Historical Sketch
Caswell County, North Carolina, was established in 1777. It was carved from Orange County to make governmental agencies more accessible to the area's residents. Over three hundred men signed the petition submitted in 1771 requesting that the Colonial government at New Bern further partition Orange County. Because Orange County had just recently been subdivided and because matters leading to the Revolution took precedence, no action was taken on this petition. It was not until independence had been declared and the Revolutionary War had begun that Caswell County was created by the first state government. The new county appropriately was named Caswell after Richard Caswell, the first governor of the new State of North Carolina.
Thus began the new county. Governor Caswell had appointed justices of the peace to hold court and to administer the business of the county. The initial organizational meeting was to be the convening of the first court at the house of Thomas Douglas in what would become Leasburg, the county's first county seat. There, on June 10, 1777, at the first session of the Caswell County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, the justices of the peace appointed by the governor met to create the government of the county. John Lea was given the honor of opening the first court. Selected at this first session were the clerk of the court (William Moore), the sheriff (David Shelton), the register of deeds (Archibald Murphey), and the ranger (John Payne). Among the business conducted by this first court was recognizing the commission from the governor appointing John Graves as Captain and appointing James Saunders as Colonel. The first court session lasted but three days.
For more history of Yanceyville, visit The Caswell County Historical Association
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