The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-12-01
For the Western Democrat.
EXTRACTS FROM THE RECORDS
OF TRYON COUNTY.

I
Mr. EDITOR: 1t is probably known to
but few of your readers that Mecklenburg
and Lincoln Counties originally figured,
on paper, as Parishes. This fact will more
fully appear by quoting portion, slightly
condensed, of the creative act. In Deer,
1769, it was enacted that " from and after
| the 10th day of April next. the said county
of Mecklenburg shall be, and is hereby di
vided into two distinct Counties aid Par
ishes, by line beginning at Earl Gran
vlle's line, where it crosses the Catawba
River, and the said river to be the line; and
that all that part of the said County which
lies to the eastward of said dividing line,
| shall be distinct County and Parish to be
called by the name of Mecklenburg county
and Saint Martins Parish; and all that
| part westward of said line shall be dis
tinct county and Parish by the name of
| Tryon county, and st. Thomas Parish"
Earl Granville's line, mentioned above,
crossed the Catawba river short distance
above Beattie's Ford. 1t is hardly neces-
sary to inform the intelligent reader that
this attempted combination of Church and
State was never successfully carried into
and least Of all in old Mecklenburg, whose
inhabitants, almost wholly of ScotchIrish
| origin, were keenly alive to any invasion
of their rights, bitterly opposed to religious
intolerance, and euen then, cherished in
their bosoms the spirit Of liberty.
At the April Term, IVA, james Will
liams, Esq, came into open court, and pro-
/
duceG license from his Excellency Josiah
Martin, Governor, &c, empowering him to
plead and practice as an attorney, who
took the oaths of qualification and was ad
mitted accordingly
At the July Term, IVA, the following
| individuals, viz: Chas. Mclean, William
Moore, John Walker, John Hill and Chris
tian Carpenter, Commissioners to select
a suitable place whereon to build Court
House and Jail, made their report. The
place selected as being most central and
convenient was at the crossroads on
Christopher Manney's land between the
head waters of Long Greek, Muddy Creek
and Beaver dam Creek in the county afore-
said" This location: however, did not
prove satisfactory, and accordingly IL or
IL years afterwards the seat of Justice was
moved about 10 miles north to the site of
the present fourishing town of Lincolnton.
The claims against the county of Tryon
for IVA. amounted to EGO IS. 4d Among
the charges is.the following: "To Andrew
Neel for extra services done by Ezekiel
Polk in the year I771, and allowed by
court to said Neel, CO.,
Several of the Neel family, who resided
in the south eastern part of the present
county of CASTOR, held places of public
trust. Thos. Neel was a Surveyor; An
drew Neel was Clerk for considerable
number of years, and Joseph Neel held the
important position of Schoolmaster. In
the capacity of schoolmaster Joseph Neel
was fair exemplifcation of instructors of
youth in the Golden time % and although
his impressions were not always Of the most
agreeable kind, as many still living can
fceLingly testify, yet all are willing to ad-
NIT that he had a peculiar aptitude in
teaching the ssyoung idea how to shoot
and in training the youthful mind for future
usefulness.
At the April Term, 1776, there is the
following entry: There not being the
number of Justices present required by law
to proceed on public business the Court
was adjourned until court in course. Will
liam Gilbert, J. Pr 1t would thus appear
that as royal authority was gradually dying
out, State authority was gradually ushering
in. The old name Gilberttown was derived
from this same VIM. Gilbert, who resided
about miles from the present town of
Rutherfordton. He was a blacksmith by
trade, member of the Legislature for
several years, and thus alternately ham
mered on tdaU, or on iron, as the necessities
of the times demanded.
At the July Term, 1777, which seems to
have been the first held after the adoption
of the State Constitution. Andrew Neel was
elected Clerk; Jonathan Hampton, Register;
/ and Jas. Holland, Sheriff, of Tryon county.
? Jonathan Hampton was afterwards mem
Der of the Legislature, and James Holland,
5 for seven terms, member Of Congress.
AT the January Term, 1873, is the fol-
lowing record:
pursuant to an Ordinance, bearing date
the Odd day of December, 1776, for holding
County Courts and Quarter Sessions, the
Commission of the Peace, under the hand
. and seal of his Excellency, Rich'd Caswell
4 ESQ, Governor. &C., of the State aforesaid
{ appointing Joseph Hardin, John Robinson
l William Graham, George Lampkin, VIM
Yancey, John Mckinney. Jonathan Hamp-
ton, Frederick Hambright, James McAfee'
= Valentine Manney, Robt. Johnston, George
l Black, and VIM. Neville, Esq'rs, Justice:
assigned to keep the Peace, was read IL
- open Court" &c.
0 At this point of our extracts, it may be
t profitable to notice some of the female dc
complishments of colonial and revolutionary
times. At the April Term, 1878, sit wa:
t ordered that Eve s., aged 8 years ant
e a months, be bound to Peter s., tt
: hin, clio shall attain tEe q