Whether because of the Puritan element in Nansemond or because of Quakers resident there, who on account of their aversion to war were of no aid against the Indians, settlement for the first time turned away from Tidewater to the area lying between the Rappahannock and the Potomac Rivers. Because of its fertile soil, easy transportation and healthful climate, the colonists patented land in this favored region in increasing numbers. By 1645 the county of Northumberland had been formed and organized. Although we have no Act of Assembly to establish the date of its formation, an item from a volume of _Maryland Archives_ under date of 1645 referring to Lieutenant Colonel John Trussell of the county of Northumberland shows the county was then functioning. The area from which Northumberland was formed had borne the Indian name of Chickacoan. It was a border settlement with no stable government and in need of law and order. Northumberland extended from the Potomac to and across the Rappahannock River and from the tip of "Northern Neck," as the territory lying between the two rivers was called, indefinitely westward. The name derives from the English shire, Northumberland. Population of the colony is estimated to have been about 15,000 in 1649, 500 of whom were negroes, and in 1654, 21,600 persons. This rapid growth was due largely to the Civil War in England which made Virginia a haven of refuge for many. NORTHUMBERLAND DIVIDED In 1651, that portion of Northumberland lying on both sides of the Rappahannock River was divided and a new county, called Lancaster from the English shire of that name, was formed. Colonists were moving westward in Northumberland and the distance to its courthouse made attendance at court difficult. In 1653, the new county of Westmoreland was set up from the western end of Northumberland to take care of these new residents. Its boundaries were "from Machoatoke River where Mr. Cole lives and so upwards to the falls of the great river of Potomac above the Necostins Town." It did not extend across the Rappahannock River. The "Mr. Cole" referred to is probably the Richard Cole, who in his will, directed that an elaborate tombstone be ordered for him carrying the following inscription: "Here lies Dick Cole a grievous sinner Who died shortly before dinner Yet hopes in Heaven to find a place To satiate his soul with grace." Westmoreland, destined to share with Charles City County the distinction of being the birthplace of two Presidents of the United States, is a beautifully situated area with famous estates on its fertile lands. Among these should be mentioned "Stratford," the birthplace of two Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, and of General Robert E. Lee. NEW TIDEWATER COUNTIES