of the Blue Ridge, and extending in other directions "to the utmost limits of Virginia," from Orange county, and erected it into the two counties named. The line between them was "from the head spring of Hedgman's river to the head spring of the river Potomack." Augusta was much the larger of the two counties. It embraced, northward, the present county of Rockingham and a part of Page; to the south, it extended to the border of Virginia; and to the west and northwest, it extended over the whole territory claimed by Great Britian in those quarters. It included nearly all of West Virginia, the States of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and, as contended by Virginians, a part of western Pennsylvania.
The act provided that the two new counties should remain part of the county of Orange and parish of Saint Mark until it should be made to appear to the Governor and council that there was "a sufficient number of inhabitants for appointing justices of the peace and other officers, and erecting courts therein." In the meanwhile, the inhabitants were exempted from "the payment of all public, county and parish levies in the county of Orange and parish of Saint Mark"; but no allowance should be made "to any person for killing wolves within the limits of the said new counties." The act further provided for the payment of all levies and officers' fees "in money or tobacco at three farthings per pound," and also for the election, by freeholders and housekeepers, of twelve persons in each county, to constitute the vestries of the respective parishes as required by the laws relating to the Established Church. As we shall see, the county of Augusta was not fully organized and started on its independent career till the year 1745.
The Presbyterians of Augusta continued their "supplications" to the Presbytery of Donegal for a pastor to reside amongst them. In 1739, they first applied for the services of the Rev. Mr. Thompson, who came and preached for a time. Next they presented a call to the Rev. John Craig. At a meeting of Presbytery, in September, 1740, "Robert Doak and Daniel Dennison, from Virginia, declared in the name of the congregation of Shenandoah, their adherence to the call formerly presented to Mr. Craig;" and on the next day Mr. Craig "was set apart for the work of the Gospel ministry in the south part of Beverley's Manor."
