This is a comprehensive study of the early history and inhabitants of Isle of Wight County. It begins with a graphic description of the early settlers--including accounts of Quakers and Cavaliers--and is followed by detailed histories of the various Isle of Wight families. Nearly 200 pages of this voluminous work are devoted to abstracts of deeds, land records, and quit rents. Besides a place and subject index, the work further includes a 38-page name index of several thousand entries.

The marriages in this work are founded upon the records of the ancient shire of Isle of Wight and include marriages from the area of present-day Southampton County, erected from Isle of Wight in 1749. They derive chiefly from inferential sources, in particular will books, deed books, and order books, though marriage bonds, ministers' returns, and Quaker records also figure significantly in the list of sources. Since comparatively few marriage bonds or official marriage records of Isle of Wight County prior to the year 1800 survive, the great importance of this compilation is at once apparent. The marriages, with the exception of those based on ministers' returns, are arranged alphabetically by the name of the groom, following which is given the name of the bride, the name of a parent or surety, the date of the marriage or marriage record, and the exact source citation. Some 6,300 persons are identified, everyone of whom, including grooms, is cited in the index.