Digital Archives
The Mathews Memorial Library has a growing digital collection that includes digitized versions of original materials such as family Bibles, documents, objects, photographs, etc. pertaining to Mathews County people and places. Our collections are searchable by title, subject and creator. Bible Record Collections, Document Collections, Object Collections, Photo Collections
Land Tax Records, 1801-1818, Mathews County, Virginia
The early Virginia land tax laws required the tax commissioner to record in “a fair alphabetical list” the name of persons owning land or town lots, the quantity of land owned, the value of the land or lots, and the amount of tax owed. Each tract or lot owned by an individual was to be entered separately. Beginning in 1814, a brief description of the location of the land, distance and direction from the courthouse were included. The records may also include from whom transferred and when and how the owner derived the land. Land Tax Records (Digital)
Marriage Records, 1854-1858, Mathews County, Virginia
Transcriptions of marriage records from microfilm held at the Mathews Memorial Library. The marriages are arranged chronologically by date of marriage. In addition to the names of the bride and groom, the records also specify (if listed): occupation of groom, ages of groom and bride, parentage, and official who performed the ceremony. Marriage Registers (Transcribed)
Oral Histories
The Mathews County Historical Society began a project in 2014, with a grant from the Virginia Humanities and matching funds provided by the county, to preserve the history of Mathews County, Virginia by audio recording memories of the people who lived here.
The project, part of the Virginia Fieldwork in Folklore, was developed in partnership among the Mathews County Historical Society, the Mathews Memorial Library, the Fairfield Foundation, and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program. Oral Histories (Transcribed)
Profiles of Honor WWI & WWII
The Virginia WWI and WWII Commemoration Commission and the Library of Virginia partnered to create a state-wide online collection of original World War I and World War II manuscripts that still remain in private hands. The scanning project visited Mathews County on August 4-5, 2018 to scan and digitally preserve wartime letters, photographs, etc. The digital images of items are stored by the Library of Virginia and are avaiable through both the Library of Virginia and the Commission web sites. Highlights from the Mathews County visit can be viewed at https://www.flickr.com/photos/virginiawwiandwwii/sets/72157673818952978/
Revolutionary War Records (1775-1783), Rosters, Pensions and Bounty Land Warrants
These roster lists are for men from Kingston Parish/Mathews County who fought for the colonies in the American Revolutionary War. The collection contains links to original and transcribed application files from officers and enlisted men in all branches of the American military, as well as, applications for pension or bounty-land warrants by a veteran's widow or his heirs. The list only includes men who have been proven to have served unless otherwise noted. Revolutionary War Records (Digital & Transcribed)
The War of 1812 pay rolls are from Pay Rolls of Militia Entitled to Land Bounty Under the Act of Congress of Sept. 28, 1850 (Richmond 1851). [Virginia Militia in the War of 1812: from rolls in the auditor’s office at Richmond. Volume I. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, Md. 2001.]
War of 1812 case files for men who served in the Mathews County, Virginia militia, as well as, other Virginia militia units.
Yearbooks
The Clipper, 1940-1976, (Mathews High School) and The Seahawk, 1969, (Thomas Hunter School) annuals are available online at https://archive.org/details/mathewsmemoriallibrary
This is an ongoing joint project with the library, Mathews schools and the Library of Virginia. The books were digitized by the Internet Archive with funding from LYRASIS and LYRASIS members.
If you have a yearbook to donate, call the Mathews Memorial Library at 804-725-5747.
1851-52 Mathews County Mercantile & Professional Directory
Transcription of Thomson’s Mercantile and Professional Directory listing merchants, attorneys, physicians, hotel keepers, and county Clerk in Mathews County, Virginia.
1888-1889 Mathews County Gazetteer & Classified Directory
Transcription of Chataigne’s Virginia Gazetteer and Classified Business Directory listing post offices, courts, county officers, overseers of the poor, justices of the peace, constables, supervisors, attorneys coach and wagon makers, dentists, druggists, merchants, hotels, land agents, mills, physicians, saddle and harness makers, saloons, schools, undertakers, and farmers in Mathews County, Virginia.