Mathews County Death Index

Mathews County death records are held by the Circuit Court Clerk in Mathews and by the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Vital Records in Richmond. Mathews County is a small peninsula county on the Chesapeake Bay with no incorporated towns, so all vital records for county residents are handled at the county level or through the state office in Richmond.

Mathews County Circuit Court Clerk

The Mathews County Circuit Court Clerk's Office is located at the county courthouse in Mathews. The clerk's office handles probate matters, land records, marriage licenses, wills, and court case files. Office hours are Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Contact the clerk's office directly before visiting to confirm hours and copy fees.

The Circuit Court does not issue certified death certificates. Those are handled by the Virginia Department of Health. However, the court holds probate records tied directly to deaths in Mathews County. Estate filings, wills, and inventories often include the date of death and names of family members. Because Mathews County has no incorporated towns, all probate filings for county residents go through this one office.

Mathews County is one of Virginia's smallest counties by land area. It sits entirely on a peninsula bounded by the Chesapeake Bay, the Piankatank River, and the East River. The county is in the 9th Judicial Circuit. Given its small size and rural character, the Circuit Court clerk's office may have more limited staffing than offices in larger counties. It is worth calling ahead before making the drive.

Virginia Death Records for Mathews County

The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records holds certified death certificates for Mathews County deaths from June 1912 to the present. The office is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mail requests go to P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, VA 23218-1000. Phone: (804) 662-6200.

Certified copies cost $12 each. Payment is accepted by check, money order, credit card, mobile pay, or cash. Make checks payable to State Health Department. Under Virginia Code Title 32.1, Chapter 7, death records become public 25 years after the date of death. Before that, only immediate family can request a copy: spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. A copy of a government-issued photo ID is required.

For online ordering, VitalChek is the state's authorized third-party service. An additional processing fee applies beyond the $12 state fee. VitalChek handles records from June 1, 1912 forward. You can also pick up a certified copy at any full-service Virginia DMV location with a $2 convenience fee.

Because Mathews County has no incorporated towns, all deaths in the county were registered at the county level before being forwarded to the state. If you are researching a death in Mathews and cannot find it in the VDH records, check whether the event may have been recorded in a neighboring county such as Gloucester or Middlesex.

Search the Mathews County Death Index Online

The Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS) lets you search Mathews County court records at no cost. Search by party name or case number. This covers civil, criminal, and probate filings. Probate records are useful when a death certificate is restricted under the 25-year rule, since estate filings often show an approximate date of death.

The Library of Virginia holds death registers from 1853 to 1896 on microfilm, including Mathews County records. You can borrow these through interlibrary loan. The registers list the name of the deceased, race and sex, date and place of death, cause of death, age, occupation, marital status, and names of parents. For coastal communities like those in Mathews County, cause of death entries sometimes reflect the maritime character of the area.

Virginia residents can access Ancestry for Virginians at no cost. This program provides free access to Virginia Death Records from 1912 to 2014 and Virginia Death Registers from 1853 to 1911. You need a free Library of Virginia card or a participating public library card. This is often the fastest way to find a Mathews County death record without traveling to Richmond or Mathews.

FamilySearch has free Virginia death databases covering the 1853 to 1912 period. Searching here first can save time and help confirm the right certificate number to request from VDH.

Mathews County Death Records: Historical Research

Mathews County was formed from Gloucester County in 1790. It is one of Virginia's smallest counties by land area, situated entirely on a peninsula on the Chesapeake Bay. The county has never had any incorporated towns. Death records follow Virginia's statewide pattern: no formal records before 1853, registers from 1853 to 1896, a gap from 1897 to May 1912, then continuous state registration from June 1912 forward.

The gap from 1897 to 1912 is a problem for every Virginia county. In Mathews, where the community was small and tightly knit, church records and cemetery inscriptions from this period can sometimes fill in what the state registry missed. Many Mathews County families were involved in watermen's trades, and some deaths during this period may be documented in maritime records or newspaper accounts.

The death registers from 1853 to 1896 are at the Library of Virginia on microfilm. The Virginia Genealogical Society sponsors the Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, which covers Mathews County entries and is searchable through the Library of Virginia. Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 to 1880 are also at the Library of Virginia and can provide additional death information for the county. Before 1853, the county's probate records and church registers are the main sources for death information in Mathews.

Nearby Counties

These counties border or sit near Mathews County. Each has its own Circuit Court and vital records resources for deaths that occurred in those jurisdictions.