Mathews County, Virginia Genealogy

United States

Virginia

Mathews County

Guide to Mathews County, Virginia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Virginia Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Mathews Organized: 01 May 1791 Parent County(s): Gloucester Variant Spellings: Mathews Neighboring Counties Middlesex • Gloucester See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Mathews County is located in the eastern area of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Brigadier General Thomas Mathews, then speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.

County Courthouse

Mathews County Courthouse
10622 Buckley Hall Road
PO Box 463
Mathews, VA 23109
Phone: 804-725-2242
Mathews County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1865

Mathews County, Virginia Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1865	1827	1865	1795	1817	1795	1810
* Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1912. General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

Lost censuses: 1800, 1890 1865 Most of the Mathews County Courthouse records were moved to Richmond for safekeeping during the American Civil War, but were destroyed there in the fire of 3 April 1865. Visit the Library of Virginia's website to determine exactly what records have been lost and their Lost Records Localities Database to find additional resources. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

Parent County: Created from Gloucester County, 01 May 1791 County seat: Mathews Virginia Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Virginia Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Virginia county boundary changes

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Unincorporated communities
Bavon Beaverlett Blakes Bohannon Cardinal Cobbs Creek Cricket Hill Diggs Dixie Fitchetts Foster Grimstead	Gwynn Hallieford Hudgins Laban Miles Mobjack Moon Motorun New Point North Onemo Peary	Port Haywood Pribble Redart Retz Ruff Sarah Shadow Soles Susan Tabernacle Williams Wharf
Census-designated places
Gwynn	Mathews

History Timeline

The county is named after Thomas Mathews (1742–1812), an American Revolutionary War general and Virginia politician, who represented Norfolk Borough in the Virginia House of Delegates, and served as that body's Speaker from 1782 until 1793.

Mathews County, located on the eastern tip of Virginia’s Middle Peninsula on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, has a rich history going back to the early 17th century. A shipbuilding center during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, Mathews served as an official port of entry from 1802 to 1844. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mathews was an important stop on the maritime highway.

Initially known as Kingston Parish, one of the four parishes of Gloucester County, the citizens on November 11, 1790 petitioned the House of Delegates requesting Gloucester County to be divided. The General Assembly endorsed the recommendation and made the separation effective on May 1, 1791. They named Mathews County after then Speaker of the House of Delegates Thomas Mathews of Norfolk, Virginia, one of the sponsors of the legislation that led to the new county’s formation. The Mathews County seal was adopted on February 11, 1793 and represents the shipbuilding industry, which was of major importance to the economy of Mathews.

Resources

Bible Records

For databases and indexes, see Virginia Bible Records.

• 1607-2007 Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• Bible Record Collections at Mathews Memorial Library - digital images for family Bible collections in Mathews
• Bible Record Collections at Library of Virginia - Family Bible records available online or in manuscript form

Biographies

• Biographical Sketches of S. Bassett French. Samuel Bassett French (1820–1898), attorney, judge, Confederate officer, and editor, was a Norfolk native and later resident of Chesterfield County and Richmond. Between 1890 and 1897, in preparation for an intended biographical dictionary to be titled Annals of Prominent Virginians of the XIXth Century, French compiled biographical information for nearly 9,000 men, often obtaining information directly from the subject or from members of the immediate family. This collection consists of more than 14,000 digital images of French's handwritten notes.
• Emma Lee Smith White (1884-1983) was an American teacher, insurance agent, newspaper reporter and politician who served in the Virginia House of Delegates for two terms, from 1930 until 1934, representing Gloucester and Mathews Counties.
• John Warren Cooke (1915–2009), a native of Mathews County, Virginia, served in the Virginia House of Delegates 1942–1980 and was its Speaker from 1968 until his retirement.
• Lyman Beecher Brooks (27 May 1910–20 April 1984), president of Norfolk State College (later Norfolk State University), was born at Blakes in Mathews County, the son of John Robert Brooks, a farmer and waterman who supplemented his family's income by giving music lessons, and his second wife, Mary Anna Burrell Brooks, a schoolteacher. His mother named him for Lyman Beecher Tefft, president of Hartshorn Memorial College (later Virginia Union University), her alma mater.
• Sally Louisa Tompkins (1833-1916), a native of Mathews County, Virginia, was the first woman to be named a commissioned officer in the Confederate States Army. Her military rank allowed the Robertson Hospital to receive rations and medical supplies from the CSA’s Quartermaster Office.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Mathews County, Virginia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find a Grave VAGenWeb USGenWeb Archives VA Tombstone Transcription Project Virginia Gravestones BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find a Grave FamilySearch Places
See Virginia Cemeteries for more information.

• 1800-1986 Virginia, Jewish Cemetery Records Index, ca. 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• Tyler, Lyon G. "Old Tombstones in Mathews County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 4 (Apr. 1895):255-256. Digital version at JSTOR - free
• Tombstones of Mathews County, Virginia 1711-1986. Compilers: Christine L. Sheridan and Elsie W. Ernst. Mathews County Historical Society, Inc., 1988; At various libraries (WorldCat)

Census Records

For databases, indexes, and information online, see Virginia Census.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	5,806	—
1810	4,227	−27.2%
1820	6,920	63.7%
1830	7,664	10.8%
1840	7,442	−2.9%
1850	6,714	−9.8%
1860	7,091	5.6%
1870	6,200	−12.6%
1880	7,501	21.0%
1890	7,584	1.1%
1900	8,239	8.6%
1910	8,922	8.3%
1920	8,447	−5.3%
1930	7,884	−6.7%
1940	7,149	−9.3%
1950	7,148	−0.0%
1960	7,121	−0.4%
1970	7,168	0.7%
1980	7,995	11.5%
1990	8,348	4.4%
2000	9,207	10.3%
2010	8,978	−2.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

• 1784 - First Census of the United States Heads of Families. Kingston Parish.
  1790-1940 United States Census Online Genealogy Records. There are several providers of census records both subscription and free of charge. Content varies, becoming more detailed over the years. The 1890 census was destroyed by fire. Search results can vary by site, due to variations in search engines and differences in interpretation of handwriting in censuses.
  

1890 Union Veterans

• Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. By Ronald Ray Turner. FS Catalog book 975.5 X2t 1890; FS Library film #1425065, item 14(*); images. Includes residents of this county.
• 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census. Online at: Ancestry ($). Includes this county.

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Kingston Parish

• Matheny, Emma R. and Helen K. Yates. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1979. Kingston Parish Register, Gloucester and Mathews Counties, Virginia, 1749-1827. Online at Ancestry ($).
• The Vestry Book of Kingston Parish, Mathews County, Virginia (until May 1, 1791, Gloucester County), 1679-1796. Transcribed, annotated, and indexed by C.G. Chamberlayne. Originally published Richmond, Virginia, 1929. Available at FamilySearch Digital Library; FS Library; digital versions at Ancestry ($).
• Brown, Robert L. Old Kingston Parish 1652-1976. Creative Arts Advertising, 1976. Available at the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center.
• McCartney, Martha W. Kingston Parish Register: Mathews, Gloucester and Middlesex Counties, Virginia Slaves and Slaveholders, 1746-1827. FS Catalog book 975.3 K2m.

Church of England

• See also Kingston Parish
• Mason, George Carrington. "The Colonial Churches of Kingston Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr. 1940):261-264. FS Library Book 973 H25w; digital version at JSTOR ($).
• Meade, William. Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia. Originally published Philadelphia, 1857. Volume 1, Volume 2

Methodist

• Butts, Daniel Gregory Claiborne. From Saddle to City by Buggy, Boat and Railway. Published 1922. D.G.C. Butts personal recollections of fifty years service in the Virginia Conference Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Rev. Butts was appointed to the Mathews County Circuit in 1890 and served a four year term.
• Salem Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1868-1913, Mathews County, Virginia.

Court Records

Online Court Indexes and Records

• Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index can be used to search Mathews County chancery records for the years 1842-1904, but this is an incomplete index. The majority of chancery records remain at the Mathews County Circuit Court Clerk's office.

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
• Thomson’s Mercantile and Professional Directory – Virginia – 1851-52. Matthews [Mathews] County, Virginia
• Mathews County, Virginia listings in the Chataigne’s Virginia Gazetteer and Classified Business Directory -- 1888-1889

Emigration and Immigration

For databases and immigrant groups, see Virginia Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African American

• Mathews 1833 Free Negroes and Mulattoes (see # 25 on page 2). On 4 March 1833, an Act of General Assembly was passed "making appropriations for the removal of free persons of color" to the western coast of Africa and established a board of commissioners charged with carrying out the provisions of the act. Localities were required to report to the board regarding their ability to find free blacks who were willing to relocate to Liberia, though many were unable to find willing to or able to do so. For those localities that identified free blacks, the reports included names, ages, and sometimes height.
• 1865-1872 Virginia, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1935-2009 Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• Heinegg, Paul. "Mathews County Personal Property Tax List, 1791-1815," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
• Gwynn's Island Project. Website dedicated to African Americans whose ancestral home place is Gwynn's Island in Mathews County, Virginia.
• Dixon, John W. The Black Americans of Gwynn's Island 1600s through 1900s. Mathews Memorial Library CREF 909.04 DIX.
• Johnson, Martha C. Black Families of Elizabeth City Co., VA, 1800-1990: Research of Families of Callis, Davis, Simpson, Radcliff, Originating from Gloucester Co., Mathews Co., York and James Counties and Elizabeth Co., Hampton, Virginia. FS Catalog Collection 1728886 Item 2.
• Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative. The Library of Virginia’s African American Narrative project aims to provide greater accessibility to pre-1865 African American history and genealogy found in the rich primary sources in its holdings.
• Free African Americans of North Carolina and Virginia has Paul Heinegg's Free African Americans of North Carolina and Virginia is a collection of genealogies about African American families living in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
• The Geography of Slavery in Virginia - Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in the Virginia Gazette and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803); historical archive of Virginia newspapers, providing free access to full text searching and digitized images of over a million newspaper pages.

• Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938 contains more than 2,300 first-person accounts of slavery and 500 black-and-white photographs of former slaves. These narratives were collected in the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers' Project (FWP) of the Works Progress Administration, later renamed Work Projects Administration (WPA).
• List of Colored Voters in the First District, County of Mathews (see # 14), Registered without challenge. Election records consist of lists of voters by county, magisterial district, and sometimes precinct, who participated in elections. Names are recorded alphabetically by first letter of the surname (though last names are not generally listed alphabetically within each letter). Elections held October 22, 1867, occurred while Virginia was under military rule and were the first elections in which African Americans were allowed to vote.
• List of Colored Voters in the Second District, County of Mathews (see # 15), Registered without challenge. Election records consist of lists of voters by county, magisterial district, and sometimes precinct, who participated in elections. Names are recorded alphabetically by first letter of the surname (though last names are not generally listed alphabetically within each letter). Elections held October 22, 1867, occurred while Virginia was under military rule and were the first elections in which African Americans were allowed to vote.
• List of Colored Voters in the Third District, County of Mathews (see # 16), Registered without challenge. Election records consist of lists of voters by county, magisterial district, and sometimes precinct, who participated in elections. Names are recorded alphabetically by first letter of the surname (though last names are not generally listed alphabetically within each letter). Elections held October 22, 1867, occurred while Virginia was under military rule and were the first elections in which African Americans were allowed to vote.
• The Geography of Slavery in Virginia - Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in the Virginia Gazette and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803); historical archive of Virginia newspapers, providing free access to full text searching and digitized images of over a million newspaper pages.

Funeral Homes

• 1935-2009 Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Forrest Brothers Funeral Home in Cobbs Creek Foster-Faulkner Funeral Home in Mathews Genealogies Compiled Genealogies by Surname See Mathews County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for over 150 published books and articles. Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Families Yurechko, John Otto. Virginians Along and Near the Lower Rapphahannock River, 1607-1799. 2 vols. Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1997-1998. FS Library Book 975.5 D2yj v. 1-v. 2. Contents: v. 1. Blake, Brooks (Brook), Churchill, Cook (Cock), Daniel, Dixon, Gore, Kidd, Lewis, Martin, Montague, Taylor and Wood -- v. 2. Brown, Clark, Elliott, Fox (Fowkes, Vaulx), Harrison, McTyre, Moore, Pate, Rawlins (Rollins), Rhodes, Sanders (Saunders) and Williams. Genealogies of Virginia Families: From Tyler's Quarterly. . .. 1981. Baltimore, Maryland : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Vol. I Albridgton - Gerlache, Vol. II Gildart - Pettus, Vol. III Pinkethman - Tyler, and Vol. IV Walker - Yeardley (and Appendix). Genealogies of Virginia Families: From the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 1981. Baltimore, Maryland : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Vol. I Adams - Chiles, Vol. II Claiborne - Fitzhugh, Vol. III Fleet - Hayes, Vol. IV Healy - Pryor, and Vol. V Randolph - Zouch. Guardianship Land and Property Records For land indexes, records, and databases, see Virginia Land and Property, including Colonial and State Land Grants. Grants and Patents Land patents (pre-1779), land grants (after 1779) and surveys are available online at the Library of Virginia website. For step-by-step instructions on retrieving these records, read the Virginia Land and Property article. Online Land Indexes and Records 1782, 1784, 1787-E, 1788-E, 1789-E, 1790-E Land tax assessments, Kingston Parish 1791-1800 Mathews County Virginia Land and Personal Tax Lists abstracted by Dr. Stephen E. Bradley, Jr., 1992. Available at the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center. 1801-1818 Land tax records, Mathews County, Virginia 1817-1923 Plat books, 1817-1923, 1970-1978(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images 1863-1904 Deed books, 1863-1904 ; general indexes to deeds [and wills, 1865-1982](*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1666. By Nell Marion Nugent. 1963. Baltimore, Maryland : Genealogical Publishing Co. Online at: Hathitrust, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat). Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1800. By Nell Marion Nugent. 1934. Richmond, Virginia : Press of the Dietz Printing Co. Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat). Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search Local Histories Mathews County Virginia: Lost Landscapes, Untold Stories by Martha W. McCartney; Dietz Press, 2015. At various libraries (WorldCat) History and Progress Mathews County, Virginia, Mathews County Historical Society, 1982; At various libraries (WorldCat) Mathews County Panorama, A Pictorial History of Mathews County, Virginia, 1791-1941, Mathews County Historical Society, 1983. At various libraries (WorldCat) New Point Comfort Lighthouse: Its History and Preservation by Mary Louise Clifford; Dietz Press, 2013; At various libraries (WorldCat) Gwynn's Island Virginia: A History and Pictorial Essay by David D. Ryan; Whittet & Shepperson, printers, 1986; At various libraries (WorldCat); Mathews Memorial Library CREF 975.531 RYA. Gwynn's Island Virginia: Stories of a New World Settlement from the first families to the present by David D. Ryan; Dietz Press, 2000; At various libraries (WorldCat); Mathews Memorial Library CREF 975.531 RYA. Historic Sites & Properties Historic Homes and Properties of Mathews County, Virginia: Pre Civil War, Vol. 1 by MCHS (2009). First in a series of five highlighting ten pre-Civil War homes in Mathews County, Virginia: Carobian (Sibley Farm), Fountain Green, Magnolia, Milford II (William Penn Hudgins House), Old Pine (John Warner Borum House), Palace Green (Francis Armistead House), R-R Retreat Acres (Archibald Taylor Hudgins House), Seth Foster House, Whitfield Landing (Jesse Hudgins House) and Williamsdale (Riverlawn); At various libraries (WorldCat), Mathews County Historical Society. Historic Homes and Properties of Mathews County, Virginia Pre-Civil War, Volume 2 by MCHS (2013). Second in a series of five highlighting ten pre-Civil War homes in Mathews County, Virginia: Bellevue, Brunson’s Landing (Jesse Thomas House), Edwards Hall (Bohannon Place/Hurricane Hall II) Pleasant View (Tynant), Poplar Grove, Ransone House (Rebel Yell), Springdale, Sutherland (Shadecliff), Watcombe Manor and White Dog Bistro (Lane Hotel/Bailey Hudgins’ House/Bullfrogs & Butterflies/White Dog Inn); At various libraries (WorldCat), Mathews County Historical Society. Historic Homes and Properties of Mathews County, Virginia, Vol. 3 by MCHS (2018). Third in a series of five highlighting ten pre-Civil War homes in Mathews County, Virginia: Alexander James House, Bayview (Batavia), Belmont, Eastover (Sandberg House/East End), Folly Farm, Miles-Gamble House, Milford (Billups House), Oakland, Tompkins Cottage and Willow Grove. Mathews County Historical Society. Historic Homes and Properties of Mathews County, Virginia, Vol. 4 by MCHS (2020). Fourth in a series of five highlighting ten pre-Civil War homes in Mathews County, Virginia: Auburn, Augustine Diggs House (Pear Tree Hall), Augustine F. Hudgins House, Cedar Grove (Cedar Croft/Williams House), Gwynnville, Henry Sibley House, Hyco (Haiku House), Isleham, Lilly House and Seaford. Mathews County Historical Society. Historic Homes and Properties of Mathews County, Virginia, Vol. 5 by MCHS (2023). Fifth in a series of five highlighting ten pre-Civil War homes in Mathews County, Virginia: Bar Neck (James Thomas House), George P. Owens House, Goshen, Green Plains, Hesse, Holly Point Farm (Spirit Hall), John Forrest House, John Haynes Jarvis House, Keeble House, and Providence (Hopemont). Mathews County Historical Society. Maps and Gazetteers County and state maps, historical and more current, are valuable research tools. For map collections, online and in libraries, see Virginia Maps. 1917 Edition Mathews, Virginia Historical Topographic Map; surveyed 1916. David Rumsey Historical Map Collection includes 18th and 19th century historical North and South American atlases, globes, school geographies, maritime charts, etc. Library of Congress has a searchable collection of digitized maps in the public domain from North America, 1544-1996. Alan M. Voorhees Map Collection. The Alan M. Voorhees Map Collection extends from the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle through the U.S. Civil War period with the bulk of the collection consisting of pre–20th century maps. Included are maps made by Schedel, Ptolemy, deBry, Mercator, and Smith among many others. In a variety of map formats, such as nautical charts and views, the collection focuses primarily on the Chesapeake Bay area and the development of Virginia within the larger geographical and historical contexts of Europe and America. Click a neighboring county for more resources FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places Migration Military Records Revolutionary War Revolutionary War Records (1775-1783), Rosters, Pensions and Bounty Land Warrants. This list is for men from Kingston Parish/Mathews County who fought for the colonies in the American Revolutionary War. A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Eastern District, Mathews County on pages 131-132. Revolutionary War Bounty Land Claims. The collection consists of images of application files for military bounty land. Related bounty land certificate files are indexed, but not imaged. Following a 1779 legislative act, the state offered bounty lands for Revolutionary War military service. To qualify, a Virginia soldier or sailor had to serve at least three years continuously in the Continental or state forces. No bounty land was given by the state for militia service. Revolutionary War Virginia State Pensions. Between 1777 and 1785, the Virginia General Assembly passed several laws authorizing pensions for disabled soldiers and for widows of soldiers who died while on active duty. This collection of 646 pension files provides digital images of the documents submitted for pension claims. The documents usually provide proof of service, records of payments, medical evaluations, and statements of disability from the local court. Details about military service and the applicant's family may also be included. Most of the claims are for Revolutionary War service, but there are a few claims for service in the French and Indian War (1754–1763) and Dunmore's War (1774). War of 1812 List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. FS Catalog Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Matthews County [sic], p. 90. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883. Regiments. Mathews County men served in the 61st Regiment. War of 1812, Pay Rolls of the 61st Regiment Virginia Militia, Mathews County, Virginia from Pay Rolls of Militia Entitled to Land Bounty Under the Act of Congress of Sept. 28, 1850 (Richmond 1851). [Virginia Militia in the War of 1812: from rolls in the auditor’s office at Richmond. Volume I. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, Md. 2001.] War of 1812, Pension & Bounty Land Warrant Claims, Mathews County, Virginia case files for men who served in the Mathews County, Virginia militia, as well as, other Virginia militia units. Civil War 1861-1865 Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images 1861-1865 Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free) 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free) The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System is a database containing information about the men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. Other information on the site includes histories of Union and Confederate regiments, links to descriptions of significant battles, and selected lists of prisoner-of-war records and cemetery records, which will be amended over time. The CWSS is a cooperative effort between the National Park Service and several public and private partners whose goal is to increase Americans' understanding of this decisive era in American history by making information about it widely accessible. Confederate Disability Applications. This collection consists of certificates submitted by injured veterans to the Virginia Board of Commissioners on Artificial Limbs. Injured soldiers submitted certificates from their county court stating that they were Virginia citizens, that they had been disabled in the war, and what assistance they required. Veterans listed the command in which they served, included information on when, where, and how they were wounded, and provided details about their medical history. Entries also contain the year of the Virginia General Assembly act under which the application was filed and a link to the digitized images of the applications, including supporting affidavits and receipts for payments issued. Confederate Pension Applications. This collection consists of pension applications and amended applications filed by resident Virginians who served in the Confederate military and their widows, as well as more than 500 enslaved and free Blacks who labored as cooks, herdsmen, laborers, servants, or teamsters. The applications contain statements pertaining to the service record of the applicants and may include medical evaluations, information about income and property, and, in the case of widows, the dates and places of marriages. Regiments. Civil War service men in Mathews County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here: - 5th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). - 26th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company D. World War I 1917-1918 United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($) World War I Questionnaires transcribed, Mathews County, Virginia. On 7 January 1919, Governor Davis created the Virginia War History Commission whose goal was “to complete an accurate and complete history of Virginia’s military, economic and political participation in the World War.” The Commission conducted a survey of World War I veterans in Virginia through the use of a printed questionnaire. Local branches tried a variety of methods and techniques to get soldiers to complete the questionnaire with mixed results. Many soldiers refused to submit a completed questionnaire, fearing that doing so would subject them to future military service. Profiles of Honor. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I and the 75th anniversary of its entry into World War II, the Library of Virginia and the Virginia World War I and World War II Commemoration Commission partnered to create Profiles of Honor, a statewide online collection of original photographs and manuscripts that remain in private hands and were previously unavailable. Highlights scanned at Profiles of Honor event at Mathews Memorial Library (Mathews, VA) on August 4-5, 2018. World War II 1940-1945 Virginia, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images Profiles of Honor. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I and the 75th anniversary of its entry into World War II, the Library of Virginia and the Virginia World War I and World War II Commemoration Commission partnered to create Profiles of Honor, a statewide online collection of original photographs and manuscripts that remain in private hands and were previously unavailable. Highlights scanned at Profiles of Honor event at Mathews Memorial Library (Mathews, VA) on August 4-5, 2018. Naturalization and Citizenship Online Naturalization Indexes and Records 1906-1929 Virginia Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images Newspapers For online newspaper resources, see the Virginia Newspapers page. 1800s-Current Virginia, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($) Virginia Chronicle: Digital Newspaper Archive. A historical archive of Virginia newspapers, providing free access to full text searching and digitized images of over a million newspaper pages. Gloucester and Mathews Newspaper Articles 1770 to 1922, over 800 articles in print from 127 newspapers from 30 States. Compiled by Joan Charles. Hampton, Virginia. August 2008. Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal The Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal is a weekly newspaper independently owned by Tidewater Newspapers Inc. A member of the Virginia Press Association, it covers the people and events of Gloucester and Mathews counties in Tidewater Virginia. The complete paper is published in print and online each Wednesday afternoon with a Thursday dateline. Virginia Gazette. The Virginia Gazette was the official newspaper of Virginia, printed in Williamsburg from 1736 until 1780. When the capital of Virginia moved to Richmond in 1780, printers transferred their businesses to the new seat of government. Both Dixon & Nicolson and Clarkson & Davis resumed their papers in Richmond. The papers are digitized and are searchable by date or topic. The Geography of Slavery in Virginia - Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in the Virginia Gazette and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803); historical archive of Virginia newspapers, providing free access to full text searching and digitized images of over a million newspaper pages. Obituaries Other Records Misc. Records 1705-1857 Richard Billups Papers: Business, military and legal papers, chiefly 1774-1822, of Richard Billups of Mathews and Gloucester Counties, Virginia. Papers include accounts, land records, and correspondence and some concern shipbuilding. Includes minutes, 1842, of a temperance meeting and Methodist church records. Voting Records 1902-1970 Virginia Voter Registration, 1902-1970 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images Periodicals Probate Records For statewide probate records, indexes, and databases, see Virginia Probate Records. Online Probate Indexes and Records 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images ($) Lustenberger, Anita A., Heirs and Estates: Mathews County, Virginia Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery Process Book 1831-1861. 2012. Mathews Memorial Library CREF 975.531 LUS Hopkins, William Lindsay. Some Wills from the Burned Counties of Virginia and Other Wills Not Listed in Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800. Richmond, Virginia: W.L. Hopkins, 1987. FS Catalog Collection [Includes Mathews County.] Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search School Records Social Security Records 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information. 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information. 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index Tax Records For additional online collections and the value and use of Virginia's tax lists in your research, see Virginia Taxation. Online Tax Indexes and Records How can Virginia tax lists help me? 1774-1775 Billups, John R. Tithables, 1774-1775, of Kingston Parish, also Billups' Accounts, 1787-1842. MSS., Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia; also available at FS Library. Kingston Parish was located in Gloucester County at the time, but later fell within the bounds of Mathews County. 1774-1791 Mason, Polly Cary. Records of Colonial Gloucester County Virginia. 2 vols. 1946-1948; reprint, Baltimore: Clearfield, 2003. Original edition and 1965 reprint available at FS Library; digital version at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vols. I & II - Ancestry ($). Includes land patent abstracts, 1704/05 rent roll, Gloucester County tax lists 1770-1782, Mathews County tax lists 1774-1791, burgesses, council, and court, county officials, etc. 1781-1862, 1930-1942 Mathews County, Virginia Personal property tax lists, 1781-1862, 1930-1942. Original records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.; microfilmed reproduction available at FS films - images. 1791 1791 Mathews County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List; index online at New River Notes. 1791-1868, 1931-1932 Mathews County, Virginia Land tax lists, 1791-1868, 1931-1932. Original records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.; microfilmed reproduction available at FS films - images. 1791-1815 Heinegg, Paul. "Mathews County Personal Property Tax List, 1791-1815," Free African Americans.com. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records. 1791-1820 Ward, Roger G. "Burned County Gleanings: Mathews County Land Tax Lists, 1791-1820," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 35, No. 4 (Fall 1997):317-323. Available at FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($). Abstracts of some taxpayers that include "genealogical tidbits," such as relationships, land transfers, etc. Vital Records For additional indexes, databases, and details, see Virginia Vital Records. Birth 1584-1917 Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images 1853-1866 Virginia, Slave Birth Index, 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images 1853-1896 Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Birth Records, 1853-1896 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images, coverage may vary 1912-1913 Virginia, Birth Certificates, 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images Marriage 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($) 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index($) — index $ 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($) 1771-1989 Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images 1785-1940 Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index; Also at: MyHeritage ($) 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($) 1853-1935 Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, County Marriage Registers, 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($) 1854-1858 Mathews County, Virginia marriage records — transcriptions 1936-1988 Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images Book Indexes Marriages in Mathews County, Virginia: 1861-1900 By Carolyn Winn Markie. Infinity Publishing, 2006; At various libraries (WorldCat) Death 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images 1853-1896 Mathews County Virginia Death Register 1853-1896 Compiled by Jane B. Goodsell. Iberian Publishing Co., 2001. 1853-1911 Virginia, U.S., Death Registers, 1853-1911 at Ancestry — index & images ($) 1853-1912 Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images 1912-1987 Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images Divorce 1918-1988 Virginia, Divorce Records, 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index & images Research Facilities Archives Listed below are archives in Mathews County. For state-wide facilities, see Virginia Archives and Libraries. FamilySearch Centers FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites. FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center. Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries Gloucester Virginia FamilySearch Center Newport News Virginia FamilySearch Center Williamsburg Virginia FamilySearch Center Mathews Memorial Library - an affiliate library Williamsburg Regional Libraries - James City County Library - an affiliate library Libraries Listed below are libraries in Mathews County. For state-wide library facilities, see Virginia Archives and Libraries. Tidewater Genealogical Society Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical & Historical Society Website Mathews County Historical Society, Inc. Mathews Memorial Library Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical & Historical Society Museums Gwynn's Island Museum originally established as a Community Project in 1991, the Gwynn’s Island Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of Gwynn’s Island and Mathews County, Virginia. Mathews Historical Museum will have a permanent museum in Mathews County within five years, that will collect, preserve and exhibit cultural artifacts that represent the history of the county. Mathews Maritime Foundation Museum & Boat Shop is owned and operated by the Mathews Maritime Foundation. Established in 1998, the Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting Mathews County’s maritime and cultural heritage through research, conservation, documentation and education. Thomas James Store, owned by the Mathews County Historical Society, is a rare and excellent example of an early nineteenth-century rural commercial building. Although it has undergone some alterations and was almost certainly moved from its original location, the store retains much of its original fabric and is remarkably well preserved for its age. It dates to c. 1820, and appears to be one of the oldest buildings in the downtown commercial district of Mathews County. It is a registered National Historic Building. Tompkins Cottage Museum, which is headquarters for the Mathews County Historical Society, is named for Christopher Tompkins, a local sea captain, planter, local merchant and member of the state legislature. He bought the cottage property in 1837 and is the first known owner. Exhibits include a room dedicated to the history of Mathews County and serves as a gift shop, two rooms representing a home from the 1840s to the 1920s, and a room dedicated to Sally Louisa Tompkins who was the first woman commissioned in an American military unit. It is a registered National Historic Building. Societies Listed below are societies in Mathews County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Virginia Societies. Mathews County Historical Society, Inc. Websites Mathews Co., VAGenWeb. Part of the USGenWeb Project. Maps, name indexes, history. FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records. Research Guides Davis, Virginia Lee Hutcheson. "Records of Tidewater Virginia Counties," Tidewater Virginia Families: A Magazine of History and Genealogy, Vol. 1, No. 2 (May-June 1992):53-66. FS Catalog Collection 975.51 D25t [For Mathews County, see p. 61] References

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