Virginia, Isle of Wight County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of images from original records at the Circuit Court in Isle of Wight, Virginia for the years 1647 to 1951. The collection is being published as images become available. The records include: • 3

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:
 * Name
 * Type of event
 * Date of event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county
 * The name of the undertaker, mortuary, or cemetery could lead you to funeral and cemetery records which often include the names and residences of other family members
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Virginia.
 * Virginia Guided Research
 * Virginia Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Virginia Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog
Isle of Wight County • 2 Smithfield
 * Magazine of Virginia genealogy Richmond, Virginia : Virginia Genealogical Society, 1983- FS Library 975.5 B2vs
 * Smithfield, Christ Episcopal Church Records, 1884-1899
 * Smithfield, plot of town, 1891
 * Smithfield, United Confederate Veterans, Constitution and by-laws of R.E. Lee Camp no. 4 of Confederate veterans, 1903-1912
 * United Daughters of the Confederacy applications, 1905-1927

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.