Bedford County, Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Bedford County, Virginia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Bedford County is located in the west-central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named in honor of John Russell, the fourth Duke of Bedford, who was Secretary of State for Great Britain during the reign of King George II.

County Courthouse
Bedford County Courthouse 123 East Main Street Bedford, Virginia 24523 Phone: 540-586-7632 Bedford County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has birth records 1853-1897 and 1912-1918, death records 1953-1918, marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1754.

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:


 * Bedford Villages: Lost and Found. 1997. The Peaks of Otter Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Bedford, Virginia : The Chapter.

History Timeline


The county was named after the 4th Duke of Bedford, John Russell (1710-1771).

Bible Records

 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * The Mills of Bedford County. 2006. Bedford, Virginia : Bedford City/County Museum.
 * The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. 1952. By George Barton Cutten. Richmond, Virginia : The Dietz Press, Incorporated. . Includes a section on Liberty (now Bedford) silversmiths and watchmakers.

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Census Records
1790 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1800 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1850
 * 1850 Bedford County, VA Census. By Marvin Neighbors. Signal Mountain, TN : Mountain Press. Online at:Mountain Press.

1890 Union Veterans
 * Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. By Ronald Ray Turner. .  Includes residents of this county.
 * 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census. Online at: Ancestry ($). Includes residents of this county.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Baptist Early Baptist churches (with years constituted): Bedford County fell within the bounds of the Strawberry Association.
 * 1) Beaver Dam (1801).Charter members (1804) have been published in Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 24, No. 4 (Fall 2000)..
 * 2) Difficult Creek (1805).
 * 3) Goose Creek (1771). Also known as Turner's Meeting House, Bedford Baptist Church, and Morgan's Baptist Church. A detailed history was published in 1971. 24 founding members, history, and pastors (1771-1969) appear in Green Stone (pages 163-165). Edwards published a membership list dated 1771 in Materials Towards a History of the Baptists...
 * 4) Little Otter, Bedford, Va. (1797). Later known as Liberty Baptist Church and later as Bedford Baptist Church. A history was published in 1996:.
 * 5) Mount Hermon [North Fork of Otter] (1804)
 * 6) Staunton River (by 1787). Also known as Moody Meeting House. A brief history and list of pastors (1790-1958) was published in Green Stone (pages 240-242).
 * 7) Suck Spring (1805)
 * 8) Timber Ridge (1805)

Church of England See also Cumberland Parish See also Russell Parish Four religious petitions (1774, 1778, 1779, 1782) concerning Church of England issues from residents of Bedford County, Virginia are available online at: Library of Virginia Digital Collections.
 * Meade's 1861 History of Parishes in Bedford County. 1861. By Bishop Meade. Philadelphia, PA : J.B. Lippincott & Co. Online at: Internet Archive

Presbyterian
 * Between Enthusiasm and Stoicism: David Rice and Moderate Revivalism in Virginia and Kentucky. 2008. By Andrew M. McGinnis. Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Vol. 106, No. 2 (Spring 2008):165-190.
 * One religious petition (1774) from Presbyterian residents of Bedford County, Virginia is online at: Early Virginia Religious Petitions, courtesy: The Library of Congress: American Memory.

Quaker Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):
 * Goose Creek Monthly Meeting (1757-1813) aka Lower Goose Creek
 * Goose Creek Monthly Meeting, Montvale, Va. (1788-1812) aka Upper Goose Creek. The original records have been microfilmed: . In 1905, Bell published the early records, online at Internet Archive. Wright also published early records (1756-1800): . Hinshaw also published the early records:.
 * Ivy Creek Monthly Meeting (1795-1815)
 * 1739-1793 Quaker Records of Cedar Creek Monthly Meeting, Virginia, 1739-1793 by Mary Marshall Brewer. Colonial Roots, Lewes, DE., 2002. . *Jane Douglas Summers Brown Quaker Records (1903-). By Jane Douglas Summers Brown and Jones Memorial Library. Lynchburg, Virginia. MS 1515. MSS. Available on 26 microfilms at . Includes records of Henrico County Quakers; Brown assisted "William Wade Hinshaw in the writing of the Virginia volume of the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy." N.B. Not all individuals referenced in this research belonged to the Quaker faith.

Petition
 * Seven religious petitions (1774, 1774, 1778, 1779, 1779, 1782, 1785) from residents of Bedford County, Virginia are available online at: Early Virginia Religious Petitions, courtesy: The Library of Congress: American Memory.

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Bedford County, Virginia Chancery Records 1755-1912 are online at: The Library of Virginia Digital Collections. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.
 * Governor's Fees &amp; Etc., Bedford County Fee Book. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 41, No. 3 (Aug. 2003):225-226..
 * Individuals Listed in the 1754-1761 Bedford County Fee Book. By Barbara Vines Little.Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 47, No. 1 (Feb. 2009):74-84; Vol. 47, No. 2 (May 2009):102-106..

Emigration and Immigration

 * During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 1 British alien living in Bedford County.
 * Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 1966. By Katherine B. Elliott. South Hill, Virginia : K.B. Elliott. 2 vols. Vol. 1 of original edition available at ; 1983 reprints (both volumes) available at ; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) available at . Includes individuals who migrated out of Bedford County to other parts of the country.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American Bedford County had one of the largest enslaved populations in the state: 1860 - 10,176 enslaved and 1870 - 10,770 one of the largest African American populations in Virginia.
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * African American Odyssey showcases African American collections from the Library of Congress.
 * Bedford County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1805, 1806-1816. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans.
 * Bedford County Register of Free Negroes, 1803-1820. By Dorothy A Boyd-Rush. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 45, No. 2 (May 2007):110-122.
 * Bedford County Register of Free Negroes, 1803-1820. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans.
 * Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. c2005. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans;.
 * Free Negroes in Southern Bedford County for the Year 1851. Online at: VAGenWeb.
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans in Bedford County.

Funeral Homes

 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Genealogies
Compiled Genealogies by Surname: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 * See Bedford County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for list of published books and articles or jump to a surname using the alphabet bar.

Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Familes:
 * Sketch Book of Liberty, Virginia : Its People and Its Trade. 1887. By Edward Pollock. Portsmouth, VA : Library of Congress. Online at: Ancestry ($).
 * Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library in Bedford, Virginia has collected many histories of local families. The Easter Collection, for example, contains a wealth of knowledge about Bedford County, Virginia ancestors.
 * Ackerly, Mary Denham and Lula Eastman Jeter Parker. Our Kin: The Genealogies of Some of the Early Families Who Made History in the Founding and Development of Bedford County, Virginia. Lynchburg, Va.: J.P. Bell Co., 1930..
 * Bishop, Rachel Parsons Flynn. Green Stone: A History of Southern Bedford County, Virginia. Moneta, Va.: R.P.F. Bishop, c1996..
 * Blankenship, Gayle King. Some Families of Bedford & Washington Counties, Virginia and Orange County, North Carolina: Bright, Buford, Cash, Crawford, Crews, Davis, Downs, Early, Foster, Franklin, Gray, Huddleston, Lawhorn, McGeorge, McNew, Parker, Perrott, Pendergrass, Poindexter, Powell, Quarles, St. Clair, Scoggins, Shrewsbury, Smith, Tyler, Warren, Watts, Wiggenton. Poquoson, Va.: G.K. Blankenship, 2000. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. 2005-present. - free online book. Blake, Chavis, Clark, Driggers, Ferrar, Henson, Hill, Jackson, Johns, Mason, Moss, Pagee, Patterson, Ruff, Scott, Seldon, Smith, Turner, Tyre, Valentine, Wallace of pre-1820 Bedford County, Virginia.
 * Pritchett, John W. Southside Virginia Genealogies. CD-ROM. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Free online index, courtesy: Virginians - The Family History of John W. Pritchett. [Includes information about residents of Bedford County, see discussion of cited sources.].

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records An early settlers map is available for Bedford County. Hildebrand plots the locations of pioneers from 1750-1865. The FamilySearch Library has a copy:.

Deeds
 * Bedford County, Virginia; Deed Book A-1: 1754-1762. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, TN : Mountain Press. Mountain Press provides online surname list.
 * Bedford County, Virginia; Deed Book B-2: 1761-1766. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, TN : Mountain Press. Mountain Press provides online surname list.
 * Bedford County, Virginia; Deed Book C-3: 1766-1771. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, TN : Mountain Press. Mountain Press provides online surname list.

Grants and Patents


 * Hudgins. 969 patents dated 1741-1882 in what is now Bedford County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2010. 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.


 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * A Description of the Peaks of Otter. By Henry Morgan. Lynchburg, VA : Virginian Job Office. Online at: Ancestry ($).
 * Bedford County Records. Genealogy: A Journal of American Ancestry - No. 134. January 1922. Pompton Lakes, New Jersey : The Biblio Company Publishers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library. Bedford County Records found on page 55.
 * Bedford County, Virginia, 1840-1860: The History of an Upper Piedmont County in the Late Antebellum Era. c1985. By W. Harrison Daniel. Bedford, Virginia : W.H. Daniel..
 * Bedford Villages-- Lost and Found. 1997. By Daughters of the American Revolution, Peaks of Otter Chapter (Bedford, VA). Bedford, VA : The Chapter. 3 vols..
 * Early Virginia Wills. Genealogy: A Journal of American Ancestry - Vol. 4, No. 06. June 1914. New York City, NY : William M. Clemens, Publisher.  Online at: Digital Library.
 * Green Stone: A History of Southern Bedford County, Virginia. c1996. By Rachel Parsons Flynn Bishop. Moneta, Virginia : R.P.F. Bishop..
 * Hardesty's Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia, Illustrated - Special Virginia Edition. 1884. By R. A. Brock, Secretary of the Virginia Historical Society. New York, NY : H.H. Hardesty & Co., Publishers. Online at: Digital Library.
 * Historical Sketch [of] Bedford County, Virginia : 1753-1907. 1907. Lynchburg, VA : J.P. Bell Co. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($);.
 * The History of Bedford County, Virginia : The Colorful 200-year Record of One of Virginia's Oldest and Proudest Communities. c1954. By Jeter Parker Lula. Bedford, VA. : Bedford Democrat..

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Historical Map of Bedford County, Virginia, 1750-1865. 1973. Roanoke Historical Society. Map. Virginia : J.R. Hildebrand. Online at: Library of Virginia.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

 * Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 1966. By Katherine B. Elliott. South Hill, Virginia : K.B. Elliott. 2 vols. Vol. 1 of original edition available at ; 1983 reprints (both volumes) available at ; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) available at . Includes individuals who migrated out of Bedford County to other parts of the country.

Military Records
French and Indian War
 * Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. 2007. By William F. Boogher. Baltimore : Genealogical Pub. Co. Online at:Internet Archive; . 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 Bedford County, see pp. 58-67, 107.]
 * 1651-1776 Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at ; digital book at Ancestry ($). Identifies some County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.
 * Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. 1988. By Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. . Online at: Ancestry ($).

Dunmore War
 * Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Culpeper and Fincastle Payrolls and Public Service Claims, 1775: Also Known as Dunmore's War: Enlarged and Photocopied. 2004. Fort Wayne, Indiana : Allen County Public Library. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Revolutionary War Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements
 * Militia List - Capt. Adam Clements [96 Campaign, about May 1, 1781 - about July 31, 1781 entered service from Bedford county, VA and enrolled in the militia regiment of Major Alexander Rose and Major John Ward, transcribed by James L. Lynch III. Online at: Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution.
 * 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. Washington : Blair and Rives. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); . See Virginia, Eastern District, Bedford County on pages 128-129.
 * Bedford County Militia, 1758 (part 1). 1820. Transcribed from: William Waller Hening. Franklin Press, Richmond, Virginia. Online at: USGenWeb.
 * Bedford County Militia, 1758 (part 2). 1820. Transcribed from: William Waller Hening. Franklin Press, Richmond, Virginia. Online at: USGenWeb.
 * Bedford County, Virginia, 1774-1783: A Study of Participation in the War for Independence. 1977. By John Stephen Westerlund. Utah State University, Department of History and Geography.
 * Index to Revolutionary Pension and Bounty-Land Documents at the Library of Virginia. 2012. Compiled by C. Leon Harris. Online at: Library of Virginia.
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.
 * Revolutionary War Pensions of Bedford County, Virginia. 1988. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, TN : Mountain Press. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library. Mountain Press provides online surname list.
 * Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War: McAllister's Data. c1913. By J. T. McAllister. Hot Springs, Virginia : McAllister Pub. Co. Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.

Regiments. Service men in Bedford County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Bedford County supplied soldiers for the:
 * - 1st Virginia Regiment
 * - 5th Virginia Regiment
 * - 14th Virginia Regiment
 * - Bedford County Militia. The Bedford County Minute Men were commanded by Captain Moses Greer.

The 5th Virginia Regiment recruited soldiers from Bedford County, Virginia.

War of 1812 Bedford County men served in the 10th and 91st Regiments.
 * 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... 1883. Washington, D.C : Government Printing Office. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Bedford County, p. 63-64.
 * Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. By James L. Douthat. 2007. Signal Mountain, Tenn : Mountain Press. Mountain Press provides online surname list..

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * Remnants of War 1861-1865: Civil War Records for Bedford County, Virginia. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, Tenn : Mountain Press. Mountain Press provides online surname list.
 * The Bedford Light Artillery: 1861-1865. 1903. By Rev. Joseph A. Graves. Bedford, VA : Bedford Democrat. Online at: Hathitrust..

Regiments: Civil War service men in Bedford County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here:
 * - 2nd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company A (Clay Dragoons), Company F (Bedford Southside Dragoons), Company G (Radford Rangers)
 * - 14th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company B (Bedford Rifle Grays).
 * - 28th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C (Old Dominion Rifles), Comapny G (Bedford Grays), and Company H (Patty Layne Rifles).
 * - 34th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Piedmont Battery B), Company G (Bedford Heavy Artillery), Company H (Powhatan Artillery), and Company I (Captain Sales Heavy Artillery).
 * - 42nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C (Buford Grays).
 * - 58th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies A (Walker Guards), B (Stewartsville Tigers), C (Big Island Greys), I (Staunton Yeomanry), and K (Kasey's Greys).

World War II
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1940-1945 Military records of Bedford County men with the Armed Forces of World War II : alphabetically arranged

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1906-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers
Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette (1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburg website. 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.
 * Marriages and Deaths Found in Early Bedford Newspapers (Bedford Democrat). By Carole Field Lacy. Bedford Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Feb. 2008):3; Vol. 22, No. 2 (May 2008):19; Vol. 23, No. 1 (Feb. 2009); Vol. 23, No. 2 (May 2009):19; Vol. 23, No. 3 (Aug. 2009):35; Vol. 23, No. 4 (Nov. 2009):51.

Other Records
Petitions
 * 1785 Petition for an Inspection Station for Tobacco Hemp &amp; Flour at Lynches Ferry. Bedford Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Feb. 2008):10-11.
 * A Calendar of Legislative Petitions Arranged by Counties Accomac - Bedford (Virginia State Library). By H.J. Eckenrode. 1908. Richmond, Virginia : Davis Bottom, Superintendent of Public Printing. Online at: HathiTrust. Bedford County petitions (1777-1858) are described on pp. 210-234.
 * Petitions of Residents of Bedford and Henry Counties, Virginia, in Favor of and Opposed to a New County (Franklin). By Dorothy C. Watts. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1980):83-89; Vol. 24, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1980):192-199. Available at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).

Private Papers
 * [Burton] - Burton Family Letters, Bedford County, Virginia,. By Nettie Leitch Major. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun.1976):83-89. Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)..

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1633-1800 Wills and Estate Records Index at Library of Virginia.
 * 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry — index, incomplete ($)
 * 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1763-1787; 1788-1805 Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories, Bonds Virginia Pioneers ($).


 * Abstracts of Bedford County, Virginia, Wills, Inventories and Accounts, 1754-1787. By Joida Whitten. 1969. Dallas, Texas. Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1970):36. Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)..
 * Bedford County, Virginia Index of Wills from 1754 to 1830. 1917. By D. Buford Rowland. New York, NY : William M. Clemens. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Bedford County, Virginia Will Book 1 and 2. Will Book 1: 1759-1787 and Will Book 2: 1787-1803. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, Tenn : Mountain Press. Mountain Press provides online surname list.
 * Bedford County, Virginia Will Book 3: 1794 to 1810. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, Tenn : Mountain Press. Mountain Press provides online surname list.
 * Copies of Extant Wills from Counties Whose Records Have Been Destroyed: Will of Major John Dinwiddie of King George County, Virginia. By George Harrison Sanford King (and Dinwiddie Family Notes). The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1959):51-64..
 * Marriage Bonds of Bedford County, Virginia, 1755 - 1800, Bedford County, Virginia: Index of Wills, 1754 - 1830. 1989. By Earle S. Dennis and Jane E. Smith. Baltimore, Maryland : Genealogical Pub. Co. Reprinted with: Bedford County, Virginia: Index of Wills, from 1754 to 1830 - edited by Rowland D. Buford. ;
 * Virginia Wills Before 1799: A Complete Abstract Register of All Names Mentioned in Over Six Hundred Recorded Wills, ... Copied from the Court House Records of Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, Loudoun, Prince William and Rockbridge Counties. 1924. By William M. Clemens. Pompton Lakes, NJ : Biblio Co. Fiche 6015628-6015629; digital versions at Access Genealogy; Ancestry ($). Mountain Press provides online surname list.
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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
Online Tax Indexes and Records


 * 1757 Insolvents, 1757. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 46, No. 4 (Oct. 2002), pp. 306-307..
 * 1762 Insolvents, 1762. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Aug. 1985), p. 72. Online at: Ancestry ($)..
 * 1763 Tithes, 1763. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Aug. 1985), p. 73. Online at: Ancestry ($)..
 * 1764 Bedford County Tithables, 1764. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 46, No. 2 (May 2008):89-90..
 * 1782 Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940. By Augusta B. Fothergill and John Mark Naugle. Reprint, Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., 1978. . Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, - images. 1782 personal property tax list of Bedford County.
 * 1782 Tax List, 1782. Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Feb. 1981); Vol. 5, No. 2 (May 1981).
 * 1782-1816 Bedford County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1805, 1806-1816. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans.
 * 1782; 1784; 1816 Tax Digests. Online at: Virginia Pioneers ($).
 * 1782-1875 Bedford County, Virginia Personal property tax lists, 1782-1875. Original records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.; microfilmed reproduction available at - images.
 * 1783 Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783. Online at: Revolutionary War Service.
 * 1784-1820 Land and Lots Returned as Delinquent, 1784-1820. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Nov. 2006)..
 * 1787 The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. By Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florene Speakman Love. c1987. Springfield, Virginia : Genealogical Books in Print. . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Bedford County is included in Vol. 1.
 * 1787-1790 Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790. By Robert Y. Clay. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):114-115. Online at: FS Library, American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Bedford County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on pp. 114-115.
 * 1795 Bedford County Insolvents, 1795. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 46, No. 3 (Aug. 2008):203-204..
 * 1797-1798 Insolvent Lists for 1797 and 1798. Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Aug. 1986), pp. 43-44. Online at: Roanoke Public Library.
 * 1800 Bedford County, Virginia 1800 Tax List. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1963):65-70; Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1963):118-124; Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1963):167-172. Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)..
 * 1800 Tax List, 1800. Bedford Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 4, No. 4 (Nov. 1993); Vol. 5, No. 1 (Feb. 1994); Vol. 5, No. 2 (May 1994); Vol. 5, No. 3 (Aug. 1994); Vol. 5, No. 4 (Nov. 1994).
 * 1815 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 1997-2000. By Roger D. Ward. Athens, Georgia : Iberian Pub. Co. 6 vols. . The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Bedford County is included in Vol. 2.
 * 1817-1819 Insolvent Lists, 1817-19. Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 13, No. 2 (May 1989).
 * Pre-1820 A List of Lands and Lots Returned as Delinquent in Bedford County. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Nov. 2006):295-30. . Non-payment of taxes before 1820.
 * 1864 Tariff of Tolls to be Charged on Blue Ridge Turnpike and Ferry, 1864. Spring 2004 Museum News. Bedford, Virginia.
 * 1915 Thomas Jefferson Tax List, Poplar Forest. 1915. Southsider. Vol. 12, No. 2. Charlotte Court House, Virginia. (1993).

Birth

 * 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1853-1856 Bedford County, Virginia Birth Records: 1853-1856. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, Tenn : Mountain Press. Vol. I. Mountain Press provides online surname list.
 * 1853-1897 Bedford County Birth Index 1853-1897..
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Record of Births and Deaths Amongst Friends in Campbell and Bedford Counties, Taken from the Old Southriver Meeting Book. Online at: Genealogy Gophers.
 * 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Virginia, Birth Records, 1912-2014, Delayed Birth Records, 1854-1911. Online at: Ancestry ($).

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages - Findmypast ($).
 * 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1755-1800 Marriage Bonds of Bedford County, Virginia, 1755-1800 Ancestry ($).
 * 1755-1800 Marriage Bonds of Bedford County, Virginia, 1755-1800. 1932. By Earle S. Dennis and Jane E. Smith. Bedford, Virginia : E.S. Dennis and J.E. Smith. Online at: Ancestry ($), MyHeritage ($).
 * 1771-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1781-1790 Bedford County Marriage Bonds at Virginia Pioneers ($).
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index ; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Bedford County Marriage Bonds - VAGenWeb
 * Some Early Marriages in Bedford County, Va. 1903. By Joseph L. Miller. The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Apr. 1903):280-282. Online at: JSTOR. Taken from Mrs. R.B. Claytor's abstracts published in the Louisville Courier Journal.

Death

 * Deaths are online in the Library of Virginia's Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, sponsored by The Virginia Genealogical Society.
 * 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1853-1860, 1868-1880 Bedford County, Virginia Death Records 1853-1860 and 1868-1880. By Marvin Neighbors. Signal Mountain, Tenn : Mountain Press. Mountain Press provides online surname list.
 * 1853-1897 Bedford County Death Index 1853-1897.
 * 1853-1911 Virginia, U.S., Death Registers, 1853-1911 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection;  index & images
 * 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Record of Births and Deaths Amongst Friends in Campbell and Bedford Counties, Taken from the Old Southriver Meeting Book. Online at: Genealogy Gophers.
 * Virginia, Deaths and Burials Index, 1853-1917. Online at: Ancestry ($).
 * Virginia, Death Records, 1912-2014. Online at: Ancestry ($).

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Lynchburg Virginia FamilySearch Center
 * Pembroke Virginia FamilySearch Center
 * Roanoke Virginia FamilySearch Center
 * Montgomery Floyd Regional Library, Blacksburg - an affiliate library
 * Montgomery Floyd Regional Library, Christiansburg - an affiliate library
 * Montgomery Floyd Regional Library, Meadowbrook - an affiliate library
 * Roanoke Public Library, Blacksburg or Roanoke - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library 201 E Main Street Bedford, VA 24523 Website
 * Bedford Historical Society, Inc. P.O. Box 602 Bedford, VA 24523 Website
 * Central Virginia Genealogical Association

Websites

 * Bedford County, Virginia USGenWeb
 * Cyndi's List


 * – 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.

Research Guides

 * A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Bedford County. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 4, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1960):171-175. Online at: American Ancestors($).