Record loss
Many loose papers are missing, but most record books survive. Most loose papers from before the Revolution are missing. Deed, will and order books survive. In the Civil War the clerk had Randall Boothe, a Black man he enslaved, carry the records to safety; Boothe brought them back after the war and became the courthouse caretaker.
Before you give up, try these:
- The Library of Virginia's Lost Records Localities Digital Collection: copies of deeds, wills and other records from this place that turned up as evidence in other courts' files.
- Land tax and personal property tax books, which begin in 1782. Copies went to the state, so they often survived when the courthouse records didn't.
- The records of the parent counties and neighboring counties, where families often bought land, went to court or married.
- Chancery suits, church records, newspapers, Bible records and military pension files. See Burned Counties.
Records that survive
These are the record series the Library of Virginia has on microfilm for Isle of Wight County, with the earliest and latest years filmed. A span can include gaps; it doesn't mean every year in between survives.
Land and deeds
- Deed Book1688–1900
- General Index to Deeds1688–1890
- Recorded Deeds1741–1854
- Unrecorded Deeds1765–1847
- Processioners' Book1778–1889
- Indentures1782–1897
- Index to Deeds1865–1914
- Oyster Inspectors' Report1883–1892
- Release Deed Book1886–1901
- Records of Oyster Planting Grounds1893–1914
Wills
- Will Book1726–1948
- Wills and Accounts1733–1844
- Recorded Wills1780–1782
- Wills1815–1817
- Common Law Will Book1833–1902
- General Index to Wills1850–1985
Estates and guardianships
- Guardians' Accounts1741–1861
- Estate Paper1787
- Fiduciary Bonds1820–1837
- Fiduciary Bond Book1841–1908
Marriages, births and deaths
- Marriage Bonds1772–1850
- Marriage Register1772–1862
- Marriage Records1774
- Ministers' Returns1786–1837
- Register of Births1853–1885
- Register of Deaths1853–1876
Tax lists
- Liquor License Bond Book1887–1889
Court orders and minutes
- FOR ORDERS1693–1757
- Order Book1746–1886
- Judgment Papers1799–1807
- Court Judgments1816
- Index to Chancery Causes1839–1986
- Execution Book1842–1870
- Miscellaneous Court Records1842–1900
- Common Law Order Book1855–1907
- Chancery Order Book1878–1920
- Judgment Lien Docket1934–1965
Military and pensions
- Records of Confederate Veterans from Smithfield1861–1865
Elections
- Contested Election [Loose Papers]1887
See every volume and reel number at the Library of Virginia
Library of Virginia note: Reels 63 - 83 are not available through interlibrary loan
Source: Library of Virginia, County and City Records on Microfilm. Reels marked for interlibrary loan can be borrowed through your local library.
Where to find the records
- Isle of Wight County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the circuit court clerk's office, and any online record search the county offers.
- The circuit court clerk's office
Virginia's deed, will and marriage books are usually kept by the clerk of the circuit court for the county or city, though many older records have been moved to the Library of Virginia. Call before you visit; hours and access to older volumes vary.
- Library of Virginia: Isle of Wight County records on microfilmfree
Every filmed volume with its years and reel number. Use the reels in Richmond; many can be borrowed through interlibrary loan.
- Library of Virginia: Chancery Records Indexfree
Search equity court suits by name. They're rich in family detail: estate divisions, heirs and land disputes. Many localities' suits are scanned and free to view.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Virginia, Isle of Wight" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: One of the original eight shires of 1634
Later formed partly from Isle of Wight County: Southampton County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1634 (original shire), search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Start with the deed and will books: they name relatives, neighbors and land. Then try the court order books, which mention almost everyone in the county sooner or later, as witnesses, jurors, road workers or parties to a suit.