Records Saved

Historic Hometown Heroes

Our court records in Isle of Wight Count have been saved because of the heroic efforts of two individuals, Elizabeth Bennet Young and Randall Booth.

Elizabeth Bennett Young

Clerk of the Court Nathan Peyton Young's wife saved our records during the Revolutionary War. She placed the records in a trunk, and buried them somewhere in the county until the threat of the war had passed.

Randall Booth

Booth, a manservant, assisted Nathaniel Peyton Young in removing the court records during the Civil War. The records were placed on a horse drawn carriage where they were then transported to the western part of the state of Virginia. The records were protected there and were returned after the Civil War ended. After the war, he was given his freedom and a position as caretaker of the courthouse.

The Records Room at the Isle of Wight County Courthouse is named The Randall Booth Records Room in honor of Mr. Booth's efforts in saving the county records.