Amelia County, Virginia Genealogy

United States   Virginia    Amelia County

County Courthouse


Amelia County Courthouse Courthouse Square Amelia, VA 23002

The first county courthouse was located near Pridesville and was in operation until it was destroyed by fire in 1766. A later courthouse was built at Dennisville. The present location, on a two-acre square in the center of the village of Amelia, was chosen in 1849. The currently used courthouse building was built in 1924.

The official county government website is at http://www.ameliava.com/.

History


The county was named after Amelia Sophia Eleanora, Princess Amelia of Great Britain (1711-1786), daughter of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland (1683-1760).

Parent County
1734--Amelia County was created 1 February 1734 from Brunswick and Prince George Counties. County seat: Amelia

Boundary Changes
Prince Edward County was formed from Amelia County in 1754. Nottoway County was formed from Amelia County in 1789.

Neighboring Counties

 * Chesterfield
 * Cumberland
 * Dinwiddie
 * Nottoway
 * Powhatan
 * Prince Edward

Cemeteries
For a detailed list, including addresses, phone numbers, and external links, see Amelia County, Virginia Cemeteries.

The following is a list of some of the cemeteries in Amelia County. Note that this is not a complete list.


 * Amelia County Cemeteries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Tombstone Transcription Project Amelia County (USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project)

Census
1782 Enumeration


 * Pritchett, John W. Southside Virginia Genealogies. CD. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2007. Available at ; digital version at Virginians - The Family History of John W. Pritchett. [Includes annotated 1782 enumeration of heads of households of Amelia County.]

1890 Union Veterans


 * Turner, Ronald Ray. Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. Available online, courtesy: Prince William County Virginia website. [Includes residents of this county.]

Church
Baptist


 * "Petition of Amelia County Baptists, 27 October 1768," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1962):74. Available at and New England Ancestors ($).

Quaker


 * Bell, James Pinkney Pleasant. Our Quaker Friends of Ye Olden Time: Being in Part a Transcript of the Minute Books of Cedar Creek Meeting, Hanover County, and the South River Meeting, Campbell County, Va. Lynchburg, Va.: J.P. Bell Company, 1905. Available at and ; digital version at Google Books (full-view). [Includes Quakers from Amelia County.]

Court

 * Amelia County Court Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Court Order Book 2 (partial) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Court Order Book 17, June 1785 (USGenWeb Archives): Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
 * Kidd, Reiley, Introduction to the Amelia County Order Books (USGenWeb Archives)
 * McConnaughey, Gibson Jefferson. Court Order Books, Amelia County, Virginia. 2 vols. [1735-1751]. Amelia, VA: Mid-South Publishing Co., 1985, and Athens, GA: Iberian Publishing Co., 1997. Available at . McConnaughey published abstracts of the first two Amelia County court order books.
 * Morton, W.S. "Notes from Amelia County Records which Relate to its Courthouse," The William and Mary Quarterly, second series, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Jul 1939), pp. 378-379. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * T.L.C. Genealogy. Amelia County, Virginia, Court Orders 1746-1751: An Every-name Index. Miami Beach, Florida: TLC Genealogy, 1995. Available at . This work indexes Amelia County's second court order book.

Genealogy
More than 25 genealogies have been published about Amelia County families. To view a list, visit Amelia County, Virginia Genealogy.

Historic Residences
The histories of the following old houses, including identification of some owners, are available at the website of the Amelia Historical Society:


 * The Glebe
 * Haw Branch
 * Hardaway House
 * Edgewood
 * Dykeland
 * Hotel Amelia

Other Amelia County house histories include:


 * Hadfield, Kathleen Joy Halverson. Amelia County, Virginia, Buildings Survey: Sites and Survivors of the Colonial and Federal Periods. Amelia, Virginia: K.H. Hadfield, 1979..
 * Jefferson, Mary Armstrong. Old Homes and Buildings in Amelia County, Virginia, Vol. 1. Amelia, Virginia, 1964..

Immigration

 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. (British Book). [Includes will of a resident of Raleigh, Amelia County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

Deeds

 * Amelia County Deeds (USGenWeb Archives)

Grants and Patents

 * Amelia County Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Hudgins and Sullivan. 901 patents dated 1717-1779 in what is now Amelia and Nottoway Counties, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2003. [Names of those who received land patents, dates, land descriptions, and references may be viewed free of charge (click "Index" next to the county listing); however, in order to view the maps, it is necessary to purchase Direct Line Software's DeedMapper product.]

Local Histories

 * Howe, Henry. Historical Collections of Virginia, 1845 (excerpt in USGenWeb Archives)

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Removals from Amelia County Insolvents Lists, 1750, The Southside Virginian, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Apr. 1983):126. Available at.
 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1975):190-194. Available at ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Amelia County's 1788 Delinquent List appears on 19:193-194.]
 * Elliott, Katherine B. Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 2 vols. South Hill, Virginia: K.B. Elliott, 1966. Vol. 1 of original edition available at ; 1983 reprints (both volumes) available at ; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) also available at . [Includes individuals who migrated out of Amelia County to other parts of the country.]
 * Kolbe, J.C. "Removals from Insolvent Lists of Amelia County," [1763-1812] The Southside Virginian, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Jan. 1983):76-77. Available at.
 * Nance, Joanne Lovelace. "Handle with Care: From Our County Loose Papers, Amelia County, Virginia, List of Insolvants," [1749-50], Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 35, No. 4 (Fall 1997):309-313. Available at.

French and Indian War

 * Amelia County, Virginia, Military - French &amp; Indian War: Providers of Provisions for Militia (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Amelia County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.]
 * Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at ; digital version at Google Books. [Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch [French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War] with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Amelia County, see pp. 28-30.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at and ; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Amelia County militia officers; see place name index.]

Revolutionary War
Amelia County, Virginia contributed soldiers to the 11th Virginia Regiment in 1777.


 * Amelia County Militia, 1758 (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Amelia County Revolutionary War pension records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Jones, W. Mac. "Some Revolutionary Soldiers as Shown by the Order Book of Amelia County, Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr., 1928), pp. 111-115. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Morton, W.S. "Revolutionary Soldiers of Amelia County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Oct., 1935), pp. 397-402. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital versions at U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Amelia County on page 128.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

War of 1812

 * Douthat, James L. Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2007. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. 975.5 M2djL. [Includes Amelia County.]
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Governnment Printing Office, 1883. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Amelia County, pp. 60-61.]

Civil War

 * Amelia County Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows (USGenWeb Archives)

Newspapers

 * Amelia County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Virginia Gazette: 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.

Petitions

 * Eckenrode, H.J. Virginia State Library: A Calendar of Legislative Petitions Arranged by Counties Accomac - Bedford. Richmond, Va.: Davis Bottom, Superintendent of Public Printing, 1908. Digital version at Google Books (full-view). [Amelia County petitions (1778-1842) are described on pp. 96-107.]
 * "Petition of Amelia County Baptists, 27 October 1768," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1962):74. Available at . Digital version at New England Ancestors ($).

Private Papers

 * Amelia County Bible records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Amelia County Photographs (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Gray Family Bible [Records, ca. 1745-1956], Bible records / Governor Leonard Calvert Chapter, no. 29, California State Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists. Available on microfilm at.

Probate
Local Court

SamPubCo has created a free online resource that serves as a good starting place to search for Amelia County wills:


 * Amelia County, Virginia Will Testators Index, Books 1-25 (1734-1926)

Other Amelia County probate resources include:


 * "Amelia County, Virginia, Will Book 1 with Inventories and Accounts, 1734-1761," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1971):83-90; Vol. 15, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1971):183-190; Vol. 15, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1971):265-272; Vol. 16, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1972):50-62; Vol. 16, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1972):109-118; Vol. 16, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1972):292-300; Vol. 17, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1973):53-62; Vol. 17, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1973):139-148; Vol. 17, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1973):175-180; Vol. 17, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1973):304-309; Vol. 18, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1974):17-22; Vol. 18, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1974):105-119. 975.5 B2vg; digital version at New England Ancestors ($).
 * Amelia County Wills (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Wise, Ben. Amelia County, Virginia Will Book 3: 1780 to 1786. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. [Includes "wills, appraisals, and inventories and also includes additional deaths and heirs from Order Books 15 and 17."]
 * Wise, Ben. Amelia County, Virginia Will Book 4: 1786 to 1792. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. [Includes "wills, appraisals, and inventories and also includes additional deaths and heirs from Order Books 18 and 19."]
 * Wise, Ben. Amelia County, Virginia Will Book 5: 1792 to 1799. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. [Includes "wills, appraisals, and inventories and also includes additional deaths and heirs from Order Books 18 and 19."]

London Courts


 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. 942 P27c 2007. [Includes will of a resident of Raleigh, Amelia County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Amelia County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 3, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1959):171-174. Available at . Digital version at New England Ancestors ($).

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * The original Amelia County, Virginia Lists of Tithables, 1736-1782 [missing years 1772-1777], and Miscellaneous Documents, ca. 1740-1795 are kept at the Amelia County Courthouse, Amelia, Va. Microfilm copies: -
 * Amelia County Census and Tax Records (USGenWeb Archives)

The following Amelia tax lists have been abstracted:


 * [1736-1771] Amelia County - the Colonial Tithe Lists 1736-1771, CD, available for purchase at Binns Genealogy.
 * [1736] Light, Steve. "A List of all the Titheables Below Deep Creek in 1736." Available online, courtesy: Amelia County, Virginia VAGenWeb Project.
 * [1736] Nance, Joanne Lovelace. "Amelia County, Virginia Tithables, 1736," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 36, No. 1 (Winter 1998):74-84..
 * [1737] Pritchett, John W. Southside Virginia Genealogies. CD. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2007. ; digital version at Virginians - The Family History of John W. Pritchett. [Includes annotated 1737 tithe list of Amelia County.]
 * [1737] Clay, Robert Young. "Amelia County, Virginia Tithables, 1737," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 34, No. 4 (Fall 1996):345-354..
 * [1737] Kolbe, J.C. "Amelia County Tithable List for 1737," The Southside Virginian, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Oct. 1982):15-22..
 * [1738] Clay, Robert Young. "Amelia County, Virginia Tithables, 1738," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Winter 1997):66-74..
 * [1739] Nance, Joanne Lovelace, "Amelia County, Virginia Tithables, 1739," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Spring 1997):125-133..
 * [1740] Kolbe, J.C. "Amelia County Tithables 1740," The Southside Virginian, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jan. 1990):17-22; Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1990):71-74; Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1990):103-104..
 * [1741] Nance, Joanne Lovelace, "Amelia County, Virginia Tithables, 1741," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Summer 1998):203-211..
 * [1742] Hudgins, Dennis Ray, "Amelia County Tithables, 1742," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 38, No. 2 (May 2000):98-104..
 * [1743] Hudgins, Dennis. "Amelia County Tithables, 1743," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 38, No. 3 (Aug. 2000); Vol. 38, No. 4 (Nov. 2000):241-252..
 * [1744] Hudgins, Dennis Ray. "Amelia County Tithables, 1744," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 39, No. 4 (Nov. 2001):292-306..
 * [1745] Hudgins, Dennis Ray. "Amelia County Tithables, 1745," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 40, No. 3 (Aug. 2002):235-238..
 * [1746] Hudgins, Dennis Ray. "Amelia County Tithables for 1746," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Feb. 2003):69-85..
 * [1747] Hudgins, Dennis Ray. "Amelia County Tithables, 1747," [Omitted Pages] Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 43, No. 1 (Feb. 2005):15-17..
 * [1747] Hudgins, Dennis Ray. "Amelia County Tithables, 1747," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Nov. 2004):319-332..
 * [1748] Hudgins, Dennis Ray. "Amelia County Tithables, 1748," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 43, No. 1 (Feb. 2005):18-36..
 * [1748] "Amelia County Tobacco Lists, 1748," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 43, No. 1 (Feb. 2005):37-40..
 * [1749] "Amelia County, 1749 Tobacco List," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 43, No. 2 (May 2005):125-127..
 * [1749] Hudgins, Dennis Ray. "Amelia County Tithables, 1749," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 43, No. 2 (May 2005):103-124..
 * [1749-1750] Nance, Joanne Lovelace. "Handle with Care: From Our County Loose Papers, Amelia County, Virginia, List of Insolvants," [1749-50], Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 35, No. 4 (Fall 1997):309-313..
 * [1750] Hudgins, Dennis Ray. "Amelia County Tithables, 1750," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Nov. 2005):291-308..
 * [1750] Clay, Robert Y. "Removals from Amelia County Insolvent Lists, 1750," The Southside Virginian, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Apr. 1983):126..
 * [1763-1812] Kolbe, J.C. "Removals from Insolvent Lists of Amelia County," [1763-1812] The Southside Virginian, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Jan. 1983):76-77..
 * [1765] Kidd, Reiley. "1765 Personal Property Tax Lists." Available online, courtesy: Amelia County, Virginia VAGenWeb Project.
 * [1766] Kidd, Reiley. "1766 Personal Property Tax Lists." Available online, courtesy: Amelia County, Virginia VAGenWeb Project.
 * [1768] Southall, S.O. "Poll of Amelia County, Va., 1768," Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 33 (1951):54-69. ; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at FHL:.
 * [1778-1782] Amelia County - 1778-1782 Tithable Lists; 1736-1813 Misc Accounts, Lists, Tithables, CD, available for purchase at Binns Genealogy.
 * [1782] 1782 tax lists (USGenWeb Archives)
 * [1782-1786] Douthat, James L. 1790 Amelia County, Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. [Reconstructed using 1782 through 1786 tax lists.]
 * [1787] Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. . [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Amelia County is included in Vol. 1.]
 * [1788] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1975):190-194. ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Amelia County's 1788 Delinquent List appears on 19:193-194.]
 * [1790, 1800] Indexed images of the 1790 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Amelia County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1791, 1800] Indexed images of the 1791 and 1800 Land Tax Lists of Amelia County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1800] "Amelia County, Virginia 1800 Tax List," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Jan. 1961):18-27. ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($).
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. . [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Amelia County is included in Vol. 1.]

Vital Records
Birth


 * Fridley, Beth. Amelia County, Virginia Births, 1853-96 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Available at Ancestry ($).

Marriage


 * "Amelia County Marriage Bonds," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Apr., 1907), pp. 255-264; Vol. 16, No. 2 (Oct., 1907), pp. 81-95; Vol. 16, No. 3 (Jan., 1908), pp. 199-214; Vol. 16, No. 4 (Apr., 1908), pp. 269-283; Vol. 17, No. 1 (Jul., 1908), pp. 34-49. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Amelia County Vital Records (marriage bonds; marriage records) (USGenWeb Archives)
 * De Krafft, H.W. "Amelia County Marriage Bonds--1735-1755," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Jan., 1911), pp. 174-176. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Williams, Kathleen Booth. Marriages of Amelia County, Virginia, 1735-1815. 1961.

Websites

 * Amelia County (official government site)
 * Amelia County in
 * Amelia County, VA Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Amelia County VAGenWeb Project
 * Amelia County USGenWeb Archives
 * Amelia County, Virginia Genealogy, Facts and Records Resources (n2genealogy)