Hyde County was named
in honor of Edward Hyde, Governor of North Carolina and a grandson of the
Earl of Clarendon.1
The courts for Hyde County were held in the courthouse in Bath until 1729. In that year an act was passed separating the precincts of Beaufort and Hyde and authorizing a courthouse to be built on the land of William Webster. In 1738 a town by the name of Woodstock was laid out on Webster's land. The courthouse at Woodstock burned about 1789, and in 1790 an act was passed moving the courthouse to Bell's Bay or Jasper's Creek. The county seat was on Jasper's Creek during 1791-1792. A law was passed in 1791 establishing a town on the land belonging to Germain Bernard where the courthouse stands." This town was called German-town. In 1820 the old courthouse was authorized to be sold and a new one erected at Lake Landing or within two miles of it. In 1836 commissioners were named to purchase land from Zacheriah Gibbs for a county seat, or within one-forth mile of the place called Swan Quarter, and erect a courthouse.1
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