Lenoir County, North Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Lenoir County, North Carolina ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Lenoir County is located in the southeastern portion of North Carolina and was named for General William Lenoir, a prominent Revolutionary War hero, Speaker of the State Senate, and trustee of the University of North Carolina.

County Courthouse
Lenoir County Courthouse PO Box 3289 Kinston, NC 28502 Phone: 252-523-2390 Lenoir County Website Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1880. Register of Deeds has marriage and land records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Bible Records

 * Bible Records at North Carolina Digital Archives - index and images
 * Lenoir County Bibles at NCGenWeb Project
 * Lenoir County, NC Bibles A-M at USGenWeb Archives
 * Lenoir County, NC Bibles N-Z at USGenWeb Archives

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images Also at: Ancestry ($)

Census Records

 * Lenoir County census records (NCGenWeb)

Church Records

 * 1700-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Lenoir County church records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Various Church records, 1830-1875 available on microfilm at the FS Library.

Baptist
 * Bear Creek. Established by 1785.
 * Beaver Dam. Established by 1808.
 * Wheat Swamp, near Kinston, N.C. Organized about 1760. Has belonged to the Disciples of Christ since 1843.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Howard's Chapel Branch was the first congregation of Church members residing in and around Kinston, Lenoir County in the early 1900s. List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Record of members, 1939-1942 available on microfilm at the FS Library.
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1866-1949 (*); Superior Court and Clerk of the Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1880-1916 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1901-1913 (*); Clerk of the Superior Court and Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1901-1913 (*); Superior and Justice's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Lenoir County, NC Court Records at USGenWeb Archives
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * Statewide NC Business Directories, Lenoir County (NCGenWeb)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1862-1870   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1863-1872   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Funeral Homes

 * Albritton-Carraway Funeral Home in Kinston.
 * Britt Funeral Home and Cremation Service in La Grange.
 * Edwards Funeral Home and Cremations in Kinston.
 * Fonville and Dove Mortuary in Kinston.
 * Garner Funeral Home in Kinston.
 * Howard - Carter Funeral Home in Kinston.
 * J.B. Rhodes Funeral Home and Cremations, Inc. in Kinston.
 * Mills Funeral Home, Inc. in Kinston.
 * Pink Hill Funeral Home in Pink Hill.
 * Rouse Funeral Home in La Grange.
 * R. Swinson Funeral Service in Kinston.
 * Trinity Funeral Service. in Kinston.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Deeds of Lenoir county (USGenWeb Archives)
 * North Carolina Land Grants at NC Historical Records Online - index, requires free account to view images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * The Story of Kinston and Lenoir County, North Carolina by Talmage Johnson and Charles R. Holloman available at the FS Library.
 * 200 years of progress : a report of the history and achievements of the people of Lenoir County, 1776-1976 by Mike Kohler available at the FS Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Lenoir County (North Carolina State Library)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Lenoir County military records (USGenWeb Archives)

Revolutionary War 
 * 1778-1833 Delamar Transcripts of Revolutionary War Petitions at North Carolina Genealogical Society - index ($)
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1885-1953  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1885 and 1901 1885 and 1901 Confederate Pension Applications at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images


 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 13th Battalion, North Carolina Infantry, Company C
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company G
 * - 3rd Regiment, North Carolina Artillery, Company A
 * - 41st Regiment Volunteers - 3rd Cavalry, Company E
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Cavalry (63rd Regiment Volunteers), Company B
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company D
 * - 8th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry (Partisan Rangers), 2nd Company

Civil War Battles  The following Civil War battles were fought in Lenoir County:
 * December 14, 1862 - Kinston.
 * March 7-10, 1865 - Wilmington, also known as Wilcox’s Bridge, Wise’s Fork, Second Kinston, Second Southwest Creek, or Kelly's Mill Pond.
 * Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.

World War I 
 * 1914-1918 World War I Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II 
 * 1939-1945 World Ward II Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1799-1893 Lenoir County marriages are included in Carrie Broughton's 6-volume index of the Raleigh Register &amp; State Gazette newspaper (1799-1893). Marriages are listed by year and PDF files are searchable. Available at North Carolina Digital Collections.
 * Kinston Free Press Index, transcriptions of articles from the paper
 * North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC
 * Newspaper articles of Lenoir County (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Newspapers of Lenoir County. A listing of newspapers published in the county. (Library of Congress)
 * North Carolina Newspaper Digitization Project. Historical newspapers from the 18th &amp; 19th century. Includes papers from the New Bern area, which includes Lenoir County,
 * Deaths of Lenoir County. Listing of county area deaths reported in various newspapers; dates range from late 1700s to 1900s.

Obituaries

 * Lenoir County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Lenoir County, various records for deaths and obituaries. (NCGenWeb)

Other Records
Voter Registration
 * 1868-1898 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1663-1978 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1720-1960  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1830-1956 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1861-1891 Images of Wills and Estates.   North Carolina Pioneers ($)
 * 1869-1922  at FamilySearch.org- How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1869-1966 (*); Clerk of Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1894-1955 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * North Caroline Pioneers Images of Lenoir County Colonial Records ($)
 * North Carolina Probate Records tips
 * Wills and Estates (NCGenWeb Archives)
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records

 * Grainger High School Senior class listings from 1927-1970
 * Lenoir County Students at NC colleges, Yearbook Index. (NCGenWeb)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

 * 1769 Tax Lists, Dobbs County, 1769 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, at Ancestry $
 * 1769 Tax Lists, Dobbs County, 1769 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1769 Tax List, 1769 (images) online at FamilySearch
 * 1779 Tax Lists, Dobbs County, 1779 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, at Ancestry $
 * 1779 Tax Lists, New Bern District, 1779 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, at Ancestry $
 * 1779 Tax Lists, New Bern District, 1779 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1780 Tax Lists, Dobbs County, 1780 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, at Ancestry $
 * 1780 Tax Lists, Dobbs County, 1780 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1844 Tax Lists, Lenoir County, 1844 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * Lenoir County Tax Lists (USGenWeb Archives)

Vital Records

 * 1800-2000 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Uncertified copies of vital records can be ordered for a small fee from the Register of Deeds.

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at Findmypast
 * 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1759-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1873-1952 Lenoir County Marriage Index 1873-1952 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images  Also at:  MyHeritage ($)
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Lenoir County, various records for deaths and obituaries. (NCGenWeb)

Divorce

 * 1880-1914, 1922-1969 Lenoir County Divorces 1880-1914, 1922-1969 at NC State Archives - free.
 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

FamilySearch Centers

 * Apex North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Asheboro North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Goldsboro North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Raleigh North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Woodington North Carolina FamilySearch Center


 * Wake County Public Libraries-Olivia Raney Local History Library Branch - an affiliate library

Libraries
Heritage Place Leigh and John McNairy Library Lenoir Community College 231 Highway 58 S Kinston, NC 28502-0188 Phone: 252-527–6223, ext 504 Email: [mailto:rmgarafolo48@lenoircc.edu rmgarafolo48@lenoircc.edu] Website

Societies
Heritage Genealogical Society of Lenoir, Greene, & Jones Counties of NC Kinston, NC Phone: 252-522-0540 Email: [mailto:diamondgp@suddenlink.net diamondgp@suddenlink.net] Facebook Lenoir County Historical Association 109 E King St Kinston, NC 28504 Phone: 252-522-0421 E-mail: [mailto:harmony.hall.kinston@gmail.com harmony.hall.kinston@gmail.com] Facebook Website Old Dobbers Website

Websites

 * Lenoir County (NCGenWeb)
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.