Henry Lawther, believed to be son of John Lawter:
listed as coming to America in 1645; landed in Philadelphia.
(Perhaps port of Bristol. See below.)

I began research into Laughter/Lawter in 1996. I found information that the first arrival in America was John Laughter in Philadelphia in 1645. That was from The Laughter Family Genealogy, 1971, by Douglas Laughter of Houston, Texas.
Later information from other sources indicated that perhaps Henry (or Henre Lawther, Lother, or Lowther), son of John, may have been the first arrival and that Henry had a son also named John. I made several attempts to contact the new sources but could not.
Therefore, I have not been able to resolve whether Henry (or John) was the first arrival. If you have information please let me know. . . . Frank Laughter

There is slight evidence that Robert Lawter, or Robert or John Laughter, may have been the first arrival. We are still searching.
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NOTE: Philadelphia and surrounding area.

Mike Woods of San Francisco reports: "... there is the problem that apparently Philadelphia did not arrive [exist] until 1682, although:
several hundred Swedes and Finns, survivors of the short lived colony of New Sweden, were already there." ... The Oxford History of the American People, Vol. 1, page 182.

Excerpted from the City of Phildelphia Web site:
"The territory which now forms Montgomery County [Philadelphia], was the home of the Lenni Lenape Indians, a branch of the Delaware Tribe. About the time William Penn founded Pennsylvania in 1682, the first settlements were made by English and Welsh immigrants, who gave names of their native countryside to the townships and villages they helped found. . . .
In the 1600’s, the first Europeans made their way up the Delaware River to what would become the port of Bristol in Lower Bucks County."
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Notes for Henry Laughter:
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FROM: "THE LAUGHTER FAMILY GENEALOGY,"
BY DOUGLAS LAUGHTER OF HOUSTON, TEXAS

DEED BOOK 5 - PAGE 53 - EDGECOMBE CO., NC

Thomas Ellebee of South Carolina to Henry Later[sic] of Brunswick Co. Virginia, 20 March 1741/3, 9 pounds 10 shillings current money of Virginia, 100 Acres more or less on the North Side of Fishing Creek and lies below Ellebee's branch. Part of a grant to John Pratt 8 Mar. 1736.
Wit. John Bergeron, Edward Jones
Reg. Edgecombe Co., May Ct. 1742, R. Forstr, C.Ct.

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FROM: "WARREN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA RECORDS, VOLUME II SUPPLEMENT - ABSTRACTS OF BUTE COUNTY, NC: DEEDS REGISTERED IN WARREN COUNTY DEED BOOKS 1-7, 1766-1779,"
BY MARY HINTON KERR AND JESSE EUBANKS HARRIS.

page 56 Deed Book I - Page 27, 30 October 1765, Henry Larter[sic] to James Larter[sic], both of Bute Co. 4 Pds VA. money for 100 A. in Bute Co., on Hawtree Creek.
Wit. Hardige Walker, Benja. Ellis. --
Proved by Hardige Walker, Bute County Court 1766.
Ben McCulloch C.C., Reg. 23 October 1766, Willm. Johnson, P.R.
[Marginal notation:]   Deld. to Jas. Laughter Feb. 1771

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FROM: "WARREN COUNTY RECORDS, VOLUME I - ABSTRACTED RECORDS OF COLONIAL BUTE COUNTY, NC, AND BUTE COUNTY MARRIAGES"

page 29, article #177 - will of Henry Lawter, dated Oct. 9, 1770 son of John Lawter, land adjoining William Walker, where he now lives, wife Mary Lawter, land where I now live, adjoining John Lawter, for life and then to son William Lawter. At wife's death, estate to be divided between Benjamin Lawter, Chloe Lawter, Mary Lawter, Sarah Lawter, Elizabeth Lawter, after paying James Lawter 5 shillings [See Note # 1 for James³]. Remainder of land to Benjamin Lawter and William Lawter.
Exc. wife, Mary Lawter and son John Lawter.
wit. James Hardwick, Thos. Harman
page 30, article #187 - Inventory of est. of Henry Lawer[sic] recd August Court 1771 mentions a "few hatter tools."

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The original will of Henry Lawter (Laughter) is preserved in the original documents of Bute County, NC and is located at the Archives of the State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh, NC.

The Laughters settled in early Bute, later Granville/Warren County, NC and lived close to the Virginia border on Hawtree Creek. Henry's son, John Laughter was a hatter during the American Revolution and made hats for the Revolutionary Army as well as participated in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

James Laughter received a bequest of only five Shillings Silver [Note # 2] from his father's will because a legacy of land had been granted earlier [Note # 1].

NC Warren DB-4, page 242. 6 May 1773. "JAMES LAUGHTER, Hatter, to JOHN ELLIS, SR., Planter, both of Bute Co. 35 Pds. Va. money for 300 A. in Bute Co. where sd. ELLIS now lives, on Johnstons Branch & adj. DARNAL & LAUGHTER, on NS the Country Road, an EARL GRANVILLE grant 6 May 1773 (sic). Wit. JOHN ELMS, WILLIAM HAGOOD. Proved by WILLIAM HAGWOOD, Bute May Court 1774, BEN McCULLOCH, C.C. Reg. 29 April 1775, by JAS. JOHNSON, P.R."

Polk County, NC was formed in 1855 from parts of Rutherford and Henderson Counties.

See: Evolvement of North Carolina Counties