The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-22
THE NAMES OF THE COUNTIES.
The. Lords Proprietors and Revolutionary
Characters Honored Most-The Great!
est Caroiinian Forgotten.
from the News and Courier.

John of Austria, who renounceo ms
dicn.ties in order that he might marry
Z the woman he loved, and became plain
Johann Orth, the ship captain, and
probably perished miserably while try
ing to round Cape Horn; everything,
thought the rich widow Hammersley'
of New York, who sold herself to
titled debauchee in order to become
Duchess of Marlborough and the mis-
tress Of Blenheim Castle.
Considerations of neither love nor
money have much to do With the
names of political Typographical sub
divisions. First settlers especially are,
as a rule, either adventures or exIles,
political and religious. The former
have left their country for their coun-
try's good and the hearts of the latter
-aSo-TheIast turn lovingly 10 their "aln
countree.~ssuIt may rot be with9gstaAas
terest to consfdeasaaasssp e pEshaSle origin
of the names of thethirty-five counties
of South Carolina; "unless," as the
old English chronieler quantity says:
ave would be strangers in. our own
land and foreigners in our own city;
and for such T have not written these
lines or taken these pains"
-Afr. John P. Thomas, Jr., IS his
scholarly essay on the formation Oh
judicial and political Subdivisions IN
: South Carolina shows that one OF the
first measures required of GoverneE
Moreton in 1852 was the division OF the
inhabited portion Of the province into
three counties. Berkeley, embracing
Charleston, extended from Sewee on
the north to Stone Creek on the south
beyond this to the northward was
Craven County, and to the southwark
Colleson, all extending within the land
TO the distance Of thirty-hve miles from
the seacoast. Shortly afterwards Car
teret County was added to the num-
Der; but, VIXEN John Lord Cartaret be-
came Earl of Granville, about l7oS
that section became known as Gram
vile County. It would be instructive
to follow Mr.. Thomas as he shows ho"
these four original counties were SUD-
divided into parishes, townships dis'
trfcts or precincts, election districts
and judicial districts, but the limits o'
this article will not permit brief his
torical retrospect and it must suffice tc
give a brief notice Of the nomenclature
of the thirty-fve counties gradually
formed in the course Of time from those
four counties of the 18th century. ET
passant, it will be noticed as remark
g able that while Governor Moreton IN
1882 had more land than he could MAKE
counties of, Governor Tillman com
plains that the trainers of Charleston
& County in 1882 had 10 go to sea to gel
the constitutional quota Of square miles
for county-hood.
The sources from which the names
of the counties were drawn seem tc
have been first, the Lords Proprietors
second, distinguished Revolutionary
characters; third, gentlemen or families
Of later day, and fourth, from the
freak of fancy OF the first settlers, OF
from the geographical position or ply
steal advantages of the territory
ssSimms' Geography of South Caro-
lina," Is42,) and number Of individ'
uals have been freely consulted IN the
preparation of this list, which makes
no pretensions to entire accuracy, but
is probably the most correct yet pub
lished.
Abbeville is supposed to have been 50
named, after town in France, by
French emigranjs in 1854.
Aiken is said to have been so named
in honor to Governor William
Aiken, who, as director Of the
South Carolina Railway, consider
ably advanced the interests Of that
section.
Anderson-After Gen. Robert Ander-
son, a pron.iuent partisan soldier
Of the Revolution.
Z arnweH-After the Barnwell family,
distinguished in the civil and mill
tary history of the State for two
centuries.
Beaufort-After Henry, the Duke OF
Beaufort. Lord Palatine Of the
colony.
Berkeley-Arter two of the Lords Pro
prietors, John, Lord Berkeley, and
Sir William Berkeley, Kent.
Charleston-After Charles II.
Chester-Settled in part by emigrants
from Chester County, Pa, who
gave the name of the old home to
the new.
Chesterfield Settled, like Chester, in
part by enigrauts from Pennsyl-
vania. Said to derive its name
from the famous Earl Of Chester
feld.
Clarendon-After Edward, Earl OF
Clarendon, Lord High Chancel-
ior of England; one Of the Lords
Proprietors-
Col!etoa-After Sir John Colleton, one
fthe Lords Proprietors.
Darliugton-Nsme ''proba5ly derived
from that of Col. Darlington, a
favorite leader in the war of the
Revolution"
Edgefeld-Nsme presumed to be de-
rived from its geographical posi-
zion Oh the edge of the State and
adjoining tie State Of Georgia"
F'orence-After the town of the same
name, which is said to have been
called after Florence, daughter of
Gen. W. W. Earllee.
Fa;r6eld-Probahly from its natural