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When the first of this family came to America, in what geographical area they may have settled, or when they came to North Carolina is not known. It is natural that Autry 's went first to England from France during the Norman Conquest in 1066. Some drifted to Ireland giving present day members Irish ancestry Some family members say that the first North Carolina Autry fled Ireland and came to America because, in a fit of anger, he fought with and may have killed the owner of the wagon factory in which he was employed. There is no proof of this story. The strong family tradition that five Autry brothers came to America about 1750 and settled in North Carolina is supported by the evidence in the United States Census of 1790. It would appear, however, from ages, land grants and land transactions, that they were the sons rather than the brothers of Cornelius Autry who first appeared in North Carolina in 1756, and they may have been born before Cornelius settled on Autry s Creek in Edgecombe County, N.C.

Early home of the Autry Family in America -- Early deeds, marriage records and other papers show that the Autry Family settled in Edgecombe, Pin, Duplin, Sampson, Beaufort and other counties of North Carolina between 1740 and 1770. Cornelius Autry was perhaps the earliest Autry to settle in Edgecombe and Sampson Counties. Letters from Autry 's in many states all give North Carolina as the home of their forefathers in the United States. The County Records of Wilkes County, Georgia, show that Absalom, John, Jacob, and Alexander Autry , the earliest Autry 's in Georgia, came from North Carolina Micajab Autry who was killed in the Alamo in Texas, was a son of Theopholus Autry , in North Carolina. The evidence in favor of North Carolina as the original home of the Autry family is overwhelming - all Autry 's contacted, regardless of how their names were spelled, claimed North Carolina as their ancestral home in America, and early deeds and other records hear out this conclusion,⁴

(Theopholus was the son of Cornelius II, son of Cornelius, Immigrant. This Cornelius should not be confused with Cornelius, son of Absalom, the Tory Officer) V. Mayo Bundy)

Before we assign all Autry 's in America to Cornelius, Immigrant, we need to look at the earlier record in North Carolina Records of Alex Autray. Could it be that he is our immigrant since he was here 16 years before Cornelius? Could Cornelius be his son and/or brother?

At a council held at the 5th of June, 1740, Present His Excellency the Governor and the Honorable North Rice, Robt. Halton, Math Brown, Roger Moore, Eleazx Allen, Alex Autray was granted 110 acres in l3eaufort County, Colonial Records of North Carolina, Vol. 4, p. 454)

Since an Alex Autray received land sixteen years before a known record of Cornelius Autry receiving land in 1756, it would appear that Alex Autray; not Cornelius may have been our progenitor if he had children. The Cornelius Autry who received land in 1756 may have been his son This recent information is in conflict with the generally accepted and published theory that all Autry 's are descendants of Cornelius Autry of E4greombe County. Alex Autray had to have been born no later than 1719 to have been 21 by 1740 when he received 110 acres in Beaufort Co., the age required to receive land grants.

There were no Autry 's in Beaufort Co. listed in the 1790 census, but there was a James Ottery ( Autry ) with a wife and a son under 16 listed in the 1790 census for Beaufort Co. who may have been Alexander's son.