PARISH HISTORY

YAUHANNAH HISTORY

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PARISH OF PRINCE GEORGE , WINYAH

The parish of Prince George Winyah was taken off from St. James' Santee Parish by Act of Assembly, March 10, 1721.

"In 1721 the Parish of Prince George, Winyah, was established, bounded on the S.W. by Santee River, on the N.E. by the Cape Fear River, on the East by the Ocean, and on the West "as far as it shall be inhabited by his Majesty's subjects." (Statutes, vol. 3, p. 171)

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The church built under the first Act of 1721 fell within the limits of the new parish under the Act of 1734, and became the parish church of Prince Frederick. The new church for the parish of Prince George Winyah was built in Georgetown, and was completed about 1753. The parish of Prince George Winyah, was again divided by an Act passed May 23, 1767, to form the parish of All Saints Waccamaw.

PARISH OF PRINCE FREDERICK, WINYAH

"In 1734, the Parish of Prince Frederick, Winyah was established, taken from that of Prince George, Winyah, embracing, according to the Act, the region of the Upper Pedee on the West." (Statutes, vol 3, p. 374)

By an act of the General Assembly, April 19, 1734 and March 29, 1735 the parish of Prince George Winyah was divided and that part "beginning at the Southwesternmost plantation of John DuBose on Santee, from thence on a line to the head of John Green's creek, and down the said creek till you come to Black River and from thence over Black river to the plantation of John Bogg, to be included in the town parish church now is, shall and is hereby declared to be a distinct parish by itself..........and known by the name of Prince Frederick."

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Dissatisfaction existed as to the dividing line between the two Parishes. It had been decided that the line was to extend due North over the Pedee River to the utmost bounds of the Province, it being provided "that the tract of land to the East of the said line, between that and the Sea, should be deemed as part of the Parish of Prince George, Winyah and on the other side of the line to the West, a part of the Parish of Prince Frederick."

The following letter of Colonel George Pawley brought the matter to the notice of Council:

July 7th, 1739

To the Hon. Wm Bull

Please your Honour.---- I think it my duty to inform your Honour that the dividing line of Prince George and Prince Frederick's Parishes is not yet finished according to the additional Act made, which was to cross Pedee River, and continue a North course till it touch the Provincial line; which, if it is done, will, in my humble opinion, break that small company as is of late erected on that Neck lying between Great Pedee and Little Pedee Rivers also it will cross some part of Queensborough Township which is a Parish of itself. Therefore if your Honour pleases to think on it, I doubt not but you will be of the opinion to have Great Pedee the boundary of the Parish upward from where the line is marked and strikes the said River; for as it now stands, there is a confusion among the Inhabitants, not knowing in what Parish they belong; also, the Surveyors know not how to certify their Plots some for one Parish and some for the other. There if the river be the Bounds the work is done, and no charge to the Publick; and that your Honour may have a better idea, I have drawn a small Draft of the Rivers in these Parts; so I beg your Honour will be so good as to forgive, if I have done amiss, for it is not my intent so to do, but the hearty desire for the good of the place. So beg leave to subscribe myself your Honour's most obedient, humble servant to command, Signed: George Pawley -------------------------------(Council Journal, No. 7)

Whereupon, it was "Ordered, that the Clerk do draw out two copies of Mr. George Pawley's letter, with the draft of the Rivers, one of them to be sent to the Parish of Prince Frederick's, the other to be sent to the Parish of Prince George to know whether they have any objection to make to the proposals contained in the said letter, for settling the Boundary of these Parishes, and to return an answer." The matter having thus been referred to the inhabitants, action was taken by then; and on the 25th January 1742, a Petition from sundry inhabitants of Prince George was laid before Council praying that the Great Pedee might be made the dividing line between the Parishes;...........This petition was signed by George Pawley, John Woodbury, David Cherrey and thirty- eight others.

A counter petition was at the same time presented by John Avant, and nineteen others, inhabitants of Prince Frederick's praying the line should not be so run: "

1st. Because the Inhabitants residing between the said rivers are twelve miles and upwards nearer to our Parish Church than to George Town.

2nd. The major part of the above said Inhabitants must go through our Parish and pass by our Church to public worship, and other religious duties and other officers to George Town.

3rd. Because the said Inhabitants pray to be included in the River.

4th Because the Township of Queensborough is laid on both sides of the Pedee River; and

5th That whenever the Legislature shall to erect the Township of Queensborough and Williamsburg into separate Parishes, this of Prince Frederick's being the oldest Parish (from which Prince George was divided,) will be confined to narrow limits, and consequently for ever remain one of the smallest, if not poorest, Parishes in the Province, if so valuable a branch as that of Pedee be taken from it."

"We further presume to acquaint your Honours that the North line appointed by Act of Assembly to be run from John Bogg's plantation, on Black River, was supposed and intended (by our Representatives) to make Pedee River at or below the plantation Euhaney, belonging to Mr. Percival Pawley, about 18 miles distant from said Bogg's plantation; but we now find that a North course excludes from this Parish sundry families residing on Pedee River, who constantly attend divine service in this Parish, being about twelve miles distant from our Church, and at least twenty-two miles from George Town." ------------(Council Journal, No. 8, pp. 454-5)

" We therefore pray your Honours to relieve the Inhabitants by ordering the dividing line to be run a straight course, which shall be done on our own proper Charges."

The Petitions were ordered to lie on the table.------------ (Council Journal, No. 8, p. 455)

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