History of Mathews County, Virginia

Chesapeake Bay Town Tied to Planting and Seafaring

Sep 23, 2008 Sara E. Lewis

Mathews, Virginia, is a small and close-knit community of families. Men built ships and went to sea. Until recently, the primary occupations were farmer and waterman.

Located on Virginia's Middle Peninsula, Mathews County, Virginia, has been preserved by geographic good luck because it is low lying and out of the way. However, more retirees are finding real estate in the unique, small town. Some are drawn to Mathews' country roads, wide-open marsh views, centuries-old churches, and lack of traffic lights, malls, and cookie-cutter developments.

Times are changing Mathews, once a community of large extended families. The surnames of some current residents mark them as descendants of Mathews’ pioneers and genealogies from the seventeenth century are intertwined with familiar names like Hudgins, Smith, Jones, Billups, Callis, Forrest, Foster, and others. In order to preserve DNA, a geographic genealogical DNA research site has been established to investigate the origins of longtime Mathews families and their British cultural roots.

Mathews’ First English SettlersAlgonquin Indians and their ancestors lived in Mathews and other Eastern Virginia locations on the Chesapeake Bay for thousands of years before Europeans came to the area. The earliest land grants were made to Englishmen in the early 1600s. At that time, today's Mathews County was Gloucester County's Kingston Parish. Until after the American Revolution it was scantly populated but prosperous for shipbuilders, sea captains, and landholders. Like most of Tidewater Virginia, the population was probably about half of European stock and half of African or African-American lineage.

Mathews' Founded after the American Revolution

In 1790, Mathews’ history as a political entity began when Brigadier General Thomas Mathews, Revolutionary War veteran and Speaker of the House of Delegates of the General Assembly of Virginia, introduced a resolution for the division of Gloucester and the formation of a new county. Beginning in 1791, land that had been Hugh Gwin’s patent and that developed into colonial Gloucester’s Kingston Parish (as well as a small portion of Ware Parish) became Mathews, named to honor the Speaker.

The fortunes of the descendants of early residents changed after the American Revolution. Most of the Gwin family (later spelled Gwyn and Gwynn) left after the American Revolution due to Dunmore’s abuse of their property following the Battle of Gwynn's Island and Cricket Hill. Others in the county were economically distressed due to their support of the war. For those who stayed, it was a long journey to Gloucester Court House by foot, on horseback, or by water and the partition of Gloucester meet their need for easier access to courts and county government services.

Shipbuilding and Seafaring

Shipbuilding and seafaring were the county’s key occupations around 1800. The Mathews County seal, adopted on February 11, 1793, symbolizes the importance of the shipbuilding industry in the County. Shipbuilding continued until and steamboats and trucks replaced the need for elegant sailing ships.

A Glimpse into the Past

In Mathews, vacationer and resident Herman Hollerith, Sr. took some of the earliest photographs of Mathews. Local sites provided backdrops to his children’s play. His son, part-time resident Herman Hollerith, Jr., photographed Mathews more extensively. His photographs of docks, boats, and waterfront occupations have been published frequently and many are now the property of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM), the Mariners’ Museum, and others institutions. The Mathews County Land Conservancy at Williams Wharf holds copies of Hollerith’s images.

Later Occupations

Agricultural pursuits and seafood harvesting were primary occupations after the decline of shipbuilding. Early photos recall what it was like to live at the time and off the land and sea, gathering potatoes and tomatoes, fish and clams. Like nearby Gloucester, Mathews is known for daffodils, first shipped far and wide from Mathews’ wharves, then by refrigerated truck through the mid-twentieth century. Mathews’ families had been self-sufficient of necessity until electricity and cars permitted new occupations and mobility.

Rural Mathews to Today

The seagoing legacy continued in the twentieth century as men went to sea on passenger liners and cargo ships. During two World Wars, a network of Mathews’ men could be found in command of ships in ports far from home. Though watermen still bring in succulent seafood, the days of abundance are gone. The purr of a deadrise invites memories a day when fishing and boating were far more than recreation.

Mathews has been called the land of post offices and churches, where local citizens gather and greet one another. Today many cottages and bed and breakfasts welcome vacationers too. Residents and visitors can look through the peaceful marsh and pine trees on Mathews’ edges, to reflect on the past as seen in places and faces. A small county that is self-aware, straightforward, and singular shines through. Mathews provides a lesson in rural living and inspires reflection.

The copyright of the article History of Mathews County, Virginia in American History is owned by Sara E. Lewis. Permission to republish History of Mathews County, Virginia in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

New Point to East River, Mathews, VA