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County Boundaries of the Northern Neck &
Fredericksburg Area
By Trip Wiggins
To find the original records of your
ancestors requires you to know what county they were living in. It also
requires you to understand how county boundaries have changed over the
years. There is a standard reference work “Map Guide to the U.S. Federal
Censuses, 1790-1920” by William Thorndale and William Dollarhide. It
graphically shows how the county boundaries changed with each U.S. Census
beginning in 1790. It is a WONDERFUL reference work and answers most
questions in most states; however, in Virginia it is quite inadequate.
Why? By the first census in 1790 most of our modern boundaries were already
established, but it had taken over 180 years for them to stabilize! Here,
we’ll look at the formation and subsequent changes that occurred in the
Northern and Middle peninsulas of colonial Virginia, essentially covering
the current counties of: Northumberland, Westmoreland, Lancaster, Richmond,
King George, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Orange, Caroline, King
William, King & Queen and Essex counties. It’s a lot of territory to cover,
so let’s get started.
We are indebted to two sources covering
these changes. The first was an article that first appeared in the
“Bulletin of the Virginia State Library” in 1916 by Morgan Robinson
(subsequently published in book form as “Virginia’s Counties: Those
Resulting from Virginia Legislation”). While an excellent source for
original documentation, it left a lot to the imagination as to the map
depictions of the boundaries. He gives the Burgess/Assembly legislation
articles/dates. Essentially you need to track down the original legislation
in the House of Burgesses and House of Delegates legislation minutes (Hening’s
Statutes), get copies of old maps, with a guide to place names and start
figuring out how the old names translate to modern names. A bit tedious.
Our second source is by Merrill Mosher who wrote an article for the Virginia
Genealogist in 1993 entitled, “Corrections to Published Maps of County
Boundaries of the Northern Neck.” He did all of that detective work for the
Northern Neck. In this article I shall discuss his findings and continue
with the counties on the Middle Peninsula that he did not address.
We begin our journey with the founding of
Virginia in 1607 by the Virginia Company. When the Susan Constant,
Godspeed and Discovery dropped anchor at Jamestown they
established the colony of Virginia. No political boundaries were set.
Survival was the task at hand. Then came “making a profit” for the
company. Local government would come later. By 1617 the only
“subdivisions” were the “four great Incorporations and parishes of James
Citty, Charles Citty, the citty of Henricus and Kiccowtan.” In 1619 the
last was renamed Elizabeth City – renamed in honor “of his Majesties Most
vertuous and renowned Daughter.”
Also in 1619 the House of Burgess was
established. The members of that house were to represent the four cities
and surrounding plantations – all on the York and James rivers.
Our next change occurs in 1623-25. In 1623
the charter for the Virginia Company was dissolved by the crown who formally
took over control of the colony in 1625. (The company was doing a very poor
job so the Crown stepped in to start running things. After all, the Crown
expected PROFITS from the Virginia company.) Even then the urgency of the
Crown was to stem the high death rate and not start formal record keeping
for future genealogists. (From 1607 to 1625 there were over 7200 immigrants,
6000 of which DIED!)
In 1634 the colony was divided into 8 shires
(later renamed counties). Each Shire had a Sheriff (ergo the name). They
were:
-
Accawmack (the eastern shore)
-
Charles City (on the James river west of James City)
-
Charles River (on the York river)
-
Elizabeth City (Hampton Roads area)
-
Henrico (from Charles City “indefinitely westward”)
-
James City (on the James river in the Jamestown/Williamsburg area)
-
Warrosquyoake (Isle of Wight area; now extinct)
-
Warwick River (on James river southeast of Jamestown; now extinct)
For
our purposes, we are concerned with the “Charles River” portion of the above
shires. That was renamed in 1656 to “York.” As people starting migrating
into today’s Northern Neck and the land between the York and Rappahannock
rivers - local governments were set up in rapid order. Northumberland was
formed in 1648 covering the neck of land between the “Rappahannock and
Potomack” rivers. There was no western boundary established – essentially
all of the Northern Neck and today’s northern Virginia! (This western
“boundary” will continue for over a century for most county legislation.)
The land between the James and Rappahannock continued as York county.
(1648 map)
By 1651 people
were on the move to this new frontier and county boundaries changed to
accommodate the increasing population. In 1651 Gloucester county was formed
from York as that land between the York river to the south and the
Piankatank river to the north. Lancaster county was “born” that same year
covering the land north of the Piankatank up to the “ridge” on the Northern
Neck. What this means is that the portion of the Northern Neck that drains
(it’s watershed) into the “Potomack” would remain Northumberland county
while that portion that drained into the Rappahannock would become part of
Lancaster county. This “watershed” issue would continue for the next 125
years in the establishment of all future counties on the Northern Neck and
the Middle Peninsula. Again, western boundaries were not defined.
So, now the
Northern Neck has 2 counties – Northumberland and Lancaster, and the Middle
Peninsula has 2 counties – Lancaster and Gloucester. (1652 map)
The Potomac and Rappahannock rivers were rapidly becoming the “super
highways” of colonial northern Virginia and more and more people were moving
west up these rivers to get their piece of land on which to make their
fortunes. County government (along with ecclesiastical parishes) followed
rapidly. In 1653, Westmoreland was cut out of Northumberland, again
following the neck’s ridgeline and covering the land draining into the
Potomac north and west of the “Machoactoke river where Mr. Cole lives; and
so upwards to the falls of the great river Pawtomake…” Machoactoke is
today’s lower Machodoc Creek at Cole’s Point in Westmoreland county;
Pawtomake is now spelled Potomac. (In 1664 the boundary was shifted a few
miles east to the current boundary along Yeocomico river.)
In 1656 a
western boundary was set for Lancaster county with the establishment of
Rappahannock county. This county, not to be confused with the modern county
of the same name, extended westward up both sides of the Rappahannock river
above Lancaster county. The Northern Neck border was set at the
“easternmost branch of Moratticock creeke.” (Today’s Lancaster creek.) The
Middle Peninsula boundary was the Dragon Swamp – the headwaters of the
Piankatank river (not a well-defined boundary).
1664 brings us
Stafford county carved out of the west end of Westmoreland county –
following the familiar drainage pattern into the Potomac up to Great Falls.
Its eastern boundary is not found in any Virginia statute but presumed to be
the Upper Machodoc Creek at Dahlgren.
Middlesex county
is added in 1673. It encompasses the southern half of Lancaster county
(that part south of the Rappahannock river). (1673 map)
 Things
actually remain stable for the next 20 years! The next round of counties
come in 1691/92 with the establishment of Richmond, Essex, King & Queen
counties and the disestablishment of Rappahannock county.
Rappahannock is
cut into two counties. That part on the northern side of the Rappahannock
river becomes Richmond county; that on the south side becomes Essex (the
Middle Peninsula watershed into the Rappahannock). Meanwhile, south of our
area, in 1691 King & Queen is created from the northern half of New Kent
county – covering that land north of the Pamunkey river up to the Dragon
Swamp in the Middle Peninsula. (1692 map)
In 1701 King &
Queen is divided in half – that part north of the Mattaponi REMAINED King &
Queen (the watershed into the Mattaponi); that part between the Mattaponi
and the Pamunkey is designated King William county (the watershed into the
modern North Anna). (1702 map)
People continue
to move north and west. It is in the early 18th century when
people really start migrating to the area now known as Fredericksburg. The
1720s see the creation of King George, Spotsylvania, Caroline and Hanover
counties.
Hanover is
created from New Kent county and encompasses the area between the North Anna
and South Anna rivers. Spotsylvania, named for and by the sitting governor,
Spotswood, is created from the heads of three counties – Essex, King & Queen
and King William and covers the land between the North Anna river and the
Rappahannock. Its eastern boundary is established on a line from “Snow
Creek [on the Rappahannock] up to the mill, thence by a southwest line to
the river North Anna.” This border remains today. (In 1974 a survey was
done by Spotsy and Caroline counties and a pile of stones was found at the
site of the old mill, just north of U.S. Hwy 17!) Of course the western
border was not defined, so I suppose California was cut out of old
Spotsylvania county! King George is created from the west end of Richmond
county on the Northern Neck. The boundary is established at “Charles Bever
Dams” – today known as Brockenbrough Creek – the current western boundary of
Richmond county.
As was the
custom of the time, the new counties were carved out of their parent
counties mainly because the parishes were becoming too large for
parishioners to attend church regularly. (If you missed 4 consecutive
Sundays in church – you went to see the county judge!)
In 1728 it was
still inconvenient for the people in the western ends of Essex, King
William, and King & Queen counties to get to church and to “court houses and
other places usually appointed for public meetings” so they were again
truncated to form Caroline county. Its western border was set at the
Spotsylvania border; its eastern border was set on a line parallel to the
Spotsylvania border “from the mouth of Portobago Creek on Rappahannock River
to Morocosick Creek thence down the said creek to Mattapony river thence up
the said river t o
Boot Swamp and up the said swamp to the fork thereof and thence southwest to
Pamunkey river.” The southern boundary was the Pamunkey and South Anna
rivers; its northern boundary was the Rappahannock river. The northern,
western, and southern boundaries remain today.
The eastern boundary was modified slightly twice: in 1742 and again in 1762.
(1729 map)
1728 also saw
the establishment of the towns of Fredericksburg and Falmouth although
neither would have much of a population for several more decades.
Jump we now to
1734. The colony’s river banks are filled with plantations of the rich or
semi-rich landed gentry. They have a constant need for new land as tobacco
farming depletes the soil rapidly. It also means that new yeoman farmers to
the area have no river land to purchase for a homestead. Both groups now
look at the Piedmont – the land between the river valleys and the Blue Ridge
mountains: the West. In 1731 Spotsylvania was divided into two church
parishes: “from the mouth of Rapidan to the mouth of Wilderness Run; thence
up the said run to the bridge; and thence southwest to Pamunkey River; the
part below the said bounds to be known as St. George Parish, and all the
other part above the said bounds to be known as St. Mark.” (The “bridge” is
today’s bridge for state route 3 over the Wilderness Run. Pamunkey River,
actually the northwest branch of the river, is now known as the North Anna
River.) The eastern half was to remain St. George’s parish and Spotsylvania
county. The western half would be designated St. Mark’s parish and in 1734
be called Orange county encompassing “all that territory of land, adjoining
to and above the said line [parish boundary], bounden southerly, by the line
of Hanover county, northerly by the grant of Lord Fairfax [the Rappahannock
river], and westerly by the utmost limits of Virginia.” Essentially it is
today’s boundary, running parallel to Spotsy’s eastern boundary and
intercepting the Rapidan river at the mouth of Wilderness Run, then down to
Rapidan to the Rappahannock and up the Rappahannock.
(1748 map)
In 1749 Orange
was subdivided into two counties. That area south of the Rapidan (then
known as the Conway river) would remain Orange; that land north/west of the
Rapidan would be named Culpeper county.
In October, 1776
Stafford and King George had an adjustment of their border. Remember, at
this time the counties along the Northern Neck had been using the ridge down
the middle of the neck (watershed) as their dividing line. In 1776 they
started thinking “outside the box” and chose instead to make the split along
a north-south line! Again, it was changed because “…the present situation
of the counties of Stafford and King George is found to be very inconvenient
to the inhabitants.” People in the Dahlgren area were forced to attend
church in Aquia and people in the Hartwood area had to attend church in King
George! The boundary was set: “Beginning at the mouth of Muddy Creek, on
the river Rappahannock, and running up the said creek, and the northwest
branch thereof, to a small red oak, maple and persimmon trees, at or near
the head of the said branch, and between the plantations of Thomas and James
Jones, thence north seventy one degrees east twenty five poles to a spring,
said the be the head spring of Whipsewaughson creek, thence down the said
creek to Potowmack creek, thence down Potowmack creek to Potowmack river…”
Whipsewaughson creek has been renamed to Black Swamp Branch, but it joins
Potomac creek at Whipsawasons point. Other than the name changes the border
remains intact.
Similarly in
1777 Westmoreland and King George adjusted their borders to a north-south
line. The new border began on the Potomac at the mouth of Rosier’s creek,
up the creek (south) to Washington’s mill, then due south to Bristol Mine
run and ending up on the Rappahannock river. This is the current border.
It turns due south where Rosier’s creek passes under county route 205 and
continues until just a few hundred feet south of state route 3 where the
line joins Bristol Mine run. That part of King George county east of this
line to the Richmond county border at Brockenbrough Creek became part of
Westmoreland county. (1777 map)
So by 1777 the
boundaries of the area east of Culpeper court house were pretty much as they
are today. But, consider an example. Suppose you are researching a family
who were physically located at Chatham, located just a stone’s throw across
the Rappahannock river from Fredericksburg. What county was it located in?
Well:
Before 1656 it
was part of Charles River
In 1648 it
became Northumberland county
In 1653 it
became Westmoreland county
In 1664 it
became Stafford county
In 1720 it
became King George county; and finally
In 1776 it
returned to Stafford county.
Five county
changes BEFORE the first census was taken!
So, before you
traipse down to the county court house in search of those primary documents,
take a bit of time to make sure you are going to the correct court house!
Good hunting!
Sources:
William W. Hening, Statutes at Large in
Virginia, 13 vols., Second Edition, New York, 1823
James R. Mansfield, A History of Early
Spotsylvania, 1977
Mary R. Miller, Place-Names of the
Northern Neck of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia State Library, 1983
Merrill H. Morgan, Corrections to
Published maps of County Boundaries of the Northern Neck, Virginia
Genealogist, Fall 1993
Morgan P. Robinson, Virginia Counties:
Those Resulting from Virginia Legislation (reprint; Baltimore,
Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992)
William Thorndale & William Dollarhide,
Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920, Baltimore,
Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987 |
