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Isle of Wight County is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its county seat is Isle of Wight. Isle of Wight County features two incorporated towns, Smithfield and Windsor. The original courthouse for the county was built in Smithfield in 1750. The original courthouse and its associated tavern (The Smithfield Inn) are still standing. A new courthouse was built near the center of the county in 1800. The 1800 courthouse and its associated tavern (Boykin's Tavern) are also still standing. During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the settlement at Jamestown in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads. Captain John Smith in 1608 crossed the James River and obtained fourteen bushels of corn from the Native American inhabitants, the Warrosquyoackes or Warraskoyaks. They were a tribe of the Powhatan Confederacy, who had three towns in the area of modern Smithfield. The Warraskoyaks were driven off from their villages in 1622 and 1627, as part of the reprisals for the Great Massacre of 1622. The first English plantations along the south shore within present-day Isle of Wight were established by Puritan colonists, beginning with that of Christopher Lawne in May 1628. Several members of the Puritan Bennett family also came to settle the area, including Richard Bennett who led the Puritans to neighboring Nansemond in 1635, and later became governor of the Virginia Colony. By 1634, the Colony consisted of eight shires or counties with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants. One of these was Warrosquyoake Shire an Aglicisation of the indigenous name, which was renamed Isle of Wight County in 1667, after the island off the south coast of England of the same name. The name was probably changed because the Isle of Wight had become the home of some of the principal colonists, namely the families of Richard Bennett, Thos. Spain, Christopher Lawne, and James Peterson (among others), though the Native American name went through multiple Anglicisations, eventually also being known as "Warwicke Squeake" among the local inhabitants. St. Luke's Church, built in 1632, is the nation's only original Gothic church and the oldest existing church of English foundation. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its significance. In 1732 a considerable portion of the northwestern part of the original shire was added to Brunswick County; and in 1748 the entire county of Southampton was carved out of it. The following counties and independent cities lie adjacent to Isle of Wight County: Newport News, Virginia — northeast; Suffolk, Virginia — southeast; Southampton County — south and west; Franklin, Virginia — southwest; and Surry County — northwest. |
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Researching
by surname
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The following are
names of persons, found within our databases as having been either
born, married or died in this location. Names in dark red denote direct ancestral
lines. To find out more
about each surname listed click on the corresponding Link. |
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McVicker; Moreland; Pinnell; Scruggs and allied
families (MMPS) |
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Godwin; Taberer; Webb; Wilkinson |
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Bozarth; Peiffer; Quigley; Rhubart
and allied families (BPQR) |
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Dellinger; Knecht; Pfeffer; Silar and allied
families (DKPS) |
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Click on this link to find out more about each surname listed
above as well as other surnames found within our three family databases. |
This link will also lead you to surname resources at Rootsweb, and information about
the world-wide distribution of a surname. |
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Use this free genealogy site to help you get the
best genealogy searches from Google™ by using your family tree, for your
research. It will create a series of different searches using tips or "tricks" |
that will likely improve your
results. The different searches will give you many different ways of using
Google and the Internet to find ancestry information about this
or any other
Surname. |
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Click on the LINK to the right to see more
information about the World distribution of any surname. |
You can get greater detail
for any of the maps by clicking on the area, i.e
state, county that you are interested in. |
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ancestral gen-sites
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It
is possible that James Webb, son of Giles
Webb came
to Isle of Wight County from Richmond County around 1670. He is said to have married Elizabeth
Godwin, daughter of Thomas Godwin,
at Isle of Wight County. Apparently James
Webb died about 1675 after producing four known
children in Isle of Wight County. It
is believed that Elizabeth Godwin Webb
continued to live in Isle of Wight County until her death in 1718. Elizabeth Webb,
daughter of the aforementioned James and Elizabeth Godwin Webb
first married a William Wilkinson at Isle of Wight County
around 1690. After the death of William
Wilkinson, Elizabeth Webb
married Theodrick
Carter, of Henrico County, in 1704. She probably
removed from Isle of Wight County at that time and went to live at her Theodrick Carter’s
home in Henrico County. Of Elizabeth
Webb’s siblings it appears that James
Webb, Jr. lived his entire life in Isle of Wight County,
and William Webb married a Mary
Taberer at Isle of Wight County
in 1691/92 but removed from the county westward to Spotsylvania County,
Virginia where he died in 1742. |
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Map of the county
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from the keyboard you can
increase or decrease the zoom value in 10% increments. To zoom |
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Gen-site profiles
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Isle
of Wight
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LOCATION: |
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DESCRIPTION
OF GEN-SITE: Isle of Wight is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States. Originally, Isle of Wight County, was named Warrosquyoake Shire. This was changed to the current name of Isle of Wight in 1637. |
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ANCESTORS
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE:
see Family History Notes above |
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INTERNET
WEB LINK(S): |
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LOCATION: |
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DESCRIPTION
OF GEN-SITE: |
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ANCESTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE: |
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INTERNET WEB LINK(S): |
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LOCATION: |
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DESCRIPTION
OF GEN-SITE: |
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ANCESTORS
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE: see Family History Notes above |
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INTERNET WEB LINK(S): |
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populated places
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gazetteer
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The list below will assist in your research
regarding the matching of your ancestor’s birth, marriage, death dates and the
place(s) within this locality at which these events may have occurred. |
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Profiles for 59 cities, towns and other populated places in Isle of Wight County,
Virginia |
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Map of Isle of Wight County Virginia Isle of Wight County Physical,
Cultural & Historic Features | Schools Isle of Wight County ZIP Codes | Area Codes Isle of Wight County Land - Property,
Farms & Ranches |
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Isle of Wight Co., VA, United States
Details | Resources | Cities | Cemeteries | |
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Links To Populated Places Within This County |
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Incorporated towns
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Unincorporated towns and communities
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Find Physical Features* Within This County |
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* includes but not limited to
Cemeteries, Churches, Locales, Schools, Military
Installations; Populated Places, Post
Offices, Streams, and Trails |
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County boundary
changes
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Conducting genealogical research in the United States requires an
understanding of county boundaries. As
the population grew more counties were created to meet the public’s need for localized
governments. This phenomena
was common in all states during the 17th,
18th and 19th centuries. As such you must be sure that you are not
looking for records in the wrong county or state. The web-site for the Atlas of Historical County Boundary Project provides interactive maps for all states. This Atlas is meant to be a resource for people seeking records of past events, and people trying to analyze, interpret and display county-based historical data like Land Records, Probate Records, Court Records, Tax Records, and Vital Records that document birth, death, and marriage. Listed below are the boundary changes for this county, the dates they occurred, as well as the government statute that decreed the change. To see actual changes in a mapping format follow this LINK to the Atlas of Historical County Boundary Project . |
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ISLE OF
WIGHT COUNTY: Map(s) and descriptions of
Historical Boundary Changes Click on thumbnail buttons for
Map images |
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1634 - WARROSQUYOAKE (now ISLE OF WIGHT)
created as one of the original eight shires (counties). |
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1637 - WARROSQUYOAKE renamed ISLE OF WIGHT. 1640 - ISLE OF WIGHT boundaries redefined [no
change]. 1647 - Boundary between ISLE OF WIGHT and
NANSEMOND (extinct) clarified [no change]. |
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1656 - ISLE OF WIGHT gained from NANSEMOND
(extinct). 06 Aug 1701 -
Southern boundary of ISLE OF WIGHT
clarified [no change]. 29 May 1702 -
Boundaries of ISLE OF WIGHT
clarified [no change]. |
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31 Oct 1723 -
ISLE OF WIGHT lost to BRUNSWICK. |
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01 Jan 1733 -
[1 January 1732/1733] ISLE OF
WIGHT lost to BRUNSWICK. |
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20 May 1749 -
ISLE OF WIGHT lost to creation of
SOUTHAMPTON. |
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15 Dec 1769 -
ISLE OF WIGHT gained from
NANSEMOND (extinct). |
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13 Mar 1772 -
ISLE OF WIGHT gained from
NANSEMOND (extinct). |
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historical changes of county boundaries in all 50
U.S. States. |
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State-Wide Resources
For more information about
the U.S. State in which this county is located click
on these LINKS: |
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Where in
the world
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Resources which enhance
our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as
important as their names. |
This LINK will take
you to Maps, Gazetteers, and other helpful resources that will assist you in discovering
Ancestral Locations. |
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gen tool-kit
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Our “Gen-Tool Kit” has been primarily designed for those researchers who may be traveling to this location to perform on-site studies of their family history, or to just visit some of the interesting historical sites located in the area. It can be very satisfying to mix research with sightseeing at historical and scenic spots. Such activity not only gives you an understanding of the land but a needed break from intense research sessions. When visiting an ancestral county for genealogical research we’ve found that the three most important places to visit are the county courthouse; the county library; and the county historical and/or genealogical societies. It is also good to plan ahead by contacting any site you intend visiting in order to ascertain where it is and when it will be open. This is especially true with regard to historical and genealogical societies. We hope that the following information will provide you with a better idea of what resources are available, within this county, to the family historian. |
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Cemeteries
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·
Antioch ·
Bethany |
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Shiloh ·
St. Lukes (*) ·
Town of Windsor (*) ·
Tyler |
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History
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National Register of
Historic Places listings in Isle of Wight County, Virginia |
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Isle of Wight County 1608-1907
($) |
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Isle of Wight County
Post Offices 1846 ·
Isle of Wight County
Bibliography |
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Libaries, Museums, Archives
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Maps and Gazetteers
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· Isle of Wight County 1895 U.S. Atlas) · Isle of Wight County Gazetteer · Isle of Wight County Topo Maps and Aerial Photos |
· Quad List of Isle Wight, Virginia · Quad List of Rescue, Virginia · Quad List of Smithfield, Virginia |
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County Records
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· Isle of Wight County Marriages ·
Isle of Wight County
Virginia Birth Records, 1867-96 ($) |
·
Marriages of Isle of
Wight County, Virginia 1628-1800 ($) ·
U.S. Federal Census
Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 ($) |
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·
Isle of Wight County
Clerk of the Circuit Court has Marriage Records from 1771, Land
Records from 1636, Probate
Records from 1636 and Court Records from 1636 and is located at the County Courthouse on 17122
Monument Circle, Isle of Wight, VA 23397; 757/365-6233. |
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Societies
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resources
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This
search engine may provide
you with additional |