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Northumberland County Wills, Estates, Marriages available to members
Images of Wills, Inventories, Deeds
- 1651-1658 (no index)
- 1706-1720
- 1710-1713
- 1718-1726
- 1726-1729
- 1738-1743
- 1743-1749
- 1747-1749
- 1749-1751
- 1770-1772
- 1772-1776
Images of Orders, Deeds, Wills
Images of Guardian Accounts
Indexes to Wills, Inventories, Deeds
- 1753-1756
- 1756-1768
- 1758-1762
- 1762-1766
Indexes to Fiduciary Accounts
Miscellaneous
Marriages
- to 1699
- 1735 to 1795
- Bonds 1788 to 1817
School Commission Reports
- 1823 to 1833
- 1833 to 1837
Road Papers
Index to Deeds and Orders
- Page 10; 40 to 80
- John Mattson deed
Transcriptions of Wills
- Harris, John
- Haynie, Anthony
- Jones, Robert
Traced genealogies and family histories of Northumberland County are available to Members!
Sherwood of Virginia
Tarpley's Store
The Rush to Build Towns in Colonial Virginia
Early colonial towns did not just pop up. In 1662, the following new towns were approved by the House of Burgesses to be constructed: Varina in Henrico, Fleur de Hundred in Charles City, Smith's Fort in Surry, Jamestown in James City, Patesville in Isle of Wight, Huff's Point in Nansemond, mouth of Deep Creek in Warwick, the Jervise Plantation in Elizabeth City, the Wise Plantation in Lower Norfolk, the Read Plantation in York, the Brick House in New Kent, Tyndall Point in Gloucester, the Wormsley Plantation in Middlesex, Hubb's Hole in Rappahannock, Pearce Point in Stafford, Calverts Neck in Accomac, the plantation of the Secretary located on Kings Creek in Northampton, Corotoman in Lancaster and Chickacony in Northumberland.
About Indentured Servants
To understand the status of Indentured Servants who were so numerous in the Virginia Colony and were such an important factor in the population of the Northern Neck, it is well to consider the meaning of the term. During the 17th century the word "servant" was not confined to one who was engaged in a menial task, instead broadly referred to anyone who, for compensation, rendered service to another (as was customary in all occupations) calling for especial training or instruction, to take on apprentices "bound to serve for a certain time in consideration of instruction in an art or trade." The apprentice was lodged and clothed by the master during the term and to give his labour and services in compensation for his support and instruction. The custom obtained not only in the various crafts and trades but even in the professions as well, lawyers and doctors taking students on similar terms. Virginia Immigrants
Origins of Colonists
Hand-Hoed Tobacco
During the times of our colonial ancestors, agriculture was founded upon the cultivation of tobacco and corn. These were hand-hoed crops, with practically no use whatsoever of the plow. As land was plentiful and the plantations increased in size, the great and pressing need of labor was at hand, and then more labor. The system of Indentured Service in Virginia began very early and opened a great supply of labor not otherwise available. There were many persons in England of the poorer class and even of those once more affluent who had, for one reason or the other, become the victims of misfortune and sought a fresh start in the colonies, but were without money to pay for passage. Also, those who suffered bankruptcy. The severe English Laws against debtors forced servants into Virginia, where, in 1642, a Law had been passed to protect fugitives from their English creditors.
Northumberland County Genealogy, Wills, Estates, Marriages, Indexes to Deeds and Orders
Northumberland County was formed about 1645, although not authorized until 1648, from the district of Chickacoan, the early-seventeenth-century name for the region between the Potomac and the Rappahannock rivers. Its area is 223 square miles, and the county seat is Heathsville. The population is 12,259 according to the 2000 census. The courthouse Suffered some loss in a fire in the clerk's office on 25 October 1710. Birth and Death Records from 1650-1810 are located in the St. Stephens Parish. There being no courthouse in Northumberland in 1658, the judges met in a house probably used as a public tavern. But it was not until five years later that the court-house construction was begun. Before that, the justices held their sessions at the residences of Colonels Richard Lee and Peter Ashton. The building was situated at Fairfield and was made of wood. Therefore, in 1680, it was necessary to build another one. Source: Northumberland County Records, vol. 1652-66, p. 188; Orders Nov. 22, 1658; March 11, 1680.
What was "Damnified!" in the Old Days?
The term "damnified" or "damnification" referenced vessels where merchandise had spoiled or wrecked and it became necessary to pay someone for their losses. As agents across the seas shipped perishable goods into Virginia, there was always a risk of bad weather. Typically, hurricanes were responsible for the loss of vessels and cargo, but pirates combing the West Indies and the Atlantic Ocean also played a major role in spoilt cargo. Treasure hunters have discovered that there are literally thousands of shipwrecks along the Atlantic coast. The following is from the Records of General Court, p. 146: "Judgment is granted Colonel Daniel Parke Esq. against Mr. Thomas Warren, commander of the ship Daniel in Virginia for payment of 29pds, 13sh, 2d, being for money due for goods of the said Parke damnified in the said ship in her late voyage from London, the money to be paid within 40 days upon her next arrival to England." Five other persons also suffered losses during the same voyage. Source: British State Papers, Colonial, vol. IX, No. 64. This site has attempted to publish the activities of immigrants and agents crossing into the Colony of Virginia. This information is available to members and is labeled under the designation Origins.
Chambliss Families Traced