The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-05-04

$ divide Bath county into three pre-
! cincts-Pamptecough, lying on thu
: north side of Pamptecough Rive
; and beginning at Moline's Creek
|, and thence westerly to the heaC
i of the river Wickham, beginning
at Molne's Creek, so including al
the lands and river from that creel
to Matche Pungo Bluff; ,Archdale
: taking in all the south side of the
t Pamptecough River, and including
all the inhabitants along the Neuse
River. Moline's Creek was the Ole
2 name for Bath Creek.
From the examination of old
maps and colonial records, it ap-
pears that Wickham precinct
afterwards Hyde precinct took in
that extent of country bounded by
} the southern line of Albemarle
: county on the north, Pamlico
Sound on the east and south, and
] Moline's, or Bath, Creek on the
west. 1t included the northeastern
portion of the present Beaufort
county and all of the present Hyde
county with the exception of
Ocracoke Island. Albemarle county
then extended to the south side of
Albemarle Sound, and embraced
Dare, Tyrrell and Washington
counties, besides it's terrintory
north of the sound.
In I'LL, the name of Wickham
precinct was changed to Hyde pre-
cinct, in honor of Edward Hyde,
moneyless cousin of Queen Anne
who was made Colonial Governor
| of North Carolina. DR.. Kemp p.
Battle of the University of North
Carolina, best learned in the an
cient and forgotten history of the
colonies in North Carolina, says
that it is not known who Wickham
was, (for whom the precinct was
named, but probably a secretary
to the Lords Proprietors.-
A fact not generally known, but
true nevertheless, is that Bath
town, situated on Moline's Creek,
the oldest town in the state and for
five years in the colonial days the
seat of government, was at one
time in the old Hyde precinct.
1t does not appear precisely
when Pamptecough precinct was
changed into Beaufort precinct.
nor does it clearly appear when
this change took place, or where
the dividing line between the pre-
cincts of Hyde and Beaufort was
established. 1t is certain, however,
that the boundary of Beaufort pre-
cinct was extended far enough at
least to take in Bath town, located
on the east and Hyde's side of
Moline's Creek, which was the
dividing line between Hyde and
Beaufort precincts.
Prior to 1923. all the precincts
of Bath county attended court at
Bath. In that year, the Legisla-
ture or Assembly in session in the
old town of Edenton, "Among
other improvements, such as unit
ing the various settlements by
roads, established fixed localities
in the several precincts. and order
ed the erection, at them, of suit
able public buildings for offices and
courts of justice. 1t was thought
that one locality should suffice
for Hyde and Beaufort. This was
at Bath" (Hawk's History of
North Carolina)
In 1928, the Lords Proprietors
separated Hyde and Beaufort in
their court system, as will be seen
from the following: The last AS
sembly that ever convened in
Carolina under the government of
the Lords Proprietors met at
Edenton on the 9th of November
1928. This body separated the pre-
cincts of Hyde and Beaufort in
their court system and directed a
court house to be built in the for
mer county where Woodstock now
stands.
In 1929, Hyde and Beaufort
were separated by Act of Assem-
bly,. for convenience of the inhab-
itants and by the same act Hyde
was given power and authority to
locate and build a court house at
some convenient place, for the con-
venience of the inhabitants there
of. This was by act of the first
Assembly of the colonies of North
Carolina, after the surrender of
the Lords Proprietors to the crown,
and approving by Act of Assembly
the work done in Edenton relating
to the separation of Hyde and
Beaufort's court system. The place
chosen was Woodstock (now in
Beaufort county, and there was
situated Hyde County's first seat
of government. It is not known
how long it remained there. From
there it was taken to Germanton.
Afterwards, it was for time To-
Gated at Lake Landing and from