North Carolina, County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
The collection includes the following various county records:


 * Coroner's Inquests (1793-1905)
 * Voter Registration Books (1888-1896)
 * Wills (1821-1968)
 * Guardianships (1849-1967)
 * Estates (1854-1968)

Soon after they were formed, counties began recording vital records, court records, and land transactions. The records are generally well preserved. The records were made to establish legal rights and to help track the population for health and taxation purposes. Most of the records are either handwritten or handwritten on printed forms. The information is generally reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant. Some transcription errors may have occurred.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
The records generally include the following information:


 * Date of the event, transaction, or recording with the county
 * Names of individual, witnesses, family members, sometimes neighbors
 * Ages
 * Relationships
 * Residences
 * Occupations
 * Signature or mark
 * Amount of any money exchanged

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The type of event.
 * The approximate date the event occurred.
 * The names of of other family members and their relationships.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "County" category ⇒ Select the "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" category which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the names, ages and residence church and census records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:

Image citation:

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