THE ERECTION OF CAROLINE COUNTY
Caroline county, Virginia, was formed in 1727, the first year
of the reign of George II, and derived its name from the new
Sovereign's wife, Queen Caroline. The story of the legislation
incident to its establishment is set forth in the following extracts
from the Legislative Journals of the Colonial Council of Virginia,
Volume 2, which were edited by H. R. McIlwaine, State Librarian
of Virginia:
"Saturday, March the 9th, 1727. Present Robert Carter,
James Blair, Mann Page, Peter Beverly, John Robinson, John
Grymes & John Custis, Esqrs.
"A message from the Burgesses by Mr. Clayton & others,
that the House has passed a Bill entitled, An act for erecting a
new County on the heads of Essex, King & Queen, and King
William Counties, and for calling the same Caroline County,
to which they desire the concurrence of the Council.
"An Engrossed Bill from the Burgesses Ent'd An Act for
Erecting A New County on the Heads of Essex, King aud Queen
and King William Counties and for Calling the Same Caroline
County read the first time. Ordered, That the Bill be read a second
time. Adjourned till Monday ten o'clock.
"Monday, March the 11th, 1727. Present same as above
save Custis. A bill entitled An Act for Erecting A New County
Etc., read the second time and Ordered to be committed for
amendments.
"Tuesday, March the 12th, 1727. Present as yesterday. A
bill ent'd An Act for Erecting A New County Etc read the third
time with the amendments. Resolved, that the Bill with the
Amendments be agreed to. Ordered, That the Clerk of the
General Assembly carry the said Bill to the Burgesses and desire
their concurrence to the said Amendments."
Thus was formed the twenty-ninth county of the Commonwealth
(twenty-first, if original shires are omitted), which was
destined to make, through her sons, an inestimable contribution
to the state and nation. Probably no political unit of the same
area has contributed more to the sum of human thought and
action since the golden days of Athens.
In the Council Journals above referred to, Vol. 2, p. 914, it
is recorded that on Wednesday, May 26, 1742, the Council received
a Message from the House of Burgesses that they had
passed a Bill entitled, "An Act for dividing the County of King
and Queen, and adding the upper part thereof to the County of
Caroline, to which they desire the concurrence of the Council."
This Bill was read the first time when presented, the second time
on the following day and a third time on June 7th, and at the
third reading was amended, agreed to, and referred back to the
House for their concurrence to the amendment. The House
amended the amendment of the Council and referred the Bill
back to the Council which resolved, "That the said amendment
be agreed to." Thus were the boundaries of Caroline enlarged
and fixed.
