Clarendon County, North Carolina
Location: Carolina
History
Clarendon County was one of 3 original counties established in 1664 in the Province of Carolina by the Lords Proprietors. It embraced the territory around the mouth of the Charles River (now Cape Fear River). It was named for Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, one of the Lords Proprietors.
The only known settlement in the county was Charles Town. Established in 1664, Charles Town consisted of about 32 acres & was a thriving community of about 800 settlers.
In October 1666, the governor of Clarendon County, Sir John Yeamans, found that the colonists were in desperate need of supplies. To relieve this need, he sent a ship to Virginia to collect needed supplies. However, the ship was wrecked on the trip back to Clarendon County. Sir John left in December 1666, never to return.
War with the Indians & indifferences between the Lords Proprietors led to many settlers leaving the Cape Fear area. This was followed by a major hurricane that hit the entire east coast & severely damaged the buildings in Charles Town. After this, the settlers still living in the area decided to leave, leaving Charles Town & Clarendon County abandoned by 1667. The county was abolished that same year.
Settlements
- Charles Town (1664-1667)
Sources
- Login to edit this profile and add images.
- Private Messages: Send a private message to the Profile Manager. (Best when privacy is an issue.)
- Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Limit 20 per day.)