Elizabeth City County, VA Early Records

Elizabeth City County, Virginia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Elizabeth City County is a county in southeastern Virginia . Originally created in 1634 as Elizabeth River Shire, it was one of eight shires created in the Virginia Colony by order of the King of England. In 1636, it was subdivided, and the portion north of the harbor of Hampton Roads became known as Elizabeth City Shire. It was renamed Elizabeth City County a short time later.
Elizabeth City was originally named Kikotan (also spelled Kecoughtan and Kikowtan), presumably a word for the Native Americans living there when the English arrived in 1607. They were friendly to the English, but Sir Thomas Gates either worried about safety (including potential attack by the Spaniards and the Dutch) or coveted their corn fields after the "starving time" of the 1609-10 winter. The English stole their land while the men were out hunting, and for some reason, the natives never attacked the settlement in response.
The shire and county were named for Elizabeth of Bohemia, daughter of King James I.
The town of Hampton, established in 1680, became the largest city in Elizabeth City County, and is currently the county seat.
Since the English settlers occupied the former Indian village of Kecoughtan in 1610, and the town at Jamestown was eventually abandoned, the city of Hampton now claims to be the oldest continuously-settled English city in North America.
*****************************************
Cavaliers And Pioneers Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1666 – Abstracted and Indexed by Nell Marion Nugent, Virginia Land Office, Richmond, VA. – Volume One.

WILLIAM GAINYE, Mariner of Kiccoughtan, in Corp. Eliz. Citty, 12 Jan. 1624, p. 39. 200 acs. Ewd. Upon the maine land unto the head of the Church Cr., S. upon a Cr. Parting this from land of Elizabeth Dunthorne & N. upon a Cr. Parting this from land of William Gapps. 200 acs., 50 acs. For his per. Right whoe came over in the Treasurer at his owne cost in 1617 & for tans. Out of England of 3 servants: John Shippey (or Sippey), & John Cooper, whoe came in the Treasurer with himselfe & Robert Browne whose passage hee defrayed for to Mr. Robert Gire out of the Marrigold 1618.

DICTORIS CHRISTMAS, 300 acs. Eliz. Citty Co., 21 Nov. 1635, p. 317. On the N. side of the old Poquoson Riv., joyning upon land of Gilbert Perkins Eastward, W. upon Monack neck & N. into the woods. 100 acs. For the per. Adv. of himselfe & wife Isabell Christmas & 200 for tans. of 4 pers: William Gun, Rich. Combes, Israell Atwell, Zachariah Foster.