Virginia county names : two hundred and seventy years of Virginia history, Part 1

Author: Long, Charles M. (Charles Massie). 4n
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York : Neale Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 226


USA > Virginia > Virginia county names : two hundred and seventy years of Virginia history > Part 1


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M. L.


Gc 975.5 L85v 1442001


GENEALOGY COLLECTION


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02167 851 8


Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016


https://archive.org/details/virginiacountyna00long_0


VIRGINIA COUNTY NAMES


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VIRGINIA COUNTY NAMES


Two Hundred and Seventy Years of Virginia History


By CHARLES M. LONG, M.A., Ph.D.,


A Native of Virginia and an Alumnus of her University


New York and Washington THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1908


U


Copyright, 1908, by Charles M. Long


1442001


To my wife, Elizabeth H. Long


1


CONTENTS


PART I


INTRODUCTION


CHAPTER


PAGE


I


INTRODUCTION


I7


1


PART II


NAMES FROM ROYAL ENGLISH FAMILIES II HOUSE OF STUART 27


III


THE NINE STUART COUNTIES


31


IV THE THREE ORANGE COUNTIES . 41


V THE FOURTEEN HANOVER COUN-


TIES


47


PART III


OTHER NAMES FROM ENGLAND


VI THIRTEEN COUNTIES NAMED AFTER PROMINENT ENGLISHMEN . 63


VII TWELVE COUNTIES NAMED AFTER ENGLISH SHIRES 85


VIII A COUNTY NAMED AFTER AN ENG-


LISH ISLAND 95


PART IV


AMERICAN WARRIORS AND STATESMEN IX COUNTIES NAMED AFTER ELEVEN REVOLUTIONARY PATRIOTS IOI


10


Virginia County Names


X .COUNTIES NAMED AFTER SEVEN VIRGINIANS


121


PART V


VIRGINIA GOVERNORS AND UNITED STATES PRESIDENTS


CHAPTER PAGE


XI COUNTIES NAMED AFTER THIR-


TEEN VIRGINIA GOVERNORS 135


XII COUNTIES NAMED AFTER THREE


PRESIDENTS · 155 ·


PART VI


INDIAN NAMES AND NATURAL FEATURES


XIII NINE INDIAN COUNTY NAMES . 161


XIV FOUR NAMES FOR NATURAL FEAT-


URES


173


PART VII


THE JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION AND VIRGINIA COUNTY NAMES-CONCLUSION


XV THE JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION AND VIRGINIA COUNTY NAMES I79


XVI CONCLUSION APPENDIX . · 191


187


3 1833 02167 851 8


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10


Virginia County Names


X COUNTIES NAMED AFTER SEVEN VIRGINIANS


I21


PART V


VIRGINIA GOVERNORS AND UNITED STATES PRESIDENTS


CHAPTER PAGE XI COUNTIES NAMED AFTER THIR-


TEEN VIRGINIA GOVERNORS I35


XII COUNTIES NAMED AFTER THREE


PRESIDENTS . . .


155


PART VI


INDIAN NAMES AND NATURAL FEATURES


XIII NINE INDIAN COUNTY NAMES . 161


XIV FOUR NAMES FOR NATURAL FEAT-


URES


I73


PART VII


THE JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION AND VIRGINIA COUNTY NAMES-CONCLUSION


XV THE JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION AND VIRGINIA COUNTY NAMES 179


XVI CONCLUSION 187


APPENDIX


19I


3 1833 02167 851 8


MAP OF VIRGINIA


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3 1833 02167 851 8


PREFACE


This books aims to tell how the Virginia counties got their names, and in telling the story it endeavors to show that the thoughts and feelings of the Virginians are reflected in the names the counties bear.


In the unfolding of this story I have been impressed, first, by the amount of history sug- gested by the names; and, second, by the fact that the naming of the Virginia counties fur- nishes more material for colonial history than the county-naming of any other State in the Union. Of course the history suggested in this way falls far short of being a history of Virginia, but it is not too much to claim that these county-namings are interesting and help- ful in presenting some parts of the history of the Old Dominion from a new point of view. The names are the magnet; the facts of Vir- ginia history are the iron filings: it has been my part to put the magnet among the filings.


I have been at much pains in my efforts to verify the facts herein presented, and when in doubt I have endeavored to attach to my statements the exact measure of doubt that I myself entertained.


12


Virginia County Names


To include all the facts that have a bear- ing on Virginia county names I have gone back in Scotch history to 1370; and I have brought my work up to date by showing that among the exhibits of the Jamestown Exposi- tion of 1907 were many honoring men after whom Virginia counties had been named.


The second part of the title of the book, "Two hundred and seventy years of Virginia History," is given because of the fact that, with reference to Virginia history, I begin with 1607 and end, as far as the naming of the counties is concerned, with 1880, when the youngest county of the State was organized.


The contents indicates the general plan of the work. The map of Virginia will be found useful for reference. The Appendix gives four tables : I. A list of Virginia coun- ties, arranged according to the date of forma- tion, and giving source of each county name and the county or counties from which each county was formed. 2. A list of Virginia


governors, 1607-1908. 3. Area and popu- lation of each county, census 1900. 4. List of authorities consulted in compiling the work.


I acknowledge especial indebtedness to my wife, who rendered material aid in the mechanical preparation of the work; to


Preface 13


Dr. B. W. Green, of Charlottesville, Va., who, after reading over the manuscript, made many helpful suggestions; to Mrs. Mary B. Moon, of Charlottesville, Va .; and to Dr. Charles W. Kent, of the University of Vir- ginia, who has encouraged me in presenting this work to the public.


CHARLES M. LONG.


RUSSELLVILLE, KY.


1


PART I INTRODUCTION


CHAPTER I


INTRODUCTION


The full significance of geographical names does not appear to the casual thinker; but to one who asks why and how the names were given, interesting answers often suggest them- selves. From the contemplation of the place that bears his name, we begin to consider the character and actions of the man from whom the name may have been derived, and our thoughts flow easily and swiftly from the man to his nationality, and from the nation to the circumstances that gave to the nation the possession of the place.


Thus, the name St. Petersburg calls up to most students of geography the idea of a great and mighty city, but there the idea gen- erally ends. Further inquiry would have shown that a Russian sovereign, desirous of founding a capital worthy of his vast empire, had struggled against almost insurmountable difficulties and had builded the city which, in its name, reminds us of the ambition and power of Peter the Great. Pennsylvania, by


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2


18


Virginia County Names


the name it bears, recalls the worth and in- tegrity of honest William Penn1, while Vir- ginia tells us that an English nobleman dis- covered new and strange lands over the seas; and that Queen Elizabeth, pleased with the discovery of her subject, named these lands in commemoration of her own virgin state,


A name, apart from the circumstances that give it significance, is but a barren mingling of letters and sounds. Why, then, should we prize so dearly the names of objects about us? Why should we be so unwilling to change the name of the rose? It is because the name has become associated with that which it represents. The qualities that belong to the object are reproduced in memory as we name that object. Valueless in itself, the name becomes invaluable from the thoughts and associations that cluster around it.


The value and influence of a name are due to what the name suggests, as when, for in- stance, the warrior, in his fierce battle-cry, clamors for vengeance upon the slayers of his fallen comrades. "Remember £ the Alamo !"2 shouted the enraged Texans as they


1It gets its name, however, from Penn's father, Admiral Penn.


2Pronounced Al-amo, and meaning cottonwood tree.


19


Introduction


rushed upon the superior numbers of the op- posing Mexicans. The valor inspired by their thirst for vengeance was irresistible; and the cruel slaughter at the Alamo was avenged by the brilliant victory of San Ja- cinto, which expelled the hated Mexicans from Texas soil.


Virginia names can justly claim for them- selves an unusual degree of interest. In Vir- ginia was made the first permanent English settlement in America, and during all the colonial days Virginia ranked among the colonies first in territory, in population, and in political importance. This priority of rank continued throughout the Revolution, and in 1810 Virginia was still the most populous State in the Union.


The naming of Virginia counties, combined with the circumstances that attended the nam- ing, serves to recall many historical facts, and so numerous and. important are these facts that the county names form, as it were, a framework on which hangs much of English history and more of the history of Virginia. Furthermore, this framework presents the facts in a new aspect, and, indeed, probably brings to light not a few facts that are wholly new.


20


Virginia County Names


The progress of events in England was carefully watched by Virginia, and the nam- ing of a county in a particular year often serves to record some event of unusual in- terest to the mother country and to the


Births and marriages in the royal colony.


family


of


England are thus recorded;


re-


corded in this way, too, is the accession of a new sovereign to the throne, the ministry then in power, or the success of an English general or statesman. So, also, after Vir- ginia became a State, matters and men of State or national interest furnish to a new county a name that indicates in itself the trend of popular sentiment.


The date of the settlement of any particular locality is often indicated by the name given to that locality; so, too, the political views of the residents are exhibited in the character of the names about them.


In Tidewater Virginia nearly all the coun- ties bear names taken from places or persons in England, while in the western part of the State the vast majority of county names are of American origin, the names thus showing that the eastern portion of Virginia was settled earlier than the western portion. In the times of the struggle between the Round-


21


Introduction


heads and Royalists in England, Virginia earned for herself the title of "Old Do- minion" by her loyalty to the fugitive Prince Charles.


The story of the county-naming is pre- eminently a story of colonial Virginia, for fifty-eight of Virginia's one hundred counties were named during the colonial era. Fur- thermore, no State in the Union can begin to suggest, in the naming of her counties, the wealth of colonial history thus suggested by Virginia.


Virginia was the oldest of the colonies, and Virginia has a larger number of counties that were named during the colonial times than any other State. The six New England States have, taken together, only sixty-seven counties in all; Pennsylvania has sixty-seven, and New York has sixty-one. Georgia, de- cidedly exceeding Virginia in the number of her counties, and North Carolina, nearly equaling her, have, both put together, not as many colonial county names as Virginia. The remaining four of the original thirteen colo- nies, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina, have now, in the aggregate, only eighty-nine counties.


As has been suggested, the long and close


22


Virginia County Names


connection between England and Virginia is shown by the large number of county names taken from the mother country. Twenty-six of the hundred counties are named in honor of various royal families of England; per- haps a dozen are named after English shires ;3 six are named after colonial governors; and other names are taken from English generals and statesmen. Altogether England fur- nishes fifty-seven per cent. of Virginia county names.


Nine counties have Indian names, several are named from their natural features, and about twenty-five are named in honor of men that attained prominence on American soil.


3A division of England corresponding to our county.


PART II NAMES FROM ROYAL ENGLISH FAMILIES


HOUSE OF STUART


JAMES I,


1603-1625


CHARLES I, 1625-1649


COMMONWEALTH, 1649-1660


CHARLES II, 1660-1685


JAMES II, 1685-1688


ANNE,


1702-1714


HOUSE OF ORANGE


WILLIAM III (and MARY), 1688-1694


WILLIAM III (alone), . 1694-1702


HOUSE OF HANOVER


GEORGE I, 1714-1727


GEORGE II,


1727-1760


GEORGE III, 1760-1820


GEORGE IV, 1820-1830 WILLIAM IV, 1830-1837


VICTORIA, 1837-1901 EDWARD VII, . 1901-


CHAPTER II


HOUSE OF STUART


When Jamestown was settled in 1607 by the English, James Stuart, son of the beauti- ful but unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots, sat upon the throne of England. England and Scotland had just been peacefully united into one kingdom under him, for he was heir to the throne of both countries.


The rule of the Stuarts began in Scotland in 1370 under Robert, the steward of that country, who then succeeded to the kingdom with the title of Robert II. The office of steward, which was hereditary, had long been held by Robert's ancestors; and from the office came their family name of "Stuart." Robert II of Scotland was grandson to Robert Bruce, who inflicted such a terrible defeat upon the English at the battle of Bannock- burn. The House of Stuart had reigned in Scotland for 233 years, when, in 1603, James VI of Scotland became also James I of Eng- land.


The settlers who came to Virginia from


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28


Virginia County Names


England were loyal in their attachment to the mother country, and they manifested their devotion by the character of the names they bestowed on the lands and waters of their new home. Jamestown itself was so called in honor of King James I of England. The river1 that flows by the town was called James in honor of the same sovereign, while Cape Charles and Cape Henry bear the names of two of his sons.


1Its Indian name was Powhatan, in honor of the great Indian chief.


NINE STUART COUNTIES


JAMES CITY, . Organized 1634 HENRICO, Organized 1634


CHARLES CITY, . Organized 1634


ELIZABETH CITY, Organized 1634


YORK, Organized 1634


GLOUCESTER, Organized 1652


PRINCESS ANNE, · Organized 1691


FLUVANNA, . Organized 1777


PRINCE GEORGE, Organized 1702


CHAPTER III


THE NINE STUART COUNTIES


In 1634, when Charles I, son of James I, held the throne of his father, the colony of Virginia was divided into counties, or shires, as they were then called. Eight shires were formed, and five of them bear the names of various members of the royal family of England.


James City county was named after James City,1 as Jamestown was called in 1619 and for many years afterward. As has been in- dicated, the town bore the name of King James I of England-the king who had the common or "King James" version of the English Bible prepared.


Like James City, Henrico county was named after a town within its limits. In 16II Sir Thomas Dale, with the permission of acting Governor Thomas Gates, made a set- tlement of 350 chosen men upon a neck of land on James River. The place, which was nearly surrounded by water, he called Hen-


1See p. 198, Martin's "Virginia Gazetteer."


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32


Virginia County Names


rico, in honor of Prince Henry, son of King James. A county formed twenty-three years later received the name of the town, and thus indirectly Prince Henry's name. The Prince died in 1612, before he had reached his eighteenth birthday. He was a youth of great promise, and was heir apparent to the throne at the time of his death.


In the list2 of towns, plantations, and hun- dreds for 1619 is Charles City. The place was almost certainly named after Prince Charles, afterwards King Charles I of Eng- land, who was beheaded in 1649 after


a reign of nearly twenty-five years.


The


town could not have been named in honor of Charles II, for he was not born until 1630. Though I have no data to support me, I as- sume that Charles City county derives its name from that of the town, thus receiving, though indirectly, the name of the king that reigned at the time the county was formed- in 1634.


The naming of Elizabeth City county is a matter of greater doubt, for, so far as I can learn, there is no town from which the county might have been named. It is highly probable that the county is named, directly


2See J. E. Cooke's "Virginia," p. 115.


33


Nine Stuart Counties


or indirectly, from Princess Elizabeth, daugh- ter of James I.


In 1613 the princess married Frederick V, Elector3 Palatine. Frederick was chosen king of Bohemia in 1619, but was utterly de- feated the next year by the army of the Catholic League, and had to give up both his electorate and his kingdom.


Elizabeth had thirteen children, several of whom are of considerable historical impor- tance : Charles Louis, who was restored to the electorate at the close of the Thirty Years' War in 1648; Rupert, the "mad cavalier," and Maurice fought for their uncle, Charles I of England, in the civil war so disastrous to the royal cause. Sophia married Ernest Augustus of the House of Brunswick, who afterwards became Elector of Hanover. Parliament agreed that Sophia should suc- ceed Anne as Queen of England, but Sophia died before Anne. Sophia's son, however,- Elizabeth's grandson,-became king of Eng- land after Anne's death, with the title of George I.


Elizabeth possessed an admirable charac-


3Electors were princes or churchmen who had the power of electing the emperor of Germany. Electors first met at Frankfort in 1152. There were seven electors, and their right to elect was hereditary.


3


34


Virginia County Names


ter : strong and true in adversity, charming and vivacious in prosperity. She died in her native England in 1662 at the age of sixty- five.


The name of Elizabeth City county could not have come from Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Charles I, for she was not born until 1635, one year after the county was formed and named.


York and Gloucester counties are almost certainly named after the titles of two of King Charles I's sons. York was one of the original shires, and was formed when James, Duke of York, was only one year old. Though the title was not formally bestowed on young James until 1643, he was, from the first, called the Duke of York. or a brief period of its existence York county was known as Charles River county.


Prince James succeeded his brother Charles as king of England in 1685, but reigned only three years. He died an exile in France in 1701.


The first time that the name of Gloucester county,4 which was formed from York, oc- curs is 1652. King Charles's son, Henry,


4Dr. B. W. Green, quoting Henning's "Statues at Large for Virginia," Vol. i, p. 371.


35


1442001


Nine Stuart Counties


the Duke of Gloucester, was then eleven years old. Henry died of small-pox at the early age of twenty; his brother, Charles II, had shortly before become king.


York and Gloucester counties may possibly be named after English shires, though it is most probable that they were named, as in- dicated, in honor of the dukes of York and Gloucester. The time of their naming, and the naming of other counties after members of the same royal family, heighten this proba- bility.


Princess Anne and Fluvanna counties are named after Anne, second daughter of James II.


This princess was born in 1664, when her father was the Duke of York. At the ac- cession of William and Mary to the throne in 1688, she did not follow her father into exile, but adhered to the dominant Pro- testant party, and remained at the English court, where her oldest sister was queen. With the exception of the king and queen, Anne was probably the most prominent char- acter at court.


It is therefore not surprising that, when King and Queen county was named in honor of William and Mary in 1691, Princess Anne


36


Virginia County Names


county should have been named after Anne at the same time.


When nineteen years of age Anne married Prince George, son of Christian V, of Den- mark. She had seventeen children, though only one of them survived infancy, and he died at the age of eleven. After receiving due honors in the reign of William and Mary, she succeeded to the English throne at Wil- liam's death in 1702, Mary having died be- fore her husband. . Anne's older brother James, by right of birth, had a prior claim to the crown, but because he was a Catholic he was set aside in favor of the Protestant Anne.


· The Virginians testified their loyalty to Queen Anne by naming Prince George county after her husband the same year in which she became queen. The Danish prince was never given kingly power in England; Anne, like Victoria, ruled alone.


Anne was twelve years queen. Though not brilliant, she seems to have won the affec- tion of her subjects, and was known as the "Good Queen Anne." She died in 1714 at the age of fifty.


The James River above where the Rivanna enters it was formerly called Fluvanna, in


37


Nine Stuart Counties


honor of Queen Anne. The Latin word fluvius means river; the English name "Anna" was added to fluv, the stem of the Latin word; and thus fluv-anna, River Anna, was formed. Riv-anna was also named after Queen Anne; the name is merely a shorter way of saying River Anna. In 1777 the pres- ent county of Fluvanna was organized, and received the name by which the upper James had been called, thus indirectly receiving Queen Anne's name. The some time Fluv- anna River was thenceforth called the James. The North Anna, South Anna, and Rapidan rivers are also named after Anne. And in her honor the capital city of Maryland had its name changed, in 1691, from Providence to Annapolis.


Of the nine Stuart-named counties, all ex- cept York, Gloucester and Princess Anne lie directly on the James. Elizabeth City, with an area of fifty square miles, is the smallest county in the State except Alexandria. It lies on the north side of Hampton Roads, and in it is the noted Fort Monroe. James City county lies between the York and the James, and is separated from Charles City by the Chickahominy River. Charles City and Henrico occupy the peninsula formed by the


38


Virginia County Names


James and Chickahominy rivers. York county lies along the south bank of the York River and adjoins the Chesapeake Bay on the east. Gloucester's southern boundary is on the York River; Mobjack Bay bounds it on the southeast, and the Piankatank River separates it on the north from Middlesex.


Chesapeake Bay and its tidewater tribu- taries afford excellent transportation, and the immense supply of fish and oysters is a source of great wealth to the counties drained by these waters.




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