The early Tidewater counties south of and along the James River trace their roots to Virginia’s original eight shires formed in 1634. James City County (from James City Shire) centered on Jamestown and initially included lands south of the river; Charles City County (from Charles City Shire) spanned both sides of the James and Appomattox, later parent to Prince George County. Surry County emerged in 1652 from the southwestern part of James City County south of the James. Isle of Wight County began as Warrosquyoake Shire in 1634, renamed in 1637. Nansemond County (originally Upper Norfolk, formed around 1637–1640 and renamed 1646) lay southeast of Isle of Wight along the Nansemond River; its court records suffered severe losses from fires in 1734 (clerk’s house), 1779 (British action during the Revolution), and 1866, severely limiting surviving early documents. Southampton County formed in 1749 from the western portion of Isle of Wight (west of the Blackwater River), with later additions from Nansemond, extending settlement into the Southside as tobacco agriculture expanded. These interconnected counties served as stepping stones for southward migration into the Piedmont.