Members of the Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical and Historical Society (MPAAGHS) will visit Gwynn’s Island on Saturday, Sept. 12.

History buffs and others who are researching African-American, European American and Native American ancestry are invited to join MPAAGHS for the visit.

The day will start at 11 a.m. with a tour of the Gwynn’s Island Museum, founded in 1991 to preserve the history of the island and the Mathews County mainland. The group will be greeted by the museum’s former director Jean Tanner and its present director Tom Edwards.

Recorded history of Gwynn’s Island begins with a land grant acquisition in 1640 by Col. Hugh Gwynn (Gwyn) of Jamestown—a member of the Virginia Company. At that time the island was a part of York County; it became a part of Gloucester County in 1651 and Mathews County in 1790.

John Dixon, local researcher and author of several books, including “The Black Americans of Gwynn’s Island, 1600...