Mathews County, Virginia - History

History

Originally inhabited by the Chiskiake Indians, under Chief Powhatans rule, this area was transferred to English speaking persons under suspicious circumstances. After the death of his father(and tribal head), a young "boy king", and his "protector", with a name sounding like "Pindavako" to English ears, supposededly signed over the northern areas of the county to the invaders. This is highly suspect, since native people did not sign their names(no writing). This "gift" was likely made under the barrell of a gun. During Virginia's Colonial Era, the area which later became Mathews County was a portion of Gloucester County. The small town at Mathews Court House (also known as simply "Mathews") was originally named Westville, and was established around 1700. In 1691, the Virginia General Assembly had directed that each county designate an official port-of-entry. Westville was located along Put-in Creek, a waterway which is a tidal tributary of Virginia's East River, feeding into Mobjack Bay, itself a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.

In 1776, Virginia's last Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore, left Virginia after being driven to Gwynn's Island by General Andrew Lewis and the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. About 10 years after Virginia gained its independence from Great Britain, Mathews County was established in 1791 from part of Gloucester County. The county was named for Brigadier General Thomas Mathews, then speaker of the House of Delegates of the General Assembly of Virginia. Westville was designated at the county seat (later become known variously as Mathews Court House or simply Mathews).