USA > South Carolina > Williamsburg County > History of Williamsburg; something about the people of Williamsburg County, South Carolina, from the first settlement by Europeans about 1705 until 1923. > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46
الشا
sTYuy:
ம ல்டி ரிஸ்க்ரீம்
MYYS
دانديالى
36 P
٠ ١٩٦٩٧٥
கிவச்சுஹி சியம்
படக்டன் தங்கள் முடம் முமி-ஸ்ளவர்களை
PATESI PUT/TS
தமிழில்விதிர்டு & டிங்க்லி, மார்க்
--------- -
----...
٠٠
மதர் அல்லதுமலை
மக்களை
கணவன் -
நீக்க
ஆக்ஸ்
D
ء
جيوب
ஹரிசர் அனு சத்துயன்-
. ஆங்கு கள்
-
1
:
அத்தான செல வல்லவர் மார்ச்
மஞ்சள்தே # 17
g. PHt.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library
https://archive.org/details/historyofwilliam00bodd
HISTORY
LIBRARY OF PRINCETER FEB 16 1924 THEGLO
ICA E
OF
WILLIAMSBURG
Something About the People of Williamsburg County, South Carolina, from the First Settle- ment by Europeans About 1705 until 1923.
BY WILLIAM WILLIS BODDIE
COLUMBIA, S. C. THE STATE COMPANY 1923
COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY WILLIAM WILLIS BODDIE
INTRODUCTION
Preparing what I have called the History of Williams- burg has given me great pleasure. It was designed to give statements of fact to one who cares simply for such, as well as to lure the student who wants to learn something of Williamsburg's place in the world. Prac- tically everything herein contained is based on ancient documents or official records.
I am very grateful to Mr. A. S. Salley, Jr., Secretary of the Historical Commission of South Carolina, for his sympathetic patience with me while gathering material from his office and for much aid given me; and, likewise, to the authorities in the office of the Secretary of State and the Charleston Library. Miss Mabel L. Webber, Secretary of the South Carolina Historical Society, gave me many helpful suggestions. Judge of Probate W. E. Snowden and Clerk of the Court John D. Britton, of Williamsburg, Judge of Probate Frank M. Bryan, of Charleston, and Judge of Probate Thomas E. Richardson, of Sumter, were always very kind and helpful when I worked in their offices.
Mr. B. E. Clarkson allowed me the use of the Confed- erate War Diary of his late father, William J. Clarkson; Mr. E. C. Epps furnished me a copy of the Retaliation War Prison Diary of his father, the venerable William Epps; and Mrs. J. B. Morrison, Jr., permitted me to gather much material from "Ervins and Their Kin" man- uscript of her late father, Reverend E. E. Ervin. Nothing helped me with the early history of this County more than Colonel J. G. Wardlaw's "Genealogy of the Witherspoon Family." Mr. Louis W. Gilland allowed me to make a copy of the old Session Record Book of Williamsburg Presby- terian Church, and Mr. D. E. Mccutchen one of the Indiantown Presbyterian Church. I have used freely "The Register Book for the Parish Prince Frederick Winyaw,"
iv
INTRODUCTION
edited by the late Mrs. Elizabeth W. A. Pringle. I have drawn at will from all the published histories of South Carolina, the biographies of men of Williamsburg, and the newspaper files in the Charleston Library.
Mrs. D. C. Scott, during many years, collected histori- cal material in connection with her work in the patriotic societies of Williamsburg and the Pee Dee Historical Society. I became heir to all this. It was she who first told me the story of the people of Williamsburg and in- fluenced me to undertake this delightful labor. Dr. D. C. Scott, out of his more than seventy years of comprehensive understanding of Williamsburg, and Mrs. Boddie, from her naturally beautiful enthusiasm for my work, have both been continuously helpful. They have been most generous in avoiding even an attempt to color my scheme and I desire that no questionable opinion herein be charged to them.
Mr. Samuel R. Mouzon, Mr. Harvey J. Brown, Mr. William M. McKnight, and Mr. Alonzo W. Flagler, all Confederate Veterans of more than four score years of age, whose minds are clear and whose memories are vivid, gave me invaluable information. Mr. J. J. B. Montgomery told me a thousand good stories that he would not allow me to publish and helped me to understand many things. Peter G. Gourdin, C. E., contributed for use in this volume his excellent map of Williamsburg, 1923. Mrs. John A. Scott allowed me to copy the Robert Frierson map of Williamsburg (Kingstree) 1801, which greatly adds to the value of this History.
Miss Ann Fulton (now Mrs. Glenn E. Scott, Sarasota, Florida,) used her good judgment, both in including and excluding material, in copying for me thousands of pages from old manuscripts. Miss Adeline Shuler prepared from dictation the manuscript for this book. Out of her keenly intelligent interest, she made many helpful sug-
V
INTRODUCTION
gestions, both as to form and content, that have been incorporated in the work.
WILLIAM WILLIS BODDIE.
Kingstree, South Carolina, June 22, 1923.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
PAGE
I. BEFORE WILLIAMSBURG HAD A NAME -
1-7
II. THE KING'S TREE AND WILLIAMSBURG TOWNSHIP - 8-20 -
III. ORIGINAL SETTLERS - 21-26
IV. THE PEOPLE WHO SETTLED WILLIAMS- BURG 27-37
V. ECONOMIC CONDITIONS - - -
38-43
VI. CHURCHES AND CHURCHMEN -
44-58
VII. GROWING PAINS AND PETITIONS -
59-72
VIII. COLONIAL WILLS - - 73-86
IX. POLITICAL AND SOCIAL MATTERS - 87-93
X. THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION - 94-113 -
XI. WILLIAMSBURG SOLDIERS IN THE REVO- LUTION 114-130
XII. GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE -
-
131-136
XIII. THE TOWN OF WILLIAMSBURG, 1788 - 137-153
XIV. WILLIAMSBURG CENSUS, 1790 - 154-170 XV. PRESBYTERIANISM REGNANT - - 171-198
XVI.
WILLIAMSBURG TAXPAYERS, 1811 - - 199-206
XVII.
ROADS AND FERRIES FROM 1788 TO 1830 GOVERNMENT AND OFFICIALS, 1783-1830 213-219
XIX.
OLD WILLS AND NOTES ON THEM - -
220-246
XX. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIFE, 1783-1830 247-257
XXI. INDIANTOWN CHURCH, 1819-1830 - - 258-265
XXII. THE NULLIFICATION MOVEMENT, 1832 - 266-270
XXIII. PURITANISM, CALVINISM, AND ARMINI- ANISM - - 271-303
XXIV. THINGS, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL, 1830-
1860 - 1 - 304-322
XXV. TRANSPORTATION, 1830 TO 1860 -
- 323-328
XXVI. SLAVERY AND SECESSION -
- 329-342
XXVII. WILLIAMSBURG, C. S. A., 1861 -
- 343-378
XXVIII. WILLIAMSBURG, C. S. A., 1862 -
- 379-396 XXIX. WILLIAMSBURG, C. S. A., 1863 -
- 397-402
XXX.
WILLIAMSBURG, C. S. A., 1864 -
- 403-412
207-212
XVIII.
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAPTER
XXXI. WILLIAMSBURG, C. S. A., 1865 - 413-432
XXXII. WILLIAMSBURG, U. S. A., 1865 - 433-439
XXXIII. RECONSTRUCTION - 1
- 440-457
XXXIV. ANOTHER WILLIAMSBURG - - 458-466
XXXV. PUBLIC EDUCATION SINCE 1880 - 467-479 -
XXXVI. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS, 1865-1923 - 480-495
XXXVII. BANKING IN WILLIAMSBURG -
496-502
XXXVIII. THROBBING WAR DRUMS CALL - 503-516 -
XXXIX. MANY THINGS
-
-
-
517-532
XL. GENERAL PROGRESS
- 533-548
ILLUSTRATIONS
LIEUTENANT JOSEPH SCOTT -
- 123
LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOHN G. PRESSLEY
-
- 343
COLONEL JAMES F. PRESSLEY
- 349
MAJOR C. S. LAND - - 359
COLONEL JAMES MCCUTCHEN - - 379
LIEUTENANT JUNIUS E. SCOTT - - 400
LIEUTENANT WILLIAM EPPS - 418
LIEUTENANT DAVID ERVIN GORDON -
419
LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDWARD C. REGISTER
- 505
SERGEANT LEROY W. SMITH -
- 511
HONORABLE R. C. LOGAN - -
- 521
LIST OF MAPS.
PROPOSED TOWN OF WILLIAMSBURG, 1737-WILLIAMS - 8 WILLIAMSBURG TOWNSHIP. MOUZON'S MAP, 1775 87 TOWN OF WILLIAMSBURG, 1788-OLD MAP 137
WILLIAMSBURG, 1801-FRIERSON
-
257
WILLIAMSBURG DISTRICT, 1825-MILLS - -
- 257
WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, 1923-GOURDIN - - - 533
-
-
CHAPTER I.
BEFORE WILLIAMSBURG HAD A NAME.
The territory in Southern North America claimed by the British at the beginning of the seventeenth century was called Virginia. In 1663, that portion South of the parallel of latitude 36° 33' was separated from Virginia and named Carolina in honor of Charles II, King of England. This territory, however, had been designated Carolina by Charles I when he made in 1629 a grant of land to Sir Robert Keith.
Charles II granted Carolina in 1663 to eight noblemen, known as Lords Proprietors. At that time, there were a few scattered settlements along the Roanoke and Chowan Rivers, in what is now North Carolina, but none other in all the vast territory denominated Carolina. These Lords Proprietors believed that they could establish almost at once in this naked country a feudalistic civili- zation more complex than had grown up in many centu- ries in their mother country. They secured John Locke, a celebrated English philosopher, then under the patron- age of Ashley, one of the Lords Proprietors, to write a Constitution for Carolina.
While Locke was one of the most influential thinkers of modern times and wrote a Constitution for Carolina from which Jefferson, Hamilton, and Marshall, a century later, drew many valuable suggestions, he had never visited Carolina and had only his vast store house of learning and his imagination to aid him in creating his remarkable scheme for the government of the widely scat- tered settlements in these wilds. His Fundamental Con- stitution for Carolina was accepted by the Lords Propri- etors and made the law of the land. It was a beautiful theory which Locke had created and he and the Lords
2
HISTORY OF WILLIAMSBURG
Proprietors had many hopeful dreams that their plans would materialize.
The Lords Proprietors did all they could to consummate the ideal empire that had its origin in the brain of Locke. They made large grants of land in Carolina to seemingly eager English noblemen, expecting these pampered prod- ucts of wealth and ease to migrate with their retainers to this wilderness and soon establish an aristocratic Carolina.
These English lords did not come to Carolina to live on their estates. They attempted to send hirelings to over- come the pioneer matters and create a condition their masters could endure. But hirelings never make a wilder- ness a garden unless severely superintended.
The English government gave the Lords Proprietors a free hand for more than a half century while Carolina was a Proprietary Province, but the plans of Locke would not work. Finally, seven of the Lords Proprietors ceded back to the King their claims to Carolina, and in 1719 it became a Royal Province. In 1729, Carolina was divided into the provinces of North Carolina and of South Caro- ling along the lines now obtaining.
In 1729, there were only two small settlements in South Carolina. These were Charleston and Beaufort, both along the coast. These two settlements had no back country to support them and nothing for maintaining their existence except the nominal trade with the Indians. Charleston and Beaufort then produced practically nothing. Besides, they were dangerously near the Spanish territory of Florida, and the Spaniards were forever foraying on them. The Indians from the West were likewise frequently dis- turbing them and constantly threatening their existence.
King George knew that up to 1730 but little of prac- tical value had been done towards the creation of a suc- cessful colony in South Carolina. He realized that the colonies at Charleston and Beaufort were not self sus- taining and could not be made so without the development
3
BEFORE WILLIAMSBURG HAD A NAME
of the back country ; and, furthermore, that the Spaniards and the Indians might at any time unite and exterminate these two towns on the coast. In 1730, he gave the fol- lowing instructions to Governor Robert Johnson of South Carolina :
"Whereas, it has been found by long experience in our province of New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bay, that the settling of such persons as were disposed to become planters there hath redounded very much to their ad- vantage, not only with respect to the assistance they have been able to afford each other in their civil concerns, but, likewise, with regard to the security they have thereby acquired against the insults and incursions of the neigh- boring Indians :
"We have thought it for our service, and you are hereby required to mark out and set apart eleven townships in our said province, on the banks of rivers, at sixty miles distance from Charleston; that is to say, two townships on the Altamaha, two on the Savannah River, one on Ponpon River, two on Santee River, one on Wateree River, one on Black River, and one on Waccamaw River. Each of these townships must consist of twenty thousand acres of land, to be laid out in square plots,-one side thereof to front the respective rivers on which they shall be settled.
"In each of these townships, you shall mark out proper place for the situation of a town, contiguous to the river, where the township lies, to consist of so many lots, and each lot of such quantity of land as you shall judge con- venient, and to each inhabitant, at their first settling there, besides their respective town lots, you shall grant fifty acres, part of the above mentioned twenty thousand, for every man, woman, or child, of which the grantee's family shall consist, which grants shall be augmented from time to time as the abilities of the respective inhabitants shall render them capable of cultivating more lands, always
4
HISTORY OF WILLIAMSBURG
taking care to proportion profitable and unprofitable land in each grant and to mark the same out in such manner that every grantee, by the situation of his land, may reap equal advantage of access to the river to which the town- ship shall be contiguous, and to the intent that land near the said township may not be wanting for the convenience of the inhabitants, as their substance shall increase.
"No person, except the inhabitants, shall be allowed to take up land within six miles of the said townships, respectively, to which the said township shall be contigu- ous.
"Each of these townships, together with all the lands on the same side of the river, lying within six miles of the said townships, respectively, be erected into a distinct parish, and that when any of the said intended parishes shall have one hundred householders, it shall be entitled to send two members to our Assembly and to enjoy all such other privileges as of right and common usage belong to other parishes in our said province.
"As other encouragement to such persons as shall be disposed to settle in these townships, we are graciously pleased to allow the inhabitants there the right of common and herbage in and through all such lands contained within the extent of the said townships as shall not be taken up by grants made to the said inhabitants; and that a quan- tity of land not exceeding three hundred acres contiguous to the said town shall be set apart for a common in per- petuity to each of the said towns free from quitrent; and it is our pleasure that no person claiming right to take up land in South Carolina by former grant from the Lords Proprietors be allowed to take up lands within six miles of these townships by virtue of such grant.
"We have been informed that the number of white men in our said province bears a small proportion to that of the blacks, which is not only a hindrance to the peopling and settling of the same but may be also of dangerous
5
BEFORE WILLIAMSBURG HAD A NAME
consequence from the attempts of an enemy and from an insurrection of the negroes. It is our will and pleasure that you recommend in the strongest terms to the Assembly that it pass an Act giving suitable encouragement to all who shall import servants into the province, either men or women; and, as an encouragement for white servants to come, we are gracious to allow you to grant fifty acres of land, free of quitrent, to all white servants, men or women, who shall have served their masters the whole term of their agreement, and shall be allowed afterwards to become planters or settlers in the said province.
"You will not make any grants of land to any person whatsoever under a less quitrent than four shillings, proc- lamation money, for over one hundred acres, except for the first ten years to white servants as mentioned in the foregoing article and for those who shall undertake to settle the eleven aforementioned townships, or any of them.
"And to the end, the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Lord Bishop of London may obtain in that, our province, so far as conveniently may be, we do think fit that you do give all countenance and encouragement to the exer- cise of the same.
"No school master shall be allowed to teach school in the province without the license of the Lord Bishop of London.
"A table of marriages established by the Canons of the Church of England must be hung up in every orthodox church and duly observed, and you must get a law passed in the Assembly of that province, if not already done, for the strict observance of said table.
"We have granted unto Edmund, Lord Bishop of Lon- don, the Right Reverend Father in God, and under our great seal of Great Britain, whereby he is empowered to exercise ecclesiastical jurisdiction by himself, or by such commissaries as he shall appoint in our several plantations in America. And you must give all commissaries due en-
6
HISTORY OF WILLIAMSBURG
couragement to the said Lord Bishop of London, in the legal exercise of such jurisdiction.
"You must cause all laws already made against blasphemy, profaneness, adultery, fornication, polygamy, incest, profanation of the Lord's Day, swearing, and drunkenness to be vigorously executed. You are so to punish the above named vices that, by such example, infi- dels may be invited and persuaded to embrace the Christian religion.
"You must recommend the Assembly to enter upon proper methods for erecting and maintaining schools in order to be training up youths to read and to the neces- sary knowledge of the principles of religion; and you are also, with the assistance of the Council and Assembly, to find out the best means to facilitate and encourage the conversion of Negroes and Indians to the Christian reli- gion.
"You are particularly enjoined to use all possible ways and means for regaining the affections of the Indians and to preserve a good correspondence with such of them as remain faithful to our interest, but especially to the Cherokees. You are hereby directed to recommend in strongest terms to Indian traders to be just and reason- able in their dealings with the native Indians, and to recommend to the Assembly the passing of such laws as may be necessary for the encouragement and protection of such Indians as shall adhere to our interest.
"You shall take care that all planters and inhabitants and Christian servants be fitly provided with arms, and that they be listed under good officers, mustered, and trained, to be in readiness for the defense of the province, and especially in those parts bordering upon the Indians.
"Give due encouragement and invitation to merchants and others who shall bring trade to the province, particu- larly to the Royal African Company, and others, to the end that the province may have a constant and sufficient
7
BEFORE WILLIAMSBURG HAD A NAME
supply of merchantable negroes at moderate rates." (B. P. R. O., copy in archives Historical Commission of South Carolina, Columbia.)
In compliance with these orders of the King in 1730, nine townships in South Carolina in the interior on the banks of rivers were laid out. In establishing and set- tling these townships, the English government laid the foundation for the prosperous colony of South Carolina, which later became the State. Until these townships were settled, the colony of South Carolina at any time might have failed.
CHAPTER II.
THE KING'S TREE AND WILLIAMSBURG TOWNSHIP.
Some explorer, whose name has been lost, long before 1730, laboriously rowed his pettiagua from Winyaw Bay up the sinuous channel of Black River to a large white pine tree on the north bank, which he marked and called the "King's Tree." This explorer went no further west- ward up the river but returned to Charleston and reported to the Colonial Governor that he had worked his way up the Wee Nee River for more than a hundred miles to a place where he found a white pine tree, one like those . growing on the New England hills, and that he had chopped into the sap of this "King's Tree" a broad arrow just as the King's trees in New England had been marked. This explorer told wonderful tales about the King's Tree section, and the "King's Tree" became a basal point in the "back country".
White pine trees grow normally only on highlands in Northern latitudes. It was purely by chance that this white pine tree, christened by that nameless explorer the "King's Tree", grew in Williamsburg. Only to the poet's mind can its history be known. Possibly some Indian brave, coming southward from the Great Lakes, camped on this bluff on the Wee Nee River and unwittingly dropped the seed that grew into the King's Tree. Or did some bald old eagle, bloody from his battle in the moun- tains, rest a while on this spot, and in a cooling shower, have washed from his matted feathers the little bit of life that grew into the King's Tree?
This white pine tree on the Wee Nee River possibly caused King George to reserve in every grant of land in these parts all white pine trees forever as the sole property of the King. In those days of sailing ships, white pine made the best masts available and the King kept them
Lightbook Marks
A Plan of the Town of Williams burgh upon Black River in Graves" County Land laid out unto Roger gordon
Land laid out vulo. John Howderton Pines South 15 degrees last. 63 Ghams
346 341 348
349 350 351352
353 354 398 356
318069360
61 362 368364- 365 368367 36
369 320321372
373 374318316
3> 3) 8.
313 314 316
316 317 318 319
320 321 322323
324- 325 326329
228 229 330 331
332 333 334 335
$36 337 338 339
340 346 042 343
$44345
1
.
280 281 282
283
284 285286
291
292
293 294
490 2961297 29.8
999 300 501 302
303 304- 305306
207 308 309 310
311
312
247 248 249
250 251 242 263 2$4
255 256 257
158 259 260 261
262 263 264 265
266267 265 269
290 291 292 219
2)4 275 296291
278 279
214- 215216
217
218 219
22 /
822 223 224
225
206/229
226
229 230 231 292
233
234 235 236
(3) 298239 240
241
1247
248
244
2454246
181 182 183
184 185 186187
158 189 590 198
192 593 194 595 ..
19.0197 198 199
200 201 202 203
204- 205206 207
205/209
210 211
F12/219
·
.
153154 195
156 157 158 159
160 161 162 163
1640
165 166
167 568 169 170
12.5 172 173574
. 175536577
180
125 128527
26 129 130 191
132 133 1341135
137 138
139 540 148 542
143 144545 146
(4) 348 149 5:0
à
182
92
93 /9:4
96
97. 78
99 100 101 102
123
134 505 106
. (0) 508 509 150
111
112 113 114
115
118
123124
59
60
01
03 64 65
66
6,
68
69
7122 73
14 75 70 77
78 79 80 81
82 83 8485
Land laid out vale Archibald Hamilton South , 5 degrees West Instance : 32 Chans it's the Edge of Un
David Johnston Lew land and onto Lane, Iriver -
Waren 59 Chans so Lens from the Edge of the Swarmup to the End ofthisway,
200
196
cohjang
Parade
.
119 120 121 122
30
. 288 289 990
Land Laid out Course North 20 deque
black - diver-
The above that was last wine by a scale of June thoms to on Bach_
South Carolina :- Is:
Pursuant to an order of the Hon"Thomas Broughton ESof late Lieutenant Governor and his Majestyes Hou Council bearing Date the 8 Day of auges 1755 To by virtue of a procent to me directed by James . Johan ES. This mayorthis Survous Pou: I have a measured and laid out a foural Plan of the Moon of William, fungi In Ravon County Containing 350 Acres of Land the River Swamp frouting the Town schon " Bulling and Bounding North Is ro gress Westerly on Land laid out onle David John Con" And Same from to the South 75 Fogos Westerly on black River to the North > dagross.
Eastand on Land law out viste Roger Gordon and John Handorfon and to the South 15 Dogyors Eastonly on Archchibars Hamilton and hall, Such Shape form marks and Number of dolls as are reprotouted in the about Delineated Flan Guen Vir Aby hand this 25th day of August 1737-
Antio: Williams Dophy Sarvoy
PLAN OF THE TOWN OF WILLIAMSBURG, 1737.
4V
17
J
3
8765
13 12 18 10
16/18/14.
.
9
THE KING'S TREE AND TOWNSHIP
for his own. Few of these white pine trees had ever grown in Williamsburg and none of them ever went into a ship flying a Royal Banner.
Although even the English Government at this time had begun practical schemes for the development of South Carolina, it had not entirely lost hope that it would find a land of gold. When these eleven townships were decreed established in 1730, in every grant of land in them, there was reserved to the King one-tenth of all the gold and silver mined.
The Township on Black River had the King's Tree as its basal point and its establishment conformed to the order of the King made in 1730. The Township, as surveyed with the reserved lands surrounding, consisted of one hun- dred ninety-eight thousand and twenty-three and seven tenths English acres. It was admeasured and laid out by Anthony Williams, Deputy Surveyor, on the 18th day of March, 1736. On August 28, 1737, the Town of Williams- burg was laid out by the same surveyor. The King's Tree was located on town lot No. 1 of the plat then made. In 1923, the colored Methodist Episcopal parsonage on Main Street was situate on this spot of ground.
Williamsburg Township was a part of Craven County, one of the four original political divisions of South Caro- lina. In 1734, Craven County was divided into parishes, and the territory later becoming Williamsburg was a part of Prince Frederick's Parish. Prince Frederick's Parish was named in honor of one of the many imbecile sons of King George II, who never ascended the throne. It was due, probably, to the influence of William James, who settled on Black River in 1732, that the township was named Williamsburg, in honor of William of Orange. Cap- tain John James, father of William, served under the Prince of Orange before he came to the British throne, and had great admiration for that excellent Protestant.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.