Precincts of Albemarle County
which later became counties.
Since Albemarle County was about
1.600 square miles in area, il was divided
into Chowan, Currituck, Pasquotank, and
Perquimans precincts to aid local adminis¬
tration. When Philip Ludwcll took office in
1689, Albemarle County was no longer oper¬
ated as a unit of local government. Instead,
local business was handled in the precincts.
Other counties and precincts were
formed, divided, and abolished during the
years that followed. In 1789 the legislature
abolished Albemarle County and made the
precincts in the Mhcmarlc region counties.
Since that time the county lias been the
largest unit of local government ill North
( arol ilia.
Today, the county is one ol the most
important hilt perhaps the least appreciated
ol any division in our government. Il aids
the stale in many ways. I he counts adminis¬
ters justice; it helps the stale maintain lavs
and order, operate the public schools, carry
on a public health program, and handle chari¬
table and correctional work. Il keeps rec¬
ords ol all wills, mortgages, and transfers of
land and other property. These arc just a
few of the many responsibilities that counts
government has assumed during its llireo-
hulld red-year history in North ( urolinn.
Why do we have counties? We have
them to serve the local public, and we can
look forward to the continuance and expan¬
sion ol counts services.
The Counties and How They Were Named
Claria Haines
Docent Coordinator
Did you ever wonder why a county is
called a county? how the county seats were
started? or how your county got its name?
After (iharlcs II had granted Carolina
to the Lords Proprietors and a number of
people had settled in the land, a good form
of government was needed. Charles II de¬
cided to base the new government upon one
which had been used by one of his preeedcs-
sors, Queen Elizabeth I. It was a form of
county government that had been devised by
William the Conqueror (remember the Battle
of Hastings in 1066). The county idea plac¬
ed an executive in charge oi all military and
civil affairs. The executive appointed
judges, decided upon taxes and how to col¬
lect them, raised armies, granted pardons,
and incorporated towns and cities. Since
the amount of land to be governed was so
great and so sparsely settled, one govern¬
ment was not sullicicnt. Therefore, the
Lords Proprietors looked to an English
philosopher, John Locke, lor a better plan.
This plan, which was adopted with a lew
changes, provided for a system of many
separate and distinc t governments or "coun¬
ties.”
'The ‘‘county seals” began in private
homes as meeting places lor governing
bodies of the counties. This proved un¬
satisfactory since it was often inconvenient
to the owners of the homes, and the assem¬
blies could be dismissed by the owners.
Therefore, in 1722, the justices of the peace
were authorized to raise taxes, to purchase
land, and to build courthouses. Many dif¬
ficulties arose because olficors failed to
adhere to the law, or because taxes could
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