class="smcap">"Westward-Ho" Twenty-Six New Counties, 1750-1770

The unceasing westward trek of settlers continued. In 1750-60, eight counties were formed, between 1760-1770, eighteen new divisions occurred, which evidences the great growth of population.

Albemarle was the next county to be divided. In 1761, it was enacted that the portion "of the said county which lies on the south side of the Fluvanna river" [old name for the James River above Richmond] "shall be one distinct county and called and known by the name of Buckingham." By the same legislation, "that other part of the said county which lies on the north side of the Fluvanna river shall be divided from the confluence of Rockfish river with the Fluvanna by Rockfish river to the mouth of Green creek and thence a straight line to the house of Thomas Bell to the Blue mountains, and all that part which lies above Rockfish river and the lines aforesaid" shall be called Amherst County. Amherst Parish at the same time was formed from Saint Anne's Parish and made coterminous with the county of Amherst. Several years earlier, Tillotson Parish had been formed from Saint Anne's to take care of the residents of Amherst who lived on the south side of James River. It was now made coterminous with the county of Buckingham.

The name Buckingham is probably for the Duke of Buckingham. Amherst derives its name from "the hero of Ticonderoga, Major-General Sir Jeffrey Amherst, the most successful as well as the most popular of all the English Colonial Governors-General." He was titular Governor-General of Virginia 1759-1768 while Francis Fauquier performed the duties of the office.

Four years passed, and two more divisions were made in the western portion of Lunenburg. The part of Lunenburg comprised in the parish of Cornwall became Charlotte County and the portion in the parish of St. James became Mecklenburg.

These counties were named, as is the city of Charlottesville, after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who became Queen of England on her marriage to King George III.

We next find in 1767 that Halifax has grown to the point of division and a new county, Pittsylvania, has been taken from its western portion. Pittsylvania lay on the upper or western side "of a line to be run across the mouth of Strait Stone creek on Staunton river to the country line, near the mouth of the country line creek on Dan river." At the same time, Antrim, which was the parish for Halifax, was divided and the part lying in Pittsylvania became Camden. Pittsylvania honored "Sir William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, the celebrated English statesman" whose sympathy with them had endeared him to the colonists. A statue of him in Westmoreland county, Virginia and another in Charleston, South Carolina are further expressions of the affection felt for him.

Botetourt, 1770 Honors a Popular Colonial Governor

The next county was, in the main, a rearrangement of already settled territory bearing always in mind that easy access to justice was the purpose of every division. The new county, Botetourt, was formed from Augusta in 1770 and lay on the south side of a dividing "line beginning at the Blue Ridge, running north fifty-five degrees west, to the confluence of Mary's creek, or the south river, with the north branch of James River, thence up the same to the mouth of Carr's creek, thence up the said creek to the mountain, thence north, fifty-five degrees west as far as the courts of the two counties shall extend it." The phrase to note in the above is: "as far as the courts of the two counties shall extend it," in other words, there was no limit to the western boundary. The name Botetourt was for Norborne Berkeley, Lord de Botetourt, Governor of Virginia 1768-1770. He died in Williamsburg in October 1770, lamented and beloved for his interest in the colony and the College of William and Mary. The House of Burgesses voted a sum of money to have a statue of him made in London to stand in the old Capitol building. The statue still exists, one of the most treasured possessions of the College of William and Mary, and adorns its campus.

Frederick Subdivided

Two years later, the county of Frederick had a division on both its eastern and northern ends. It was enacted by the Assembly that the territory of Frederick be divided into three distinct counties: "on the north by a line beginning in the line that divides the counties of Frederick and Loudoun one mile and an half northward of the corner in Williams' gap that at present divides the parishes of Frederick and Norborne thence westward with a line exactly parallel to the line that now divides the said parishes of Frederick and Norborne till it intersects the line of Hampshire county; thence with the Hampshire line to the corner dividing the parishes of Frederick and Beckford; thence with the lines dividing the said parishes of Frederick and Beckford east southeast to the south eastwardly bank of Cedar creek, thence binding on the same to its confluence with the river Shenandoah; thence across the said river east to the easterly bank of the same; thence down the said river and binding on the same to the mouth of Passage creek; and thence with a right line to the line of Culpeper, at the intersection of the road leading through Chester's gap; thence with the Culpeper, Fauquier, and Loudoun lines to the beginning." This area, so described, was to remain Frederick County. "All that part of the county which lies between the first mentioned line running from the said beginning in the line of Loudoun county and Potomac river shall be ... known by the name of Berkeley county." The remainder of what had been Frederick now became Dunmore County. There had been three parishes in Frederick; of these Frederick remained in the county, while Norborne appropriately became the parish for Berkeley and Beckford for Dunmore.

Berkeley County named for Norborne Berkeley, Lord de Botetourt, later became a part of West Virginia. It was further evidence of this governor's popularity, Botetourt County having previously been named for him.

Dunmore Renamed Shenandoah

Dunmore honored the new Governor, John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, who succeeded Lord Botetourt. His popularity was short lived, and his tyrannical acts, when he attempted to keep the colony loyal to the crown, so enraged the people that he was forced to take refuge with his family on a British warship. In 1777, still smarting over his behavior, the Assembly changed the name of the county to Shenandoah for the beautiful river that flows through it; the change to take effect February 1, 1778.

Fincastle Reaches to the Ohio River

In 1772, the county of Fincastle was formed from the western portion of Botetourt. It is an evidence of rapidly growing settlements when for the first time mention is made of "inhabitants and settlers on the waters of Holston and New rivers." The territory of Fincastle was "within a line to run up the east side of New river to the mouth of Culberson's creek, thence a direct line to the Catawba road where it crosses the dividing ridge between the north fork of Roanoke and the waters of New river, thence with the top of the ridge to the bent where it turns eastwardly, thence a south course crossing Little river to the top of the Blue Ridge of mountains." The reason for the name Fincastle seems uncertain; one version has it as being for George, Lord Fincastle, Lord Dunmore's son, and the other that it was for the town of Fincastle established in 1772 and so named for Lord Botetourt's home in England.

Virginia Counties Extended to the Ohio River and Include Kentucky