(Map of Virginia in 1600 from Alamy)

Once upon a time, all of North America between Florida and Nova Scotia was known as Virginia for a number of years ………. did you know that? The area was named by Queen Elizabeth (ruled 1558 to 1603) after herself as “the Virgin Queen.” She charmed by Sir Walter Raleigh’s, her favorite sea captain,  accounts of the coasts of the Carolinas in 1585 that she favored him by taking his suggestion for a name of this new land. 

True or false? I found this bit in a book, The History of Orange County Virginia, by William W. Scott, published in 1907.

I spent a bit of time digging into this recent reprint looking for information on my Orange County ancestors. Like with many checked-into sources, I found no real answers but several clues. (Isn’t that what real research is all about???)

I did find these rather amusing names:

Prettyman Merry, “a prominent citizen during the Revolution”

Mourning Pegg,  found on the 1782 census

Peachy Bledsoe, in 1792 a Regiment