Newport News (Independent City), Virginia Genealogy

Description
The City of Newport News is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Christopher Newport, Captain of the Susan Constant, the lead ship of the 3-ship fleet that carried the Jamestown settlers to the New World in 1607.

Courthouse
For additional records, see Warwick County.

History

 * Originally a Native American village named Kecoughtan when Sir Thomas Gates took possession of it in 1610.
 * Became independent of Warwick County in 1896.
 * County seat was at Denbigh until 1810 when it moved to City of Newport News.

Parent County
1896--Newport News was created in 1896 from Warwick County. Warwick was later merged into, and became part of Newport News in 1958.

Record Loss
1864 and 1865. Courthouse records for Warwick (before it was merged with Newport News) were destroyed several times, but the most damage was done in two incidents during the American Civil War. Court minute books and loose papers 1787-1819 were destroyed when the clerk's office was burned 15 December 1864. Additional courthouse records were destroyed in the 3 April 1865 fire in Richmond where the records had been taken for safekeeping.

Populated Places
Annexed: Denbigh (merged 1958). Warwick County (merged 1958)

Communities: Colony Pines. Christopher Shores-Stuart Gardens. Denbigh. East End. Fort Eustis. Glendale. Hildenwood. Hilton Village. Huntington Heights (Overtown). Jefferson Park. Kiln Creek. Lee Hall. Menchville. Morrison (Harpersville). Newmarket. North End. Oyster Point. Parkview. Port Warwick. Richneck. Riverside. Summerlake. Village Green. Warwick

Neighboring Counties
Isle of Wight County | James City County | Surry County | York County | City of Hampton | City of Portsmouth | City of Suffolk

Court Records

 * Dunn, Richard. Warwick County, Virginia: Colonial Court Records in Transcription. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2002. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes orders 1648-1651, order book 1680, 1689-1690 court book (2), orders 1691, 1697-8, 1701, 1701, 1705, 1705, 1713-1714 and county minutes 1748-1762.

Maps
The Old Dominion Land Company maps are posted courtesy of the Newport News Public Digital Library. The Old Dominion Land Company was the primary designer and developer of the original city of Newport Nes. The organization was chartered in 1880 and remained in business until 1948.

Civil War
Since Newport News was created in 1896 from Warwick County, Civil War records for the men of this area will be found in Warwick County military records.

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Newport News.


 * April 5-May 4, 1862 = Yorktown


 * Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

Obituaries

 * Daily Press Obituary Index, 1898-1988 - provided by the Newport News Public Library

Probate Records

 * 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Introduction to FamilySearch Centers
 * Newport News Virginia Family History Center

Vital Records

 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)

Death Records

 * 1853-1911 Virginia, U.S., Death Registers, 1853-1911 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)