed his death, his wife Sarah "was lent" most of his properties. His son William was to have inherited all of this Sarah’s death; however, he died in 1781; before her death in 1809. In her book, Gladys Wrenn believes that Sarah was a younger, second wife of Thomas Jr. and not William’s mother. After Sarah’s death, the estates of Thomas Jr. and his son William were settled together and the properties were divided equally between Thomas’s daughters and Mary Battle, William’s widow.