Warrosquyoake Shire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Warroysoyaoke Shire was formed in 1634 in the Virginia colony. It was renamed Isle of Wight County in 1637.

During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the Jamestown Settlement in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads. By 1634, by order of the King of England, Charles I, eight shires or counties were formed with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants. Warrosquyoake Shire, the only shire given a native american name for the friendly tribes nearby, was renamed Isle of Wight County in 1637, after the Isle of Wight, an island in the English channel.

Land that was originally portions of the Warrosquyoake Shire and Isle of Wight County later formed many other counties to the immediate southwest in the region now defined as Southside Virginia. Isle of Wight County, Southampton County, Virginia Greensville County, Virginia and Brunswick County, Virginia were created from Warrosquyoake Shire.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.