Westmoreland County, Virginia Genealogy

United States &gt; Virginia &gt; Westmoreland County

Parent County
1653--Westmoreland County was created 5 July 1653 from Northumberland County. County seat: Montross

Boundary Changes
In 1662, Westmoreland County and Northumberland County were temporarily joined into a single county, see: Mrs. Milnor Ljungstedt, "Westmoreland and Northumberland Joined," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jan. 1924):46-47. Available at JSTOR.

Neighboring Counties

 * Charles County, Maryland
 * Essex
 * King George
 * Northumberland
 * Richmond
 * St. Mary's County, Maryland

Cemeteries

 * "Old Tombstones in Westmoreland County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Oct. 1898):93-98. Available at JSTOR.
 * "Inscriptions on Old Tombstones in Westmoreland and Northumberland Counties," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jul. 1900):25-31. Available at JSTOR.
 * Beale, G.W. "Early Tombs in Westmoreland, Richmond, and Northumberland Counties," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Oct. 1902):123-130. Available at JSTOR.
 * "Early Tombs in Westmoreland, Richmond, and Northumberland Counties," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Jan. 1903):191-195. Available at JSTOR.

Church
Baptist


 * Henly, Robert Page. "The Family of Captain Joseph Peirce, One of the Founders of Nomini Baptist Church Westmoreland County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 8 (1958).

Church of England


 * Beale, George W. "The Early Churches of Northern Neck (Beulah Hinton Marsh)--Aquia Church in Stafford County, Christ Church Lancaster County, Farnham Church in Richmond County, Lamb's Creek Church in King George County, St. Mary's White Chapel in Lancaster County, St. Paul's Church in King George County, Yeocomico Church in Westmoreland County--Baptist Churches of White Marsh in Lancaster, Morattico Baptist, Nomini in Westmoreland, Farnham in Richmond, Hanover Baptist in King George 4. A Ride Through Westmoreland County, Virginia," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 2 (1952).
 * Ljungstedt, Mrs. Milnor. "Westmoreland Parishes," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Jul. 1926):258. Available at JSTOR.
 * Mason, George Carrington. "The Colonial Churches of Westmoreland and King George Counties, Virginia, Part I," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 56, No. 2 (Apr. 1948):154-172. Available at JSTOR.
 * Mason, George Carrington. "The Colonial Churches of Westmoreland and King George Counties, Virginia, Part II," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Jul. 1948):280-293. Available at JSTOR.
 * Pratt, Harden de V. "Yeocomico Church, Westmoreland County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 4 (1954); Vol. 5 (1955).

Court
Chancery Court

Indexes and images to Westmoreland County, Virginia Chancery Records 1753-1902 (incomplete) are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

Family Histories
Bibliography


 * [Ashton] Fitzhugh, Norman S. "Captain John Ashton of Westmoreland County, Virginia, and Some of His Descendants," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Apr. 1934):151-155. Available at JSTOR.
 * [Butler] "Letters from Lawrence Butler, of Westmoreland County, Virginia, to Mrs. Anna F. Cradock, Cumley House, near Harborough, Leicestershire, England [1780s]," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 40, No. 3 (Jul. 1932):259-267; Vol. 40, No. 4 (Oct. 1932):362-370; Vol. 41, No. 1 (Jan. 1933):24-32; Vol. 41, No. 2 (Apr. 1933):111-116. Available at JSTOR.
 * [DeButts] Russell, George Ely. "DeButts Family of Maryland and Virginia," The Genealogist, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Fall 1998):131-188.
 * [Kelly] Kelly, J.Y. "Kelly of Westmoreland Co.," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Oct. 1906):129-131. Available at JSTOR.
 * [Newton] Cochran, Charles F. "Early Generations of the Newton Family of Westmoreland County, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Jul. 1928):293-302; Vol. 37, No. 1 (Jan. 1929):87-91; Vol. 37, No. 2 (Apr. 1929):179-184; Vol. 37, No. 3 (Jul. 1929):283-288.
 * [Peirce] Henly, Robert Page. "The Family of Captain Joseph Peirce, One of the Founders of Nomini Baptist Church Westmoreland County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 8 (1958).
 * [Washington] Tyler, Lyon G. "Col. John Washington: Further Details of His Life from the Records of Westmoreland Co., Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jul. 1893):38-49. Available at JSTOR.

Historic Buildings

 * [Photograph] "The Colonial Mansion and Grounds at Wakefield Near Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 14, Index to Vol. 14 (Jan. 1934). Available at JSTOR.

Immigration

 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Cople Parish, Leeds [Leedstown], Mattox, Nominy [Nomini Hall], Washington Parish, and Westmoreland County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
 * [http://www.immigrantservants.com/search/advancedResults.php?surname=&givenName=&varientSurnameSpellings=&gender=&dateOfBirthDay=&dateOfBirthMonth=&dateOfBirthQuantifier=&dateOfBirthYear=&placeOfBirthParish=&placeOfBirthTown=&placeOfBirthCity=&placeOfBirthCounty=&placeOfBirthColony=&placeOfBirthNation=&occupations=&religions=&orphan=&familyPosition=&immigrationYearQualifier=&immigrationYear=&portOfDepartureTown=&portOfDepartureCity=&portOfDepartureCounty=&portOfDepartureNation=&placeOfArrivalTown=&placeOfArrivalCounty=&placeOfArrivalColony=&shipName=&convict=&yearOfIndentureQualifier=&yearOfIndenture=&lengthOfIndentureYears=&lengthOfIndentureMonths=&yearOfFreedomQualifier=&yearOfFreedom=&placeOfIndentureTown=&placeOfIndentureCity=&placeOfIndentureCounty=Westmoreland&placeOfIndentureColony=&agentSurname=&agentGivenName=&agentTitle=&masterSurname=&masterGivenName=&masterTitle=&residenceParish=&residenceTown=&residenceCity=&residenceCounty=&residenceColony=&residenceNation=&landowner=&literate=&spouseSurname=&spouseGivenName=&spouseMarriageDateDay=&spouseMarriageDateMonth=&spouseMarriageDateQualifier=&spouseMarriageDateYear=&spouseMarriageLocationParish=&spouseMarriageLocationCounty=&spouseMarriageLocationColony=&spouseMarriageLocationNation=&deathDateDay=&deathDateMonth=&deathDateQualifier=&deathDateYear=&deathLocality=&deathCounty=&deathColony=&deathState=&testate=&proofServantStatus=&proofConvictStatus=&headright=&preServitudeSources=&postServitudeSources=&comments=&family=&sourceCitations=&interestedResearchers= List of imported servants from Europe ]who served labor terms in Colonial Westmoreland County, Virginia (work in progress), Courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.

Land
Deeds


 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia County Records, New Series. Vol. I, Westmoreland County. Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey: The Genealogical Association, 1913. Digital book available at Ancestry. [Includes land grants.]
 * Fleet, Beverley. Virginia Colonial Abstracts: Westmoreland County, 1653-1657. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1961. Digital book available at Ancestry. [Includes deeds.]

Surveys


 * Hudson, J. Paul. "An Early Westmoreland County Land Survey Made in 1783," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 7 (1957).

Local Histories

 * Beale, George W. "A Ride Through Westmoreland County, Virginia," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 2 (1952).
 * Wright, T. R. B. Westmoreland County, Virginia: Parts I and II: A Short Chapter and Bright Day in its History. Richmond, Virginia: Whittet &amp; Shepperson, Printers, 1912. Digital book available at Ancestry.

Military
Colonial Militia


 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia County Records, New Series. Vol. I, Westmoreland County. Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey: The Genealogical Association, 1913. Digital book available at Ancestry. [Includes militia records.]

Revolutionary War


 * "Resolution Opposing The Stamp Act, Adopted at Leedstown, Westmoreland County, Virginia, February 27, 1766, Memorialized on a Marble Table on the Wall of the Court House at Montross, Virginia. Transcript of the Resolution," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 1 (1951).

Newspapers
Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette(1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburgwebsite. In addition, Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in this source and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia. These newspapers are valuable resources for all regions of Virginia.

Occupations

 * Beale, Lucy Brown. "Westmoreland County, Early Ordinaries in Westmoreland and Their Early Keepers," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 8 (1958).

Probate
Local Court


 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia County Records, New Series. Vol. I, Westmoreland County. Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey: The Genealogical Association, 1913. Digital book available at Ancestry. [Includes wills.]
 * Fleet, Beverley. Virginia Colonial Abstracts: Westmoreland County, 1653-1657. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1961. Digital book available at Ancestry. [Includes wills.]
 * Westmoreland County, Virginia Wills, 1654-1800. Database available at Ancestry.

London Courts


 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Cople Parish, Leeds [Leedstown], Mattox, Nominy [Nomini Hall], Washington Parish, and Westmoreland County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

Slavery

 * "Slave Owners, Westmoreland County, Va., 1782," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Jan. 1902):229-235. Available at JSTOR.

Taxation

 * 1791 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Westmoreland County, Virginia are indexed online at Binns Genealogy.

Vital Records
Marriages


 * King, George H.S. "Some Westmoreland County Marriages 1691-1692," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jan. 1943):85. Available at JSTOR.

Voting

 * "Polls in Westmoreland County for Election of Burgesses [1744-1761]," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jul. 1899):32. Available at JSTOR. Identifies candidates by name, but not voters.

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Family History Library Catalog