Chatham County, North Carolina in 1771 from Orange County. It had been named in 1758 for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, who served as British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1768 and opposed harsh colonial policies. In 1907, parts of Chatham County and Moore County were combined to form Lee County. While not devoted to large plantations, the county was developed for small farms, where slave labor was integral to the owners' productivity and success. By 1860 one-third of the county population were African Americans, chiefly enslaved. George Moses Horton, Historic Poet Laureate of Chatham County, (1797?-1883) lived most of his life enslaved
George Brudenell, 3rd Earl of Cardigan Elizabeth Bruce, daughter of Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury and 3rd Earl of Elgin, in 1703. They had several children, including George, the 4th Earl, who was created Duke of Montagu in 1766, James Brudenell, 5th Earl of Cardigan, the Honourable Robert Brudenell and Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, who succeeded to the Bruce estates and was created Earl of Ailesbury in 1776. Lord Cardigan died in July 1732 and was succeeded by his eldest son, George. The Countess of Cardigan died in December 1745, aged 56. George Brudenell, 3rd Earl of Cardigan George Brudenell, 3rd Earl of Cardigan (29 September 1685