xt7k0p0wsw36 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7k0p0wsw36/data/mets.xml Isle of Wight County, Virginia Virginia Historical Records Survey 1940 Prepared by the Virginia Historical Records Survey, Division of Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration;  Virginia Conservation Commission, Sponsored; Other contributors include: United States Work Projects Administration Division of Professional and Service Projects; ix, 289 pages, illustrations, 28 cm; Mimeographed; Includes bibliographical references and index; UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries; Call number FW 4.14:V 819/no.47 books English Richmond, Virginia: The Survey This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Virginia Works Progress Administration Publications Inventory of the County Archives of Virginia, Number 47 Isle of Wight County (Isle of Wight Court House) text Inventory of the County Archives of Virginia, Number 47 Isle of Wight County (Isle of Wight Court House) 1940 1940 2015 true xt7k0p0wsw36 section xt7k0p0wsw36       wuu ¤ n¤ Ma®MnznanHWman»eu¤w          
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  `
1 INVENTORY OF TUE COUNTY ARCHIVES
I
OF VIRGINIA
U Prepared by
The Virginia Historical Records Survey V
Division of Professional and Service Projects
Work Projects Administration
Sponsored by
The Virginia Conservation Commission
NO. 47. ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY (ISLE OF WIGHT COURT HOUSE)
Richmond, Virginia
The Virginia Historical Records Survey
_ April 1940
1
W
1* ’ Q

 sti
y The Historical Records Survey Program g
· F.  
Sargent B. Child, Director i
Juliet A. Jones, Regional Supervisor I
Elizabeth B. Parker, State Supervisor ;
= 3
§
Division of Professional and Service Projects 3
Florence Kerr, Assistant Commissioner »
. Izetta Jewell Miller, Chief Regional Supervisor t*
Ella G. Agnew, State Director gé
x?
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION y
E
F. C. Harrington, Commissioner 3
_ F. H. Dryden, Regional Director y
Q William A. Smith, State Administrator 1
é
 s

 Z FOREWORD
@5
i The Invento gf Thg Count Archives pg Vir inia is one of a number of
bibliographies of historical materials prepared throughout the United States
by workers on the Historical Records Survey Program of the Work Projects
Administration. The publication herewith presented, an inventory of the
archives of Isle of Wight County, is number 47 of the Virginia series.
The Historical Records Survey Program was undertaken in the winter of
1935-36 for the purpose of providing useful employment to needy unemployed
historians, lawyers, teachers, and research and clerical workers. In
carrying out this objective, the project was organized to compile inven-
tories of historical materials, particularly the unpublished government
‘ documents and records which are basic in the administration of local govern-
ment, and which provide invaluable data for students of political, economic,
i and social history. The archival guide herewith presented is intended to ”
v meet the requirements of day-to-day administration by the officials of the
county, and also the needs of lawyers, business men and other citizens who
T require facts from the public records for the proper conduct of their af-
F fairs. The volume is so designed that it can be used by the historian in
T his research in unprinted sources in the same way he uses the library card
catalog for printed sources.
The inventories produced by the Historical Records Survey Program at-
tempt to do nwre than give merely a list of records - they attempt further
to sketch in the historical background of the county or other unit of
hq government, and to describe precisely and in detail the organization and
{ functions of the government agencies whose records they list. The county,
g town, and other local inventories for the entire country will, when com-
f pleted, constitute an enclyclopedia of local government as well as a bibli-
’ ography of local archives.
The successful conclusion of the work of the Historical Records Survey
Program, even in a single county, would not be possible without the support
of public officials, historical and legal specialists, and nany other groups
in th  community. Their cooperation is gratefully acknowledged.
The Survey Program was organized by Luther H. Evans, who served as
Director until his appointment as Director of the Legislative Reference
Service of the Library of Congress. He was succeeded on March l, 1940, by
· Sargent B. Child, who had served in the capacity of Field Supervisor since
y the inauguration of the Survey. The Survey Program operates as a Nation-wide
y series of locally sponsored projects in the Division of Professional and
’ Service Projects, of which Mrs. Florence Kerr, Assistant Commissioner, is
· in charge.
_»i F. G. HXRRINGTON
K Commissioner

   PREFACE
Uh The Historical Records Survey, a project of the Division of Profession-
Ӥ al and Service Projects of the Work Projects Administration, was organized
A nationally in January 1936. In March, work was begun in Virginia as part of
the Federal Writers' Project with Dr. H. J. Eckenrode as State Director and
H Dr. Lester J. Cappon of the University of Virginia as part-time Assistant
State Supervisor in charge of the Survey.
In November 1936, when the Survey became an independent unit of Federal
Project_ No. 1, Dr. Cappon became part-time State Director and Elizabeth
T B. Parker, a former supervisor, Assistant State Director. Following Dr.
Cappon's resignation in June 1937, Miss Parker was appointed State Director.
t In September 1939, the Survey became a State-wide non-Federal p oject.
n The principal objective of the Virginia Historical Records $urvey Pro-
yl ject has been to discover, preserve, and make accessible the basic materials ,
C for research. Complete inventories of the records of the State, counties,
‘ cities, towns, and other local public archives are being nade and will bo
_ prepared for publication and deposited with the appropriate agency of the
TQ Federal Government. In addition, a complete list of manuscript depositories
A in the State is being prepared and an inventory of important manuscript
~ collections will be made. A considerable amount of work has been done in
listing early American Imprints and approximately one-third of the church
p records in the State have been inventoried. The Survey has also been re-
sponsible for assisting State and county officials in sorting, arranging,
. and in some cases labeling and indexing loose papers and unbound materials.
j Furthermore, as a result of our efforts, many county officials have pro-
Q vided more adequate space for storing their records. Information in the
iQ entries in this volume is given as to the dates of all extant records, the
K quantity, the contents of series, the arrangement, indexing, and location.
Q Records are arranged according to the functional destination of the record.
H In the subject index the material is arranged alphabetically; in the chron-
r ological index it is arranged by decades. Preceding the entries for each
office is a brief account of the history, functions, and records of that
office.
The Inventogy gf thi County Archives gf Virginig will, when completed,
I consist of a separate number for each county. The numbering will be accord-
· ing to the respective position of the county in an alphabetical list of
counties. Thus Isle of Wight County is number 47, The inventory of the
State archives and municipal and other records will be issued separately,
_ For a complete list of publications of the Virginia Historical Records
Survey, see page 268.
¤ Under the supervision of Elizabeth B. Parker, the original inventory
‘ was undertaken in May 1938 by two workers, Clyde P. Sirles and John E,
Baucom who completed their work in June 1938. In addition to listing the
‘ official records of the county, these two young mon assorted a d labeled a
{ quantity of unbound material for the clerk and also aided him in rearranging
l records which were transferred from the old clerk's office to the new rec-
ord vault recently completed. From April 1939 to September 1939, Frances
T L. Beasley made a complete rech ck of all the county records under the
§ supervision of Harold A. Lovenstein. Just prior to releasing this volume,
,‘ a spot recheck of certain records was made by members of the editorial and
it research staffs to insure accuracy.

 vi Q
p
1 Preface L?
The inventory was edited in the Richmond office through the combined j§
V efforts of the State Supervisor and the editorial staff. Special supervision i
V of legal research, essays, and entry writing was h ndled by Pinckney Walker, f
Hamilton Enslow, and Ellis Miller, Jr., respectively. Other key workers who “
assisted with the preparation of this volume were; Frances Beasley, Louise
Macon, and Mary McMullen. Andrew L. Riffs, IIII, wrote the historical sketch.
l Miss Mabel S. Brodie, editor in charge of public records inventories, of the F
T Library of Congress Project staff in the District of Columbia, examined and E
. criticized the manuscript before it was published, but responsibility for its é
completeness and accuracy lies with th  Virginia staff. This volume received f
I th  approval of the official sponsor in the State, Th  Virginia Conservation Q
Commission. LQ
1;%*
The Survey in Virginia is indebted to the officials of the Virginia Q. I
State Law Library, The Bureau of Statutory Research and Drafting, the State Q
Work Projects Administration officials, and to the officials of Isle of Wight Q
County for their cooperation while the inventory was being made. In addition W
we take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the board of super- ?
visors and to the clerk of the county fo  making possible this publication E
through the co-sponsors' contributions to the non—labor cost of this project. Q
Upon request a liudted number of copies of this volume will be dis- ji I]
tributed free of charge to State and local public officials and to public pg
· libraries and government agencies outside of the State. Further inquiries Q
regarding this publication may be addressed to the Virginia Historical Rec- pj
ords Survey Project, Richmond, Virginia. QQ
ELIZABETH B. PARKER §_ I
State Supervisor  
Richmond, Virginia Virginia Historical Records K
December 1939 Survey Project Q
{
X v
6
.{ vi
  vu
’   1
..1 
3;*  x
Qi
w

 I TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Isle of Wight County and Its Records System
E I Page
On ll     OII•••I•I•I••|II|l•|•••||¢•••II•O••¢O•lII••I•I 1
2. Governmental Organization and Records System .. .............. ... 18
Q Chart of County Government . ..... . ........... . ............... . 57
3. Housing, Care, and Accessibility of the Records .. ........ ...... 60
ch 4. Abbreviations, Symbols, and Explanatory Notes ... ............... 63
O
B B. County Offices and Their Records
@3 I. Board of Supervisors .. .................. . ............. ......... 67
Proceedings. Financial: claims; ledgers; warrants.
°n _ Reports and Correspondence.
  II• County C1GI°k •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••   ·
Deeds. Liens: real property; personal property. Tax-
°ht p ation: real property; personal property; licenses.
g y Corporations and Partnerships. Conservation. Vital
‘°n 6 Statistics: births; deaths; marriages. Registers.
` A Military. Elections. Financial. Correspondence.
. Miscellaneous.
:`t•• l
      OIIOOIIIOIIIOOIUIOIOUIOOIIIIODIOIOIIIIIOIIIOUOII!.  
_ Chancery: case papers; dockets and proceedings. Common
A Law: case papers; dockets and proceedings. Judgments.
t Executions. Jurors and Witnesses. Probate: wills;
' l fiduciary. Oaths. Bonds: official; fiduciary; suit. ‘
} Lunacy. Taxation. Financial: banks; fees, fines and
g costs; collections and disbursements; allowances.
Q Elections. Miscellaneous.
I‘JI     IllIllllllIOOIIGIOOOIUIIIIOIIIIQIIIOIOOIIIOUOOIIIII  
Case papers. Dockets and proceedings. Executions.
AB Jurors and Witnesses. Roads. Intoxicating Beverages.
Financial.
V. Commonwealth's Attorney .......... ................... . ......... . 145
VII       IOOOIIOOOUOIDOIll|tO|OOIII|I|•IIIIO•IIOOIOII  
Dockets. Financial.
          OOIUIOIIQOOIOIIIOIOOOOOIIIIOIIUOIOIIOIOCUIO  
`     OIIOOOUOIOIOOOOIIOOOOUOIIDOOUIIOOOIIIIIOOCOIOIIIOODOIIIO  
Arrest and Levy. Compensation. Jail. Correspondence.
IX!   IOUIUIOIIIOIIUOOIOCIOIIOOIOIIO•|IQ•$III•I•I•••|IIlIO|O  
  XI   IUIOOOOIOOOIIOIOIIOOIIOOllDOQ!IllllIIOIOOIIIOOIIIOIOOOII  
i`,
Qi XI. Commissioner of the Revenue ................ .... ... .... ......... 168
lé Tax Assessments. Miscellaneous.
 

 viii  Q ,
Table of Contents ;@
L   xx;
* Page Lf
    IOIII!III||III|llI|||I0C|II{IOIOOIIUIOOIIIIIIIIIIIQQOVI    
  .   =,‘
XIII. Local Board of Equalization (Local Board of Review) .. ...... .... 180 §
XIVO     ll II IOOIIIOOI O I O1 III! Ol! I ll ll OI ODI II OC IOC! IIIOI   I
Receipts. Journals, Cash Books, and V
; Ledgers. Warrants and Checks. Taxation: real Q
property; personal property; capitation. Licensee. ,
Correspondence. J
`   C       O O I I |· l l l I O I I I I O O I I |· 1 I I O O O O I O I I I O l,| I O I I I l O O Q    
i*§€*‘e
XVIC       I I I U O l I I I U I I I O C I I l I O I O I I I I I I I I l I O I I I O O O I I    
XVII. School Trustee Electoral Board ......... ...... . .... ............. 203 @
        I I I I O O I O I I I C I O I I O I I I O I I I I I I U O Q l O C I I I I I I O I I O I    
Proceedings. Financial: claims; account books; ' g
warrants. Teachers and Pupils. Q
ig?
XIX. Division Superintendent of Schools .. ........... .... ..... ....... 211 i
Transportation. Textbooks. Census. Individual ` Y
Schools. Miscellaneous.  §
’ ·  
XX. L0cal·Boerd of Public Welfare (Overaeers of the Poor) .. ..... ... 216 E§Q
Proceedings. Financial. Federal Rglief. jp
Correspondence. »&Y
Q }Wp
. XXI. Superintendent of the Poor ..... ....... . .................... .... 222 ,%
      ICI OO ICO 0lOI CIO! IIC! O OI OIC! ICI! I I ll OUVOOIOOO OIIIIOI    
          I O I I O I I O O I I I I I I I I I O O O I l I I O I I I I O I I O I |·• O O C O I    
        I|IO|IlOU|OIIOIOIIIIII!IIIOIOIIIOIOIOOIIIIIIQ    
Clinical and Field Work: tuberculosis; general nurs- Q?
ing; schools; immunization. General Sanitation. Q
Correspondence. &
Q
XXVI     OIOIIIOOOOIIO IIOOOIIOC COI.! IOOOIOOIOOI I IO I ICO IQC    
3
  W           I I I I I I I O I O O O O O I I l I I I I I U I I O I I O I l I I O I O I I   sg
é Contracts. Reports. Maps. Correspondence. g
{V       I • O O O I I I l O I I O O I O l O O O I I Q I O O I I C O I O I I I I I I O I I •O O OI    
          I Q I I I I I I I O O I I O O I O O I I O I I I O I O I O I I I C O O • I I C · ·`    
Proceedings. Reports and Correspondence. Eg
      ·••IIIllIOIIIiIQClllllllltllllliilllllllIIIIIIIIOICO    
1* 
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XXX0     OOIII OIIOICOIIOCOUOIOCI IOIOO IIIIOIIOOI IOIOIOOOI    
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 i - ix -
3 Tnble of Contents
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 J (First entry, p. 76)
I. HISTORICAL SKETCH
° Isle of Wight County, one of the eight original shires, was formed in
“ 16341 from the plantation of Waraskoyack and bore that name until 1636,2 at
which time it was changed to Isle of Wight in honor of the English locality
of that name.3
The bounds given for the plantation of Waraskoyack in 1625 were “downe
wards from Hogg Island xiiij th [14] miles by ye River side."4 The subject
l of bounds, however, was a controversial one from 1640 to 1705, at which date
an act was passed for settling the bounds, stating that "many inconveniencys
attended the inhabitants . . . by reason of the uncertainity of the bounds of
the said Counties on the south side of the Black Water Swamp."5 The entire
county of Southampton was cut from Isle of Wight County in 1749,6 while a
( few years earlier a small part h d been taken from this and Surry Counties
J and added to Brunswick County because 'the poll taxes must necessarily be _
very grievous and burthensoue" to the small number of tithables in the newer
county.7 On two occasions small parts of Nansemond were added to Isle of
( Wight County.8
Lying on the south side of the James River, this county is grouped with
I the Tidewater counties on what is sometimes referred to as the Southside or
L Seventh Peninsu1a.9 The northeastern bounds of Isle of Wight County reach
j to the James River, while the Blackwater River forms its westerm boundary and
I the counties of Nansemond and Surry bound it on the southeast and northwest
V respectively.lO The area of the county, comprising 314 square miles, is
{ intersected by many swamps; among them are Blackwater, M cCadood1e, Champion,
(@_ Rattlesnake, Carawaugh, and Beaver Dam Swamps.ll
Y A point of interest concerning Isle of Wight County lies in the fact that
» it was early settled by Puritans. The first Puritan settlement, in 1619, was
1 1. William Waller Hening, compiler, The Statutes gp Large . . . (1619-1792),
I lst ed., Richmond, etc., 1809-23 [hereinafter cited as Hening, Statutes,
for complete citation, see Bibliography], I, 224. .
2. Patents, No. 1, Part 1, 1623-1643 [ms. vols. in State Land Office,
Richmond, Va.], p. 414.
( 3. Morgan Poitiaux Robinson, Virginia Counties, Virginia State Library
Bulletin, IX, nos. 1-3, Richmond, 1916, p. 182. _
( 4. Susan M. Kingsbu y, ed., Tpp Records pg ppg Virginia Company pf London,
Washington, 1935, IV, 556.
5• H€nj.Ylg’ StU.t|.1t98, I,   ibj.d•’ II,   j.bj.d•,    
` 6. Ibid., VI, 214.
{ 7. Ibid., IV, 355. `
1 8. Ibid., VIII, 405, 602.
Q 9. Jedediah Hotchkiss, compiler and editor, Virginia: é Geographical gpg
j Political Summary . . ., Richmond, 1876, pp. 5, ll.
ng 10. Rand McNally Commercial Atlas ppg Marketin Guide, Chicago, 1939,
it (hereinafter cited as Commercial Atlas), p. 407.
pV ll. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930, Population, I, Ngmber gpg
( Distribution pf Inhabitants, Washington, 1931, p. 1121 (table 3); Joseph
E Martin, g Qpy gpg Comprehensive Gazetteer pg Virginia, Charlottesville,
·( 1836, p. 197; conversation with Mr. R. A. Edwards, Clerk of the Circuit
Q Court, Isle of Wight County.

 2 -%
- 2 —  
msterieai Sketch (First entry, p. 76)  
that of Capt. Christopher Lawns, on the creek which still bears his name.l2 tg
, Captain Lawns was a member of the first assembly which met at Jamestown that fg A
year and together with Ensign Washer rep esented the plantation.l3 Hbwever, fm
y Captain Lawns died the following year14 and his patent was renewed by his Q
associates who requested “that the said Plantation shall from henceforth be g
called Isle of Wight Plantation, Provided that the heirs of the said Chris- Q
tophcr Lawns be in no way prejudiced thersby.“l5 Two years later (1621) Q ·
Edward Bennett, a wealthy merchant of London, settled a group of Puritans g
on Lawne‘s Creek, placing in charge Robert and Rickard Bennett, his nephews.l6 L
I Richard Bennett became Governor of Virginia (1652-55) under Cromwe11.17 j
Numbered among his descendants are John Randolph of Roanoke and Gen. Robert y
— E. Lee.18 Capt. Nathaniel Basse, one of the associates of Christopher Lawns, Q
7 settled at Basse's Choicelg near the Bennett Plantation in 1622,20 he and Q
¤ his associate, Arthur Swayns, having received patents for the transportation (
of 100 persons early that year.2l Z a
Both Basse's Choice and Bennett's Plantation suffered a severe blow in I,. 4
the Massacre of Good Friday 1622, when more than 50 persons were slain by B? ‘
the Indians at Bennett's Plantation a1one.22 These plantations must indeed my I
have presented a pitiful sight in april when Capt. Ralph Hamer was ordered to ig) =
“bring all the people and goods of Waraskoyack up to James Cittie,“23 and as tf
late as June 1623 there were mentioned only three households at Waraskoyaok.24 QF
Alist of persons in Virginia, dated "Feby. 1623," shuus only 29 white persons (Q 1
and 4 Negroes at Waraskoyack, while there were 20 whites at Basse’s Choice.25 @2 ·
In spite of the massacre, as well as t e great losses by disease (26 died be- it 1
tween March 1622 and February 1623),26 the Puritan settlements grew and (Q. \
‘ prospered. Both Waraskoyack and Basse‘s Choice were represented at the ti? E
assembly of 1623 and 1624,27 and from an account of some goods received, the fg
trade of Mr. Robert Bennett would seem to have flourished. A few of the more fj
interesting iteue were" ._. . 19 Buttes of excellent good wynes, 750 jarse lgi e
    <
12. John Smith, Travels ggg Works gg Caggain John Smith . . ., Arber ed., gv 1
Edinburgh, 1910, II, 540; John Holladay Latane, Egg Early Relations gg- gi r
tween Maryland ggg Virginia, Johns Hopkins University Studies gg Histori— Q J
ggg ggg Political Science, XIII, 3-4, Baltimore, 1895, 36. Q I
13. H. R. Mcllwuine and J. P. Kennedy, eds. and compilers, Journals gE Egg §< V
House gg ggrgosses (1619-1776), Richmond, 1905-15 (vols. not numbered), § _
{1619-se), p. vu. gt
14. Latune, Egg Early Relatgons Between Maryland ggg Virginia, p. 36; Q— E
Records gg Egg Virginia Comggny, I, 414. ~§ 2
15. Ibid., I, 414. Q
16. Latane, Egg Early Relations ggggggg Maryland ggg Virginia, p. 37. 5 E
17. Margaret V. Smith, Virginia, Eggg-1892 . . ., Washington, 1893, p. 100. IY, 3
18. John Bennett Boddis, Seventeenth Century Isle gg Wgght Virginia, Chicago, if 3
, 1938, pp. 79—80. jg, 3
F l9. Records gg Egg Virginia Company, I, 414. Q ,,` 
“ 20. Latane, Egg Early Relations Between Maryland ggg Virginia, p. 37. LRG 3
Zl. R€C0rde gE Egg Virginia Comggny, I, 561. RQ 3
22. Colonial Records gg Virginia, Senate Document, Extra, Richmond, 1874, p. 6QY¥
23. Records gg Egg Virginia Comggny, III, 610. RF 3
24. Ibid., III, 537; ibid., IV, 158. t?. 3
25. Colonial Records gg Virggnia, pp. 48-49, 51. BQQ 3
26a Ibid•7 p•    
27. Mcllwaine, gggrnals gg Egg gouse gg Burgesses, l6l9·1658g9, p. viii. QQE

   - 3 -
76) t Historical Sketch (First entry, p. 76)
? j of oylle, 16 Barellee of Resones of the Sonne . . . tooe halfe hoghedes of
tt f Allmondes . . . 18 hoghedes of Olives . . . 1 chest and tooe barelles of
°’ 2 Cafldells • • • •"28
a The appearances are that the Puritans suffered not in the least because
- of their religious beliefs at this early date, for a few years prior to
J this, Master Whitaker had written to his “Cosen M. G.," minister of London,
"But I much more muse, that so few of our English Ministers that were so hot
5,16 against the Surplis and subscription: come hither where neither is spoken
of."2g Richard Bennettand his Puritan Colony appear to have moved on from
5 Isle of Wight County to Upper Norfolk County just before 1635.30 `
ne
, I Waraskoyack, about this time (1634), had 522 inhabitants.3l Among the
on early landowners were Mrs. Martha Key, Rice Jones, and Phettiplace Clause,
all of whom had received grants in 1628,32 as well as Giles Jones and
Justinian Cooper, as is shown by a deed of 1629, by which deed Justinian V
n Cooper and "Anne his now wife" lately the widow of James Harris, sell unto
Wassell Webley and George Fawden, for 7,000 pounds weight of tobacco, "One
d Hundred acres of Land, lying and being in the Bottom of Warwicksqueake Bay,*
to ‘ site of the late mansion house of Giles Jones.33
as
k.24 = The early land grants were, however, for small acreages34 and it was
ons ; not until after the formation of the county that John Upton, Justinian Cooper,
7_25 ~ Arthur Smith and Thomas Butler patented more th n 1,000 acres each. The first
be- nam d two had, by the end of 1640, patented 9,400 acres of land in Isle of
w Wight County; and of the seven grants made prior to this date for 1,000
Q} acres or more of land, five had been issued to these two gentlemen.35
he é
more { While the Puritans had settled in Isle of Wight County in the very
, I early Colonial Period, we have seen that they, in a large majority, Pad moved
¢ on to Upper Norfolk County and later we learn that their remnants moved to
"_'—— , Maryland.36 As a result of the Civil Wars in England, the migration to
’ Virginia greatly increased. Isle of Wight County received her part of these
3G- , new immigrants,37 and it would appear that the wealth of the immigrants between
ggri- V 1650 and 1660 was much greater than before. As has been stated, there were
__—_ ‘ prior to 1641 only 7 land grants for 1,000 acres or more of land in Isle of
,9 _ Wight Gounty,38 while between 1656 and 1666 there were at least 17 grants made
1): ‘  
j 28. Records gg th; Virginia Compggv, IV, 220.
5 29. Samuel Purchas, Purchas Egg Pilgrimage, gg Relations gf thg World gpg
c th; Religious . . ., London, 1626, IV, 1770-1771.
g 30. Boddie, Seventeenth Century Iglg gf Wight, p. 77.
OO. I 31. Colonial Records gf Virgiggg, p. 91.
c&gO’ f 32. Patents, No. 1, Part I, 1623-1643, pp. 66-68.
{ 33. Deeds, Wills, Guardian Accounts, vol. A (1629-67), Sept. 29, 1629, p.
:§ 103, in Guardian Accounts, see entry 131.
§ 34. Patents, No. 1, Part I, 1623-1643, pp. 1-161.
Q 35. Ibid., pp. 210, 222, 380, 454; Patents, No. 1, Part II, 1637-1643,
, P.              
ji 36. Boddie, Seventeenth Century Isle gf Wight, pp. 77-79.
Ip 37. Ibid., pp. 105-106.
% 38. See footnote 35.
fu

 WW
, · 4 - QM 
RM 1
zaetericsi sketch (First entry, p- 76)   F
A  ’j
for comparable acreagss within the county of Isle of Wight.39   7
.   ”
' Among the Cavaliers who found their way to Isle of Wight County were  
Col. Nathaniel Bacon, Thomas Woodward, John Pyland, John Hammond, and Col.  
~ Joseph Bridger.@O Thomas Woodward had been Assay Master of th  Mint; James it E
Pyland was expelled from the Virginia House of Burgesses for “abetting"   A
Thomas Woodward.4]- John Hammond was also expelled for his Royalistsympathiss.42   I2
Thomas Woodward, clerk of the court from 1652 to 1662, a fiery Royalist,   1
became the first Surveyor General of North Carolina and a member of the W; Y
, first Council of that Colony;43 Col. Nathaniel Bacon was president of the   T7
Council and Acting Governor of Virginia from October 1688 to October 1690.44  
` The population and wealth of Isle of Wight County grew with these new   C
I settlers, for in 1655 courts were ordered to be held in both parishes of the   3
‘ county on account of the great inconvenience caused by the division of Isle  F 1
of Wight County by the Pagan Creek.45 However, this order was repealed 5   R
years lator.46 The population reached approximately 2,019 persons ,47 and   1
the wealth of the inlrabitants is shown by the wills and inventories of the  
period; gold rings, silver tankards, "Dram Cupp," and sugar dishes are shown, t l;
not to speak of the usual number of spoons.48 With the formation of South- M aj C
ampton County in 1749,49 Isle of Wight County suffered a severe blow. The   9
older county lost not only nearly two-thirds of her territory5O but since    
the levy of 1748 shows 3,273 tithables and that of 1749 shows only 1,619,51   J-
it would appear that slightly more than half of the taxpayers had been lost   It
as well. The county levy increased from 2 pounds of tobacco per poll in the gl , P
earlier year to 19 pounds of that same staple product in 1749.52  
.  »$
In June 1680, the assembly authorized the building of a town or store-   Gl
house for tobacco at Pates Field at the parting of Pagan Creek.53 The   f‘
population of the county reached approximately 2,766 persons, of which number    
  h¤
39. Patents, No. 4, 1655-1664, pp. 357, 613-614; Patents, No. 5, 1661-1669,   at
pp. 3, 183-184, 200, 254, 429, 460, 462, 626, 628, 637, 669; Patents,   tj
No. 6, 1666-1679, pp. 24, 232.   A‘
40. Boddie, Seventeenth Century Isle g_f_ Wight, pp. 107-110.   -·.
41. Ibid., pp. 109-110; Hening, Statutes, I, 374-375.  j
42. Ibid., I, p. 374.   5‘
43. Boddie, Seventeenth Century Isle gf Wight, p. 127; Samuel A’Court Ashe, {,7 §!
History g_j_` North Carolina, Greensboro, 1908, I, 60. J. bf
44. Smith, Virginia, p. 128. ¥; Qa; 5*
45. Mcllwaine, Journals gf tg House _q_f_ Burgesses, 1619-165B[9, p. 98; E? } SE
Hening, Statutes, I, 409.  
46. Ipig., I, 550.   5E
47. Evarts Boutell Green and Virginia D. ihrrington, American Population §g-   6(
fore Egg Federal Census gi; 1790, New York, 1932, p. 145.   62
  48. Wills, Deed, Etc., vol. 2 (1661-1719), June 9, 1668, p. 55; Aug. 9, ? ’* 6‘
Q 1666, p. 46; Feb. 9, 1693, p. 331, gg passim, in Will Book, see entry 124.  
#$9. Robinson, Virginia Counties, p. 206.   62
0, Commercial Atlas, p. 409. {4 
51. Order Book (1746-52), Jan. 12, 1748, p. 145; Dec. 7, 1749, p. 201; in   6;]
Co. (County) Court Order Book, see entry 179.   6”
52. Ibid., Jan. 12, 1749, p. 145; Dec. 7, 1749, p. 202.   66
53. Hening, Statutes, II, 472.  
i ii

   - e -
{
75) % Historical Sketch (First entry, p. 76)
? 781 were tithables and the county militia numbered 450 men of whom 129 were
jé mounted about the yeir 1700.54
i The town of Smithfield was incorporated by an act of 1752 with Robert
, g Burwell, Arthur Smith, William Hodsden, James Baker, James Dunlop, James
V Arthur, and Joseph Bridger named as the first trustees.55 In 1797, numerous
,i€S_4z` persons petitioned for an election of trustees for the town, but as late as
1809 the town renained without trustees.56 The number of slaves in the county
I reached 2,212 in 1810 as is shown by the tax lists for that year, reflecting
; the relative prosperity of the surrounding region.57
L4 V
Smithfield and Windsor are today the only incorporated towns within the
county.5B The former is prettily situated on the south side of Pagan Creek,
,9 _ 3 miles from the James River,59 and h s a population of 1,179.60 Windsor is
, , located in the southeastern part of the county on the Norfolk and Western
p Rai1road.61 The county seat has since 1800, or shortly thereafter, been V
yi located near the center of the county.62
,n’ { The history of the white man begins early in this county, for in 1607
_ *§ Capt. John Smith, returning from a trading expedition, discovered the town
’§ and country of Waraskoyack.63 Two years later, Smith visited the chief of
tt the Waraskoyacks and from his country sont an expedition to Roanoke Island
L *g in quest of information concerning the earlier settlement at that location.
L g It was this friendly chieftain who tried to divert Captain Smith from seeing
ng Q Powhatan, warning him of the treachery of that famous Indian.64
Q5 The outbreak of Bacon's Rebellion (1676) brought to the front several of
_ F%~ Governor Berkeley's supporters in this county, as well as a number of Bacon's
Q followers. When Bacon captured Jamestown a d the Governor was forced to flee
ber § to the Eastern Shore with a few faithful adherents, Col. Joseph Bridger of
Y Isle of Wight Countybs was among them. One of Bacon's letters stated that
"”"’ 5 he was informed that a great many men were "up" for him in Isle of Wight
9, { and Nansemond Counties. 6 The journal of the ship, *The Young Prince,“ also
§ tells of various unfriendly overtures with the Rebels in Waraskoyack Bay.
After the departure of Governor Berkeley for England the people of Isle of
 
_ 54. Green and Harrington, Qopulation Before IZQQ, pp. 148, 151.
B, y 55. Hening, Statutes, VI, 274.
56. Legislative Petitions [ms. in Vi., archives], Dec. 20, 1797, Dec. 9, 1809.
I 57. Personal Tax, Isle of Wight County, 1810 [ms. vols. in Vi., archives].
, 58. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930, Populatigg, I, 1127
{5 (table 4).
Q 59. Martin, Qggetteer gf Virgigig, p. 197.
BS_ Q 60. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930, Populatigg, I, 1127.
”‘ g 61. Qpmmercial Atlas, p. 407.
g 62. Samuel Shepherd, compiler and editor, Qhg Statutes gt Large gf Virginia
l24_ i . . . (1792-1808), 3 vols., Richmond, 1835-36 {hereinafter cited as
Q Shepherd, Statutes], II, 205.
g 63. John Smith, Travels gpg Works, II, 393.
q=