If ever virtue lost a friend sincere
If ever sorrow claimed Virginia's tear
If ever death a noble conquest made
'Twas when Fauquier the debt of nature paid."
With tobacco as the medium of exchange and as the most valuable export, the economic base was too small for the large superstructure erected on it. The taxes, fees, and commissions on exported tobacco were numerous and onerous, the net return to the planter often did not cover the goods he had ordered and his debt to his London agent increased. It was British policy that her colonies should send her raw materials and buy from her manufactured articles, thus giving her merchants a double advantage and placing the colonists at double disadvantage. During the 1750's, the colony had been put to such great expense in prosecuting the French and Indian War that for the first time an issue of paper money was required. Economic conditions grew worse throughout the colony.
"Westward-Ho" Twenty-Six New Counties, 1750-1770
The unceasing westward trek of settlers continued. In 1750-60, eight counties were formed, between 1760-1770, eighteen new divisions occurred, which evidences the great growth of population.
Albemarle was the next county to be divided. In 1761, it was enacted that the portion "of the said county which lies on the south side of the Fluvanna river" [old name for the James River above Richmond] "shall be one distinct county and called and known by the name of Buckingham." By the same legislation, "that other part of the said county which lies on the north side of the Fluvanna river shall be divided from the confluence of Rockfish river with the Fluvanna by Rockfish river to the mouth of Green creek and thence a straight line to the house of Thomas Bell to the Blue mountains, and all that part which lies above Rockfish river and the lines aforesaid" shall be called Amherst County. Amherst Parish at the same time was formed from Saint Anne's Parish and made coterminous with the county of Amherst. Several years earlier, Tillotson Parish had been formed from Saint Anne's to take care of the residents of Amherst who lived on the south side of James River. It was now made coterminous with the county of Buckingham.
The name Buckingham is probably for the Duke of Buckingham. Amherst derives its name from "the hero of Ticonderoga, Major-General Sir Jeffrey Amherst, the most successful as well as the most popular of all the English Colonial Governors-General." He was titular Governor-General of Virginia 1759-1768 while Francis Fauquier performed the duties of the office.
Four years passed, and two more divisions were made in the western portion of Lunenburg. The part of Lunenburg comprised in the parish of Cornwall became Charlotte County and the portion in the parish of St. James became Mecklenburg.
These counties were named, as is the city of Charlottesville, after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who became Queen of England on her marriage to King George III.
We next find in 1767 that Halifax has grown to the point of division and a new county, Pittsylvania, has been taken from its western portion. Pittsylvania lay on the upper or western side "of a line to be run across the mouth of Strait Stone creek on Staunton river to the country line, near the mouth of the country line creek on Dan river." At the same time, Antrim, which was the parish for Halifax, was divided and the part lying in Pittsylvania became Camden. Pittsylvania honored "Sir William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, the celebrated English statesman" whose sympathy with them had endeared him to the colonists. A statue of him in Westmoreland county, Virginia and another in Charleston, South Carolina are further expressions of the affection felt for him.
Botetourt, 1770 Honors a Popular Colonial Governor