 | A history of Caroline county, Virginia |  |
LATER DIVISIONS
The Parish, County, and Precinct, succeeded the Plantation,
Congregation, Hundred and City. In the list of burgesses of
1631, the word "parish" first occurs as referring to a politico-ecclesiastical
division of the colony, it being used here in connection
with the localities of Waters Creek and Elizabeth City
and the return of a burgess from "Upper Parish of Elizabeth
City."
As early as 1618, the Governor and Council had been ordered
to divide the colony into Counties (see Hening's Statutes at Large),
but, for some reason, this was not done until 1634, in which
year the colony was "divided into eight shires (Counties) which
were to be governed as the shires in England, with lieutenants
appointed as in England, and in a more especial manner to take
care of the war against the Indians; Sheriffs were to be elected
as in England, to have the same powers as there, and Sergeants
and Bailiffs where need required." (Hening Vol. I, p. 224.)
The county was a territorial division, in which justice was
administered by eight, or more, men sitting as a county court,
and in which the citizens were members of one body of county
militia, commanded by the county lieutenant.
| A history of Caroline county, Virginia | |