Record loss
Most of this locality's early records are gone. Most records burned in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been sent for safekeeping during the Civil War.
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 county 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 Mathews 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
- Delinquent Land1792–1913
- Deeds1814–1865
- Plat Book1817–1981
- Deeds and Contracts1837–1838
- Land Book1849–1932
- Deed Book1863–1901
- Grantee Index to Deeds and Wills1865–1982
- Grantor Index to Deeds and Wills1865–1982
- Processioners' Report1866–1867
- Oyster Report Book1867–1892
- Release Deeds1870–1893
- Glebe Interest1875–1883
- Land Alterations1879
- Delinquent Lands1885–1886
- and 4 more series in the full listing
Wills
- Wills1803
- Will Book1864–1936
Estates and guardianships
- Executor's Bond Book1795–1825
- Guardians' Bond Book1806–1822
- Estate Papers1838–1909
- Estate Accounts, Appraisements, and Sales1850–1892
- Fiduciary Accounts1852–1902
- Guardians' Accounts1856–1869
- Record of Fiduciaries1856–1888
- Appraisements and Sales1882–1900
- Fiduciary Bond Book1889–1922
- Fiduciary Settlement Book1980–1982
Marriages, births and deaths
- Marriage Bonds1827–1835
- Marriage Register1857–1981
- Register of Births and Deaths1865–1896
- Register of Deaths1865–1874
- Register of Births1868–1874
- Marriage Licenses to be Recorded1884
- Register of Marriages1897–1899
- Marriage License1903
Tax lists
- Property and Land Tax1794
- Tax List1835–1875
- Personal Property Tax1837–1904
- Land and Personal Property Tax Book1840
- Personal Property Tax Book1841–1937
- List of Oyster Licenses1866–1867
- List of Taxes Collected1870–1871
- Land Assessments1871–1952
- Survey of Virginia Land Assessments1871–1904
- Sale of Delinquent Lands1873–1895
- Index to Financing Statements1966–1981
Court orders and minutes
- Fee Book1795–1870
- Dockets1796–1798
- Rule Docket Book1796–1817
- Court Papers1799–1903
- Chancery Court Docket Book1805–1835
- Chancery Docket1805–1843
- List of Old Court Book1805–1879
- Court Docket1809–1830
- Execution Book1809–1866
- Rule Docket1809–1830
- Common Law Order Book1814–1981
- Plea Book1814–1830
- Chancery Court Rule Docket Book1831–1858
- Chancery Order Book1831–1982
- and 34 more series in the full listing
Military and pensions
- Applications for Exemption of Military Duty1862
- Lists of Indigent Soldiers1864
- Petitions of Widows and Orphans for Support Under the Stay Law1866–1869
- Applications for Pension1877
- List of Pensioners1900–1902
- Records of the Confederate Pension Board1900–1901
Census
- Census Enumeration1870–1880
Bonds and oaths
- Justice of the Peace Commissions1864–1869
- Officials' Commissions1864–1870
- Bonds1870–1889
- Certificates of Ordination1874
- Commissioner's Bond Book1889–1928
- Oaths of Office1889–1893
- Officials' Bond Book1889–1928
- Letter of Resignation1894
- Officials' Appointments1894–1905
- List of District Officers1903
Elections
- List of Registered Voters1870
- Notices of Candidacy1895
- List of Voters Registered1902–1903
County government and the poor
- Superintendent of the Poor Reports1871–1889
- Surveyor of Road and Appointments, Reports and Accounts1871–1894
- Road Book1875–1891
- Road Cases Disposed of1875–1880
- Road Surveys, Reports, and Petitions1876–1892
- Board of Supervisors' Minute Book1887–1900
- Records of Local Board of Review1915–1930
- Records of County Finance Board1932–1948
Schools
- Commissioners' Reports1818–1840
- Virginia School Census1930
See every volume and reel number at the Library of Virginia
Library of Virginia note: Reels 11-21, 25-31, 40, 42-50, 53-55 and 60 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
- Mathews 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: Mathews 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, Mathews" 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: Gloucester County
Check the parent county for earlier records: Gloucester County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1790, 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.