Amherst County, Virginia Genealogy

United States   Virginia    Amherst County





History


The county was named after Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst (1717-1797). Amherst conquered what is now Canada for the British during the French and Indian War.

Parent County
1758--Amherst County was created 14 September 1758 from Albemarle County. County seat: Amherst

Neighboring Counties
Appomattox | Bedford | Campbell | Lynchburg (independent city) | Nelson | Rockbridge

African American

 * Heinegg, Paul. "Amherst County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1822," Free African Americans.com, available online. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * McLeRoy, Sherrie S. Strangers in Their Midst the Free Black Population of Amherst County, Virginia. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 199_. Information was taken from the register of free blacks, census listings, tax records, deeds, wills, marriages and land plats. Time period covers 1761-1865.

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

The following is a list of cemeteries in Amherst County:

Census
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.]

Court
Chancery Court


 * Indexed images of Amherst County, Virginia Chancery Records 1773-1879 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. Additional records are also available at the Amherst County Courthouse. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.
 * Sweeny, Lenora Higginbotham. "Amherst County Chancery Suits," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Jul., 1939), pp. 318-324. Digital version at JSTOR ($). [Loose chancery papers, also discusses Sweeny's discovery of Amherst's Revolutionary-era court order book.]

County Court


 * Sweeny, Lenora Higginbotham. "Amherst County Chancery Suits," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Jul., 1939), pp. 318-324. Digital version at JSTOR ($). [Loose chancery papers, also discusses Sweeny's discovery of Amherst's Revolutionary-era court order book.]

Family Histories
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Amherst, Virginia at World Connect, results in more than 94,000 entries.


 * 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 Amherst County, see discussion of cited sources.] FHL US/CAN CD-ROM no. 3887. Purchase at Virginians.com.

Bibliography


 * [Anderson] Gee, Wilson. "The Bowles, Anderson and Shelton Families as Related to the Descendants of William Sims (1765-1833), and His Wife, Elizabeth Shelton Sims (1767-1833), of Union County, South Carolina," The William and Mary Quarterly, 2nd Ser., Vol. 16, No. 4 (Oct. 1936):602-608. 973 H25w ser. 2 v. 16 (1936); digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [Dameron] Dameron, Kyle. The Descendants of Zechariah Dameron and Margaret Willis Rucker of Amherst County, Virginia. Coweta, Okla.: n.p., 1975.
 * [Frost] Roberts, Snyder E. Descendants of Joseph Frost, Sr. from Amherst, Bedford, &amp; Washington Counties, Va. to Anderson County, Tn. and Elsewhere. n.p.: S.E. Roberts, 1989.
 * [Goodwin] "Appendix M: The Goodwins of Caroline and Amherst Counties, Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 2, Supplement (Oct., 1897), p. 120. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Hansard] Hansard, Sam L. Descendants of John Hansard of Amherst County, Virginia, 1766-1976. Knoxville, Tenn.: Hansard, 1977. [Mislabeled Jansard in FHLC.]
 * [Higginbotham] Sweeny, Mrs. William Montgomery. "Colonel James Higginbotham, Surveyor of Amherst County, Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Jan., 1931), pp. 29-41. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [Hylton] Hylton, Paul and Evelyn Hylton. Genealogy of the Hylton Family in America Branch of George Hilton, Sr., 1699-1770?, of (Goochland Co., Albemarle Co., Amherst Co.) Va. Woodinville, Washington: P. &amp; E. Hylton, 1979. FHL US/CAN Pedigree no. 1041.
 * [Landrum] Wiley, Roberta V. Landrum. Some Descendants of Thomas Landrum of Amherst Co., Va. and Allied Families. Parkville, Mo.: n.p., 1974.
 * [Lane] Williams, Lyle Keith. The Lane-Robertson Families of Amherst County, Virginia and Descendants. Fort Worth, Texas: L.K. Williams, 1991.
 * [Layne] Layne, Floyd Benjamin and William Robert Layne. Layne Pedigree [Chart], Amherst, Va. n.p.: F.B. Layne, 1952. FHL US/CAN Pedigree no. 2157.
 * [Montgomery] Ledgerwood, Marian Carter. A Montgomery and Cole Record Some Descendants of Alexander Montgomery of Amherst Co., Virginia and Orange Co., North Carolina. Hot Springs Village, Ark.: M. Ledgerwood, 1989.
 * [Moore] Moore, Charles R. The Moore Family of Central Virginia Covering the Counties of Albeharle, Amherst, Bedford, Buckingham, Campbell, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange, Virginia. Charlottesville, Va.: C.R. Moore, 1985.
 * [Morrison] Mosher, Merrill Hill. Morrison of Albemarle, Amherst &amp; Nelson Counties, Virginia. Coos Bay, Oregon: M.H. Mosher, 1982..
 * [Oglesby] Paul, Oglesby. "A Further Account of the Oglesby Family," The American Genealogist, Vol. 19 (1942):150-152. ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($).
 * [Omohundro] Palmer, Gloria Omohundro. Descendants of Spottswood James Omohundro of Amherst County, Virginia, and Elsberry, Lincoln County, Missouri. Santa Ana, Calif.: G.O. Palmer, 1984.
 * [Penn] Allen, Robert M. The Ancestry of Joseph Penn of Amherst Co., Virginia. San Jose, Calif.: R.M. Allen, 1980. Item 7
 * [Quinn] Marshall, Thomas E. Some Descendants of Jordon Stewart Quinn, Amherst County, Va. Bedford, Va.: T.E. Marshall, 1990.
 * [Rose] Rose, Christine. Abstracts of Early Virginia Rose Estates: Wills, Inventories, Accounts and Administrator's Bonds before 1850. San Jose, Calif.: Rose Family Bulletin, 1972. ; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Shelton] Gee, Wilson. "The Bowles, Anderson and Shelton Families as Related to the Descendants of William Sims (1765-1833), and His Wife, Elizabeth Shelton Sims (1767-1833), of Union County, South Carolina," The William and Mary Quarterly, 2nd Ser., Vol. 16, No. 4 (Oct. 1936):602-608. 973 H25w ser. 2 v. 16 (1936); digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [Sims] Gee, Wilson. "The Bowles, Anderson and Shelton Families as Related to the Descendants of William Sims (1765-1833), and His Wife, Elizabeth Shelton Sims (1767-1833), of Union County, South Carolina," The William and Mary Quarterly, 2nd Ser., Vol. 16, No. 4 (Oct. 1936):602-608. 973 H25w ser. 2 v. 16 (1936); digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [Sweeney] Sweeney, J. Harvey. Moses Sweeney, 1734-1813 Descendants from Amherst County, Virginia and Lincoln County, Kentucky. Crossville, Tenn.: Sweeney Trust, 2005.
 * [Thurmond] Donnelly, Shirley. The Thurmonds: A Study in the Genealogy and History of Philip Thurmond of Amherst County, Virginia and His Descendants. Oak Hill, W. Va.: n.p., 1939. Item 17; digital versions at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).
 * [Tucker] Tucker, Denise A. The Family of Drury Tucker of Amherst County, Virginia. Greensboro, N.C.: D.A. Tucker, 2002.
 * [Worley] Dean, H. Clark. "Caleb Worley (say 1730-circa 1790) of Virginia and Kentucky, Grandson of Francis Worley of Pennsylvania," The American Genealogist, Vol. 70, No. 2 (Apr. 1995):75-81..
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Sorting Some of the Wrights of Southern Virginia Part VII, 1767 Francis Wright of Amherst County, His Wife Mary (Hawkins) Wright and His Descendants. Menlo Park, Calif.: R.N. Grant, 2008. ; digital version at Family History Archives.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Land Tax Records 1782-1850 Amherst County, Virginia. Westminster, Md.: Heritage Books, 2007.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Birth Records, 1853-1896 Marriage Records, 1761-1900; Census Records, 1810-1900 in Amherst County Virginia. Westminster, Md.: Heritage Books, 2008.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Personal Property Tax Lists 1782-1850 Amherst County, Virginia. Westminster, Md.: Heritage Books, 2008.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Patent Deeds and Land Grants, 1761-1900; Deed Records, 1761-1903; Chancery Court Files, 1804-1900; Death Records, 1853-1920; Cemetery Records by Cemetery; and Probate Records, 1761-1900 in Amherst County, Virginia. Westminster, Md.: Heritage Books, 2009.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Sorting Some of the Wrights of Southern Virginia Part VIII, William Wright (Amherst County) and His Wife Esther (_______) Wright and His Descendants. Menlo Park, Calif.: R.N. Grant, 2009.

Immigration

 * [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=Amherst&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 and transported convicts from Europe] who served labor terms in Colonial Amherst County, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.

Land
Grants and Patents


 * Bannister, 971 patents dated 1738-1844 in what is now Amherst and Nelson Counties, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2005. [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.]

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 975.5 M2bL. [Identifies some Amherst County 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 FHL US/CAN Book 975.5 H2bw 1965; 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 Amherst County, see p. 104.]

Revolutionary War

 * Sweeny, Lenora Higginbotham. "Amherst County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Oct., 1929), p. 324. Digital version at JSTOR ($). [List, found in private papers, which appears to identify payments made to Amherst County residents for Revolutionary War provisions.]
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital versions at U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Amherst County on page 128.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [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 Amherst County.]

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.

Officials

 * Starke, Aubrey H. "Amherst County Magistrates, 1779-1798," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1960):125-126. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 975.5 B2vg. Digital version at New England Ancestors ($).

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). [Amherst County petitions (1775-1856) are described on pp. 107-132.]

Probate

 * Clemens, William M. 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. Pompton Lakes, N.J.: Biblio Co., 1924. Fiche 6015628-6015629; digital versions at Access Genealogy; Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($). Free online surname index and 2004 reprint purchase details at Mountain Press website.

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Amherst County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1960):38-40. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 975.5 B2vg. Digital version at New England Ancestors ($).

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1782-1822] Heinegg, Paul. "Amherst County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1822," Free African Americans.com, available online. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [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. Amherst County is included in Vol. 1.]
 * [1790, 1799] Indexed images of the 1790 and 1799 Personal Property Tax Lists of Amherst County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1800] "Amherst County, Virginia, 1800 Tax List," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1961):80-84; Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1961):125-130; Vol. 5, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1961):155-160; Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1962):18-22. . Digital version at New England Ancestors ($).
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, Bedford Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 9, No. 2 (May 1998); Vol. 9, No. 3 (Aug. 1998); Vol. 9, No. 4 (Nov. 1998).
 * [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. Amherst County is included in Vol. 1.]

Vital Records
Marriage


 * Sweeny, Lenora Higginbotham. Marriage Records of Amherst County, 1815-1821; And Subscriptions for Building St. Mark's Church, Amherst County, Virginia. Lynchburg, Virginia, 1961. Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1962):86. The review is available at FHL US/CAN Book 975.5 B2vg Digital version is at New England Ancestors ($).

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