1 From Parish Lines in Virginia ,Virginia State Library
In 1714 a new parish was formed in Essex County south side of the Rappahannock River within the former bounds of St. Mary’s Parish The new parish was St George s Parish. Within its bounds was the settlement at Germanna on the Rapidan River. This parish was about ten miles square and was formed in the same manner that King William Parish in Henrico Parish had been formed for the French immigrants. This new parish was formed for the benefit of certain German Protestants who had settled at Germanna, so that they would be relieved from the payment of parish levies and be able to have their own minister.
The Act establishing the county of Spotsylvania from the heads of Essex, King and Queen and King William counties in 1720, stated that “the whole county of Spotsylvania be made one parish, by the name of St. George.” That portion of Essex County so taken was formerly in St. Mary’s Parish. At the first meeting of Essex County Court on May 10, 1692, St Mary’s Parish was mentioned as being already in existence. When St George’s Parish was originally formed in 1714, it was taken from St. Mary’s Parish.
When Spotsylvania County was formed in 1720, all of St Mary’s Parish in Essex County fell into the new county.
That portion of Spotsylvania County taken from King and Queen County was in St. Stephen’s Parish. This latter parish had been formed by 1674 or before, from Stratton Major Parish. In Patent Book 6 are two patents, issued on February 18, 1674, both of which mention land in St Stephen’s Parish.
Description – “Spotsylvania county bounds upon Snow Creek up to the mill, thence b» a southwest line to the river North-Anna, thence up the said river as 2 as convenient, and thence by a line to be run over the high mounts to the river on the northwest side thereof, so as to include the northern passage thro the said mountains, thence down the said river until it comes against the head of Rappahannock, thence by a line to the head of Rappahannock river, and down that river to the mouth of Snow Creek, which tract of land from the first of May, 1721, shall become a counts by the name of Spotsylvania County.”
2. The Act
AT A
General Assembly,
BEGUN AND HOLDEN AT
Alex: Spotswood, Esq. Governor.
The Capitol, in the City of Williamsburg, on the second
day of November, in the seventh year of the reign of
our sovereign lord George the first, by the grace of
God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King,
defender of the faith, &c.; and in the year of our
lord, 1720.
CHAP. I.
An Act for erecting the Counties of Spotsylvania and Brunswick; and granting certain exemptions and benefits to the inhabitants thereof.
[From Beverley’s abridgement, pa. 255.]
PREAMBLE, That the frontiers towards the high mountains are exposed to danger from the Indians, and the late settlements of the French to the westward of the said mountains.
Enacted, Spotsylvania County bounds upon Snow Creek up to the Mill, thence by a south-west line to the river North-Anna, thence up the said river as far as convenient, and thence by a line to be run over the high mountains to the river on the north-west side thereof, so as to include the northern passage thro’ the said mountains, thence down the said river until it comes against the head of Rappahanock, thence by a line to the head of Rappahanock river; and down that river to the mouth of Snow Creek; which tract of land from the first of May, 1721, shall become a county, by the name of Spotsylvania County.
3. Subsequent years
Spotsylvania County was divided and Orange County was created in 1735.
St George’s Parish was represented in the first Convention of the Church in Virginia in 1785.
St George’s Parish united the southern line of the Rappahannock River parishes and the northern and middle (or Pamunkey Neck) lines of the York River parishes, being formed from St Mary’s, Essex, St Stephen’s, King and Queen” and St Margaret’s, King William County.
At the 1964 meeting of the Diocesan Council, a petition was presented by the authorities of Overwharton Parish in Stafford County, the Parish Council of St George’s in Spotsylvania County, and the Vestry of Berkeley Parish, in Spotsylvania County, asking for a change in the respective parish lines. That petition set forth the facts, the reasons for the desired changes in parish lines, and a description by metes and bounds of the three parishes as reconstructed. Maps accompanying the petition marked the new boundary lines as set forth in the petition. These were filed and made a part of the permanent records of the Diocese.
The request set forth in the petition was adopted and the new parish lines were established. The description of the parishes by metes and bounds as re-established is quite lengthy, and the reader is referred to the Council Journal of 1964 for a complete description of each parish.