Charles River Shire
Charles River Shire was one of eight shires of Virginia created in the Virginia Colony in 1634.
During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads. By 1634, the English colony of Virginia consisted of eight shires or counties with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants.
Charles River Shire took its name from King Charles I of England. It was located on the Virginia Peninsula on the Charles River were the antecedents of dozens of counties and cities in Virginia and West Virginia due to the way the original boundaries were defined.
It is one of the five original shires of Virginia considered extant in the original form almost 400 years later, making it one of the oldest counties in the United States.
