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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