Montgomery County was formed from Anson County in 1779 and was named in honor of General Richard Montgomery, a 37-year-old native of Ireland who had been a distinguished British soldier for 16 years. He sold his commission in 1772 and came to America with his wife Janet Livingston. He purchased a farm at Kingbridge, N.Y. on the Hudson River. Richard Montgomery was a man who loved justice, and had an unwavering devotion to liberty and a strong sense of duty and courage. He soon became a staunch supporter of the rights of the colonies.
In 1774 he was appointed to represent his county at the Provincial Convention in New York City. In July, the Continental Congress at Philadelphia commissioned officers for the army with General Washington in command. There were five Major Generals and eight Brigadier Generals. Among these was Richard Montgomery.
An army of 3,000 troops was to be organized to take Canada before the British could bring in reinforcements. With considerable fewer troops, Montgomery lay siege to Fort St. John on September 6th. The surrender came on October 2nd. Next, Montgomery moved against Montreal which fell November 13th. Then it was on to Quebec where in a driving snow storm the attack was made December 31st and Montgomery, leading his men, was killed.
A former friend and compatriot, Sir Guy Carlton, leader of the British forces, with affection and respect had him buried with full military honors within the walls of Quebec.
Montgomery’s remains were in Quebec for forty-two years. Then by order of the government they were brought to New York City where they were buried in front of St. Paul’s Church on Broadway by a monument designed by Col. Le Eufont, which was commissioned by Benjamin Franklin and bears this inscription: “This monument is erected by order of Congress 25 January 1776 to transmit to posterity a grateful remembrance of the patriotic conduct, enterprise and perseverance of Major Richard Montgomery who after a series of successes, amidst the most discouraging difficulties fell in the attack on Quebec 31st December 1775, aged 37 years”.
There are 14 states with counties named Montgomery – North Carolina third, with Maryland and Virginia first.
The County Seat
The Pee Dee River divided the county and made the journey to the courthouse difficult resulting in a dispute regarding which side of the river should the courthouse be located. In those days, there were no bridges or safe ferries, only fords or flat-bottomed boats which were easily upset and made the trip dangerous.
Miss Carrie Lilly of Mt. Gilead, a teacher and historian, says the first county commissioners were Henry Munger, Walton Harris and James Pickett and they were appointed to establish a boundary between Montgomery and Anson counties. Also, West Harris, James Allen, Edmund Lilly and James Roper were appointed to contract for 50 acres of land to establish a county seat that would include a courthouse, prison and stocks.
The first county seat was Tinsdale (or Tindalsville) on the west bank of the river. Among the many roving county seats are references to Blakely, Henderson, Stokes and Lawrenceville. Tindalsville was wiped out by an epidemic of typhoid fever. The roving county seats were burned and their county records lost.
Because of the controversy regarding the courthouse location, the county was divided in 1842 using the Pee Dee River as the boundary line. This bill was ratified January 13, 1843. The same year the courthouse at Lawrenceville was burned and a decision was made to move the county seat to Troy, which was then known as West Old Fields.
Fifty acres of land donated by Angus M. McCaskell was selected. Here a new courthouse and jail was built by Peter Munroe and completed in 1846. This building burned in 1886 and again almost all records lost. The second courthouse, a wooden structure, was built in 1897-98. In December 1918 fire destroyed the jail, and the county commissioners decided it was time to build a more permanent courthouse and jail. The present beautiful brick building was constructed and ready for occupancy by mid-1921.
At the time of the division of the county D.H. Montgomery was a member of the senate from Montgomery County, and Thomas Pemberton and Edmund Lilly were in the House. Farquar Martin was Clerk of Court and James Lilly the Register of Deeds. Martin later served as the Sheriff. Henry Deberry was the first sheriff of Montgomery County.
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