Place:New Kent, Virginia, United States

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NameNew Kent
Alt namesNew Kentsource: Getty Vocabulary Program
TypeCounty
Coordinates37.483°N 77°W
Located inVirginia, United States     (1654 - )
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
source: Family History Library Catalog


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

New Kent County is a county in the eastern part the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 22,945. Its county seat is New Kent.

New Kent County is included in the Greater Richmond Region.

Contents

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

New Kent County was established in 1654, using territory annexed from York County, and was organized and settled by William Claiborne. The county's name originated because several prominent inhabitants, including William Claiborne, recently had been forced from their settlement at Kent Island, Maryland, by Lord Baltimore upon the formation of Maryland. Claiborne had named the island for his birthplace in Kent, England.

New Kent County is the birthplace of two US presidents' wives - Martha Washington and Letitia Christian Tyler. The church where George and Martha Washington are believed to have been wed, St. Peter's, still holds services today. The Chickahominy Indians frequented this area, as well as nearby Charles City County, and two tribes are still well-established in this area.

Among the earliest settlers of New Kent County was Nicholas Gentry, who settled in New Kent in 1684. The parish register books of St. Peter's Parish show that Nicholas Gentry's daughter was baptized in the church in 1687. The records also reflect other Gentrys, probably Nicholas Gentry's relations, Peter and Samuel Gentry. As the result of arson confessed to by John Price Posey and Tho Green, and allegedly involving "a negro boy belonging to W. Chamberlayne" on July 15, 1787, many later county records were burned, making identifying relationships between family members difficult.

Due to the "many Inconveniencys" suffered by the "Upper Inhabitants by reason of their Great distance from the Court house and other places usually appointed for publick meetings", New Kent County was divided "into Two distinct Countys and that that part of the County lyeing below the parish of Saint Paul shall for Ever thereafter be called and knowne by the Name of New Kent County And that that part of the County which lyeth in the parish of Saint Paul Shall be called and knowne by the Name of Hannover County". In 1720, a portion of New Kent County known then as St. Paul's Parish was formed into a separate county, now Hanover County.

In 2006, the US Census Bureau rated New Kent County among the top 100 fastest-growing counties in the U.S.

Timeline

Date Event Source
1654 County formed Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1674 Land records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1790 First census Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
1790 No significant boundary changes after this year Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
1820 Court records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1827 Probate records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1850 Marriage records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1865 Birth records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources

Population History

source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
Census Year Population
1790 6,239
1800 6,363
1810 6,478
1820 6,630
1830 6,458
1840 6,230
1850 6,064
1860 5,884
1870 4,381
1880 5,515
1890 5,511
1900 4,865
1910 4,682
1920 4,541
1930 4,300
1940 4,092
1950 3,995
1960 4,504
1970 5,300
1980 8,781
1990 10,445

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This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at New Kent County, Virginia. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.