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:
 * Marriages
 * Guardianships
 * Military lists
 * Court orders
 * Dockets
 * Bonds
 * Fees
 * Judgments
 * Land and Property
 * Tax

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


 * Name of primary persons
 * Names of heirs, such as spouse, children, other relatives, or friends
 * Names of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Dates the documents were written and recorded (used to approximate event dates since a will was usually written near the time of death)
 * Description and value of property or land

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

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Record Category
 * 2) Select Record Type, Volume, and Year Range to view the images

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 in your research for your family in the state of Virginia.
 * Virginia Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Related Family History Library Holdings
Isle of Wight County Records
 * Birth records, 1867-1893
 * Coroner's inquest records, 1925-1944
 * Vestry books, 1724-1772
 * Board of Supervisors, County fund records, 1913-1919
 * Register of every person convicted in the County Court or other court of record of Isle of Wight County, of felony or other infamous offence, 1773-1909
 * Reservations of Title Records, ca. 1850-1950
 * Fiduciary records, 1906-1930
 * Index books, ca. 1900-1908
 * Miscellaneous court records, 1847-1943
 * Register of free negro certification, 1785-1870
 * Deed Records, 1742-1907
 * Land records, 1704-1913
 * Land survey records, 1829-1893
 * Land tax books, 1824-1927
 * Land Processers Reports, 1842-1889
 * Military records, 1861-1925
 * Guardian records, 1766-1879
 * Probate bonds, 1837-1907
 * Wills and administrations, 1647-1800
 * Index to Wills, ca. 1900
 * Tax records, 1830-1904
 * Tax records, marriage records, processers reports, committee meeting minutes, 1775-1837
 * Voting records, 1900-1951
 * Progress Administration historical inventory, ca. 1634-1937

Smithfield
 * 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.