The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-02-17

recently located in the files of the University
Of North Corolino by Mrs. Solly Fisher, Sec
refory in the U. S., Fish and Wildlife office
at New Holland. Persons interested in the
history of the orea find very little written
information on fhe subject, and will IN
doubleday welcome the reprining of old
articles.
The county of Hyde was not
born with that name, but began
life as Wickham precinct, in the
great county of Bath. At meeting
of the Council of the Colony at
the house of Edward Mosely in
Chowan County, December 8, 1705,
there were present deputy COVER
nor Thomas Cary and Thomas Pol
lock, Samuel Swami, John Arderne,
and Edward Mosely, deputy Lords
Proprietors (that is representing
the eight Lords Proprietors who
owned 'Carolina). The Council,
taking into their serious consi-
deration that whereas the county
of Bath is now grown populous and
daily increasing do hereby think
fit and it is hereby ordered that
three precincts be erected in said
county, as follows, viz: The pre-
cinct of Pampticough, lying on the
north side of Pampticough river
and beginning at Moline's creek
and westerly TO the head of the
river; the Precinct of Wickham,
beginning at the said Molire's
creek, also including all the lai.t,s
and rivers from said creek to the
Matchapungo bluff; the Precinct
of Archdale, taking all the south
side .of"the said river and at pres
ent including all the inhabitants
of Neuse. And it is hereby ordered
that every of the aforesaid Pre-
cincts shall choose two members
and to sit and vote in all succeed
ing Assemblies, pursuant to act
of Assembly"
The name of the precinct came
from England and a plan was
made, on quite an ambitious scale,
for the town to be named Low
Wickham. In the summer of 171O,
Edward Hyde came upon the scene,
saying he had been sent to be
deputy governor but that owing to
the death of Col. Toynte, the Gov
ernor, he had no commission and
could get none, his own proof being
private letters which he exhibited.
But his story was believed and
the Council elected him it's presi-
dent, this being asserted to be the
wish of the Lords Proprietors.
Hyde was a cousin of Queen Anne
Of Great Britain and this inspired
an "awful respect" for him. He
took the office, ordered new
Assembly to be chosen and it met
in March I'LL. He had a large
majority in the new Assembly and
rebellion" by his opponents fol-
lowed, which Governor Spottswood
of Virginia crushed with troops he
brought here. Colonel Cary headed
this rebellion" Not until January
"a, 1712, was Hyde commissioned
and he took the oath of office May
9. 1t was in this "Cary Rebellion"
that the numerous Quakers took
up arms. Hyde was the first gov
ernor of North Carolina separate
and distinct from South Carolina.
In September, I'LL, the "Great
Massacre" of the white settlers by
the Tuscarora Indians and their
allies occurred, and Wickham suf-
fered. Wickham precinct in 1912
became Hyde precinct. Governor
Hyde, for whom the latter was
named was a grandson of the Earl
of Clarendon, one of the original
Lords Proprietors.
In July 1922, William Doyle,
servant, was convicted by the
General Court" of stealing prop
erty valued at shillings and 6
pence from his master, William
Barrow, of Hyde precinct, was
found guilty, "tied to the tail of
cart and whipped on the bare
back with 80 stripes through
Edenton, the Provost Marshall of
Albemarle seeing this done, and
three days later he was whipped in
like manner through Bath Town,
under the supervision of the Pro-
vost Marshall of the county of
Bath, who then delivered him to,
his master, William Barrow"
There was fort in the precinct,
with a garrison of 80 men; this
being at Cow Town, it's name being
Hyde Fort. There was also a gar
rison of 10 men on guard at "Mr.
Readings" on Pampticough, as
barrier and safeguard to the in
habitants against the Indians. The
Parrish act" of TIA created Hyde
parish of the Church of England,
and named the following vestry-
men; Emanuel Cleves, John Jor-
dan, Samuel Slade, Richard Jasper,
William Cording, Henry Slade,
William Barrow, John Proctor,
Ribert Spring, Richard Dane,
Richard Harvey and Robert Green.
The voting place of the precinct