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Locations of Interest - Lancaster County
Source: Place-Names of the Northern Neck of Virginia, From John Smith's 1606 Map to
Present, Mary R. Miller, Virginia State Library, Richmond, Virginia, 1983 Lancaster County, formed from York County (established 1634) and from Northumberland County (established 1648). When established in 1651,
Lancaster County extended both north and south of the Rappahannock River. A portion of Lancaster County became Old Rappahannock in 1656, and, eventually the part on the north side became Richmond County in 1692. Middlesex County
was established from part of Lancaster County about 1669, and the remaining Lancaster County Territory south of the Rappahannock became Essex County in 1692. Today's Lancaster County now contains 153 square miles of mostly low and
level land with tidal inlets. Nearly 2/3 of the land is wooded. The establishement of civil governement and boundaries was ordinarily accompanied by the establishement of parishes and chrches in the settlement of Tidewater Virginia
and there is some evidence that a parish of unknown name was established as early as 1651. The Lancaster County Court divided the county into 2 parishes in 1654, the Upper Parish and the Lower Parish. The Upper Parish became
Farnham Parish. The portion of the Lower Parish north of the Rappahannock became Lancaster Parish in 1657, but was reunited with the parish on the south side of the Rappahannock as Christ Church Parish in 1666. When Middlesex
County was created about 1669, there remained an Upper Parish on the north side and a Lower Parish on the south side. The Upper Parish became St. Mary's White Chapel Parish and the lower one Great Christ Church Parish, then
eventually Christ Church Parish. |
