(This timeline is from the web page of the Pittsylvania County Virginia genealogy project  http://www.rootsweb.com/—vapittsy 

 

1641 June - Walter Austin, Rice Hoe, Joseph Johnson and Walter Chiles petitioned the General Assembly “for leave and encouragement to undertake the discovery of a new river of unknown lands bearing west southerly from Appomattox River.” Petition granted in 1642 with right to have all profit from the trade for fourteen years.

I670 - Governor Berkley sent a group of gentlemen under the command of Major William Hams to explore the western territory which included what is today Pittsylvania.

1716 - Gov. Alexander Spotswood led his Golden Horse Shoe Party of gentlemen explorers across the state of Virginia to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

1720 - As a result of this trip two counties were formed, Spottsylvania in the north and Brunswick (present day Pittsylvania lay in this vast county) in the south by Acts of Assembly in November 1720.

1723 - Lords of Trade of London upon the petition of the Virginia Council, exempted the inhabitants of Spottsylvania and Brunswick from the payment of quit rents and the purchase of land rights for seven years and limited land grants to 1000 acres.

1728 - Colonel William Byrd of Westover surveyed the dividing line between Virginia and North Carolina.

1730-40 - The Germans, the Quakers and the Scotch-Irish were moving in great numbers from Pennsylvania into Virginia including what is today Pittsylvania County.

1732 - Court for the county of Brunswick established.

1738 - Because Brunswick County was developing slowly in its western lands and to encourage settlement along the Roanoke, in November of 1738 the following was enacted.-”Whereas the lands lying upon Roanoke River on the southern boundary of this colony are for the most part unseated and uncultivated; and a considerable number of persons, as well as his Majesty’s natural born subjects, as foreign Protestants, are willing to import themselves with their families and effects, and to settle upon the said lands,, be it enacted that all per sons whatsoever who within ten years next after the passing this Act shall import themselves into this colony, and settle upon the Roanoke River, on the south branch (Dan) of the same above the fork, and on the north branch of the said river, above the mouth of Little Roanoke, and the lands lying between them, deemed to be in Brunswick County shall be exempted from the payment of all levies for ten years, and be at liberty al all times hereafter to pay the officers fees in money at the rate of three farthings per pound of tobacco.”

1735 - June 11 - Colonel William Byrd petitioned the Council on June 11, 1735 for 100,000 acres along Roanoke River, between waters of Birch Creek and Irwin River, to settle Switzers and other foreign Protestants. Land lying between Birch Creek and Irwin River is southern Pittsylvania County. In 1739 Colonel Byrd petitioned Council to extend time to bring in settlers.

1745 - Brunswick County divided and the western part became Lunenburg County which included Pittsylvania County. At the same time more and more settlers from Tidewater Virginia especially from the peninsula between the James and York River.

On May 5th the following took the oath of justice of the peace for the newly created Lunenburg County-William Leonard, Matthew Talbott, Lewis Delony, John Phelps, William Hill, John Caldwell, Cornelius Cargill, Abraham Cooke, Hugh Lawson, Thomas Lanier, and William Caldwell.

1752 - Halifax County created out of Lunenburg and included what is today Pittsylvania.

1767-June 1 - Pittsylvania County was cut off from Halifax County.

The Development of Pittsylvania County, Virginia