named after William of Orange, was one of
eleven townships ordered by King George II
in 1730 meant to develop the "back country"
of the Carolina Province. The township was a
part of Craven County, one of the original
four counties that encompassed present South
Carolina. Williamsburg Township then
included most of the present Pee Dee region.
The township consisted 20,000 acres (80 km˛)
and was located in front of the Black River.
It was later divided and became a number of
separate counties, including present
Williamsburg County, South Carolina.
A white pine tree on the Black River was
marked by early surveyor with the King's
Arrow to claim it for the King. The tree was
referred to as “The King’s Tree,” and became
the center of the new township. Kingstree
eventually became the chief town of
In 1732 a colony of forty Scots-Irish led by
Roger Gordon came up the river by boat and
settled in the vicinity of the King's Tree.
They were poor Protestants who had come from
northern Ireland. They had settled there
seeking a better life than in Scotland,
before migrating to America.
It was an exceedingly difficult and
primitive life for the early settlers; the
life expectancy for those who survived
infancy was around 50 years. The settlers
tried to establish farmsteads in the
territories of several American Indian
peoples: the Wee Nee, Wee Tee, Chickasaw,
Creek, Waccamaw, and Pedee, but had few
conflicts with them. At first there was
considerable trade with the Indians, but
their populations fell dramatically due to
epidemics of new infectious diseases, to
which they had no immunity. Hazards for the
settlers included venomous snakes and
wolves, which were very common in the early