North Carolina has a history of colorful, sometimes “mutinous people,” and no doubt the story of Bute County from the area around Warrenton adds to it. Be sure to read to the end to find out how “shotgun influence” helped determine borders.
Bute County was established in the North Carolina Piedmont area in 1764. Like several other counties, it was cut out of Granville County. Many counties were so large in the early days that court and government access was not easy. This was particularly the case for the residents in St. John’s Parish. The courthouse was eight miles southwest of present-day Warrenton.
In 1866, part of Northampton County was clipped off and added to Bute. The county was named for John Stuart, the 3rd Earl of Bute. It was not to last.
As was the case in much of North Carolina, the British Crown was not well regarded. When Royal Governor William “Check Out My Palace in New Bern” Tryon called for militia to put down the Regulars in 1768, the order was ignored.
It was said in the 1770s that “There are no Tories in Bute,” and a movement was started to renamed the county. Many blamed the Earl of Bute for the Stamp Tax Act and he was hanged in effigy. [Probably the “Bute” of many tawdry jokes as well].
After two years — the legislature moved slow in those days as well — the county was divided along Shocco Creek and split between Franklin and Warren counties in 1779.
Move that line
When surveyors came to run the lines between Franklin and Wake county to account for the addition of Bute into Franklin, at least one landowner took things into his own hands.
A landowner named Osborne Jeffrey spoke to the surveyors.
“Where will it put me?” he asked.
“In Wake County,” they said.
“I’ll be damned if it will,” he said, went in the house, and returned with his shotgun. “Now, you run that line,” he ordered, “so that I’ll continue to live in Franklin or I’ll blow your brains out.”
The survey placed Jeffrey’s land in Franklin County, as you might have guessed.
Sources:
NCPedia
The State, November 8, 1941
Interesting!
Greene County, NC, was, at one time, Glasgow County.
Yes – hope to get that story in as well! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Great story. Thanks!
Thanks for reading!
When you cross over the James River heading north into Richmond on Highway 95 just below you (after you cross over) is an area called Shocco Bottom. Shocco worked for William Byrd as an overseer of that part of the land owned by Byrd. William Byrd was of English gentry and the colony’s legal representative to the Crown. He expanded his land holdings to engulf the rocky region that later became known as Richmond, Virginia. To the left of the highway and up the hill called Chimborazo, he stood there and said that looking out over the James reminded him of his home back in Richmond, England…just up river from London. The reason I write this is that you mentioned Shocco Creek in your story. I think he and Shocco could have had a play in naming this creek. Here’s an exerpt that I found from Wiki. “Upon his return to Virginia, Byrd expanded his plantation holdings, was elected to the House of Burgesses, and served on Virginia Governor’s Council, also known as Virginia’s Council of State (the Upper House of the colonial legislature), from 1709 until his death in 1744. He commanded county militias and led surveying expeditions along the Virginia-Carolina border and the Northern Neck.”
Thanks for adding this – very interesting!
It’s like Mr. Jeffrey knew how Wake County was going to turn out. Good stuff as always Mike.
Haha! Thanks for the comments. He sounded like a character, but also someone I’d keep an eye on.