James Huey was a London merchant. In 1736, he and another merchant, Murray Crymble, petitioned the Crown for 1.2 million acres of land in provincial North Carolina with the stated goal of settling six thousand Swiss along the Pee Dee, Cape Fear, and Neuse Rivers. Following the granting of the petition, Huey and Crymble declared their petition had been made in trust on behalf of Henry McCulloh, tying up the land grants in litigation.