Giles County, Virginia Genealogy

United States &gt; Virginia &gt; Giles County





History


The county was named after Virginia Senator William B. Giles (1762-1830), who later served as the Virginia's Governor.

Parent County
1806--Giles County was created 16 January 1806 from Montgomery, Monroe County (West Virginia), Tazewell and  Wythe Counties. County seat: Pearisburg

Record Loss

 * Lost census: 1890

African American

 * Heinegg, Paul. "Giles County Register of Free Negroes, 1816-1864," Free African Americans.com, available online.
 * Kegley, Mary B. Free People of Colour: Free Negroes, Indians, Portuguese and Freed Slaves. Wytheville, Virginia: Kegley Books, 2003. Available at FHL; digital version at BYU Family History Archives. [Includes information from Giles County.]

Census
1810


 * Schreiner-Yantis, Netti. 1810 Census of Giles County, Virginia. Springfield, Va.: N. Schreiner-Yantis, 1970. Available at FHL.
 * 1810 Census of Giles County, Virginia. Beverly, W. Va.: Crickard, 1979. Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($).

1840


 * Douthat, James L. 1840 Mountain Empire of Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2001. 975.5 X2d 1840. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. [Includes Giles County.]

1860


 * Davis, Charley L. Giles County, Virginia 1860 Census Annotated: Family Histories - Births - Marriages - Deaths. Virginia?: C.L. Davis, 1991. Available at FHL.

Court
Chancery Court

Indexes (1807-1936) and images (1807-1929) to Giles County, Virginia Chancery Records are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

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


 * Burton, Charles T. Botetourt County, Virginia, Early Settlers from the Earliest Times through 1795, in the Area that was Botetourt County in 1782. Ft. Wayne, Indiana: Allen County Public Library, 1990. Available at FHL. [Includes area that later became Giles County.]
 * Research Committee, Giles County Historical Society. Giles County, Virginia, History - Families. n.p.: Giles County Historical Society, 1982. Available at FHL.

Bibliography


 * [Bane] Nichols, Ruth Bane. The Bane(s) Legacy: From North Carolina to Virginia. [Inverness, Florida]: R.B. Nichols, 1992. Available at FHL.
 * [Biggs] Biggs 2000 Reunion: Official Booklet: Sunday, August 13, 2000, Comer Grove, Wikel Ruitan Building, Wikel, West Virginia. n.p.: n.p., 2000. Available at FHL.
 * [Briggs] Heinemann, Martha. Briggs Families with a Connection of Floyde County, Ky. Typescript; available on microfilm at FHL.
 * [Clark] Collier, Faye Clark. The Clark(e) Family. MSS., National Library of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Washington, D.C.; also available on microfilm at FHL.
 * [Copley] Mills, Roger L. The Mills Family of Western West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. Chattanooga, Tennessee: R.L. Mills, 1991. Available at FHL.
 * [Deck] Gollehon, Bertha Marie Deck. John Deck and Nancy Lambert Deck of Giles County, Virginia and Their Children. MSS., 1982, 1988. Available on microfilm at FHL.
 * [Diamond] Carter, Lennie M. and Regina Tackett. Malinda Diamond, Pioneer Woman: The Genealogy of the Diamonds and Rowes of Giles County, Virginia. Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, 2004. Available at FHL.
 * [Duncan] Curtis, Oscar F. Research File: Duncan and Allied Families. MSS.; available on microfilm at FHL.
 * [Epling] Massard, Robert Louis and Debra Kay Cyprych. Epling/Eplin, 1787-2003. 6 vols. + supp. Wellesley Hills, Mass.: R.L. Massard, 2001-2006. Available at FHL.
 * [French] Braswell, Irene French. Families of Frenches, Williamsons, Shafers, Brasells in America, 1710-1972. Gilmer, Texas: I.F. Braswell, 1972?. Available at FHL.
 * [Frye] Frye, Ralph Lawrence. The Frye Family of Giles County, Virginia: A Compilation of Genealogical Information of the Ancestors, Associated/Allied Families, and Descendants of Clarence Lee and Bessie Willie Perkins Frye. Colonial Heights, Virginia: R.L. Frye, 1988. Available at FHL.
 * [Harman] Clary, Judith Walls Harmon. A History of the Harmons in America, [ca. 1700-1985]. Jacksonville, Florida: J.W.H. Clary, 1992. Available at FHL.
 * [Keyser] Keyser, Willet. The Keyser Family: Henry's Children. Houston, Tex.: W. Keyser, 1988. Available at FHL.
 * [Kirk] Lenges, Peter J. The Kirk Family Records, ca. 1754-1986. Typescript; available on microfilm at FHL.
 * [Lugar] Graves, Twila Mae Lugar. Genealogy of the Lugar Family. Chariton, Iowa: T.M.L. Graves, 1979. Available at FHL.
 * [Lugar] Graves, Twila Mae Lugar and Jane Echols Johnston. More Descendants of Adam Lugar. Chariton, Iowa: T.L. Graves, 1982. Available at FHL. [Supplement to Genealogy of the Lugar Family.]
 * [Lybrook] Womack, Dorothy Owens. Keep in Touch: The Balser and Catherine (Ream) Lybrook Family; Truth and Tales. Lexington, North Carolina: Womack Pub., 2000. Available at FHL.
 * [Page] Rutherford, Dolores Crumrine. The Page Family in Virginia Personal Property Taxes (1782-1850). 2 vols. Carmichael, Calif.: D.C. Rutherford, 2002. Available at FHL. [Vol. 1 covers Giles County.]
 * [Patteson] Patteson, Andrew W. The Patteson Family History: From Appomattox to Giles. Falls Church, Va.: A.W. Patteson, 1993. Available at FHL.
 * [Peck] Copenhaver, Roberta Matilda and John Alexander Kelly. The Ancestors and Descendants of Judge John Alexander Kelly and Martha Matilda Peck Kelly and Related Families, 1515-1959: Kelly, Alexander, Howell, Peck, Borden, Burke, Snidow; Collected by Dr. John Alexander Kelly. Charlotte, North Carolina: Delmar Printing &amp; Pub., 1994. Available at FHL.
 * [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. FHL US/CAN Book 975.5 A1 no. 56; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Rowe] See Diamond.
 * [Shumate] Barker, Nina Ball. The Following Lists Some of the Descendants of the Joseph Ball, Sr. Family. MSS., available on microfilm at FHL.
 * [Smith] Albert, Sylvia Gearheart. Edgar Willis Smith and Bertha Florence Williams Ancestory [i.e. Ancestry] and Descendants. Troutville, Va.: S.G. Albert, 1989. Available at FHL; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Stafford] Stafford, Thomas Albert. The West Ulster Staffords and Their Descendants. Chicago, Illinois: T.A. Stafford, 1952. Available at FHL.
 * [Tawney] Ross, Clara Mae Alt. John H. Tawney 1848 - 1916: His Ancestors from Giles Co., Virginia, to Pennsylvania and His Descendants of Roane County, West Virginia. Colfax, North Carolina: C.M. Ross, 1996. Available at FHL.
 * [Thompson] Thompson, David Gordon. Genealogy of Gordon Thompson and Jane Clemens Thompson. Salem, Mass.: Higginson, 1984?. Available at FHL.
 * [Underwood] Tickle, James Robert. The Tickle, Bunts, Bond and Jennings Families of Southwest Virginia: A Family History with Some North Carolina Roots. Morristown, Tenn.: J.R. Tickle, 1996. Available at FHL.
 * [Walker] Ashworth, June Faye. Walker Family History: (Early Orange, Giles, Cabell, Wayne Counties of Va.); (Mainly Charles Walker, Jr. and Descendants. Huntington, W. Va.: J.F.B. Walker, 1996. Available at FHL.
 * [Williams] Ferguson, Shirley G. The Williams Family of W. Va. &amp; Virginia. Phoenix, Arizona: S.G. Ferguson, 1987. Available at FHL.
 * [Witten] Witten, James W., Letha O. Ledbetter, and Frank Ledbetter. Dad and His Folks: A History of the Witten and Graham Families. L. &amp; F. Ledbetter, 1932. Available at FHL.

Local Histories

 * Friend, Robert C. Giles County, 1806-1956: A History. Pearisburg, Va.: Giles County Chamber of Commerce, 1956?. Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Johnston, David E. A History of Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1988. Available at FHL.

Revolutionary War

 * Kegley, Mary B. Revolutionary War Pension Applications of Southwest Virginia Soldiers. n.p.: M.B. Kegley, 1997. Available at FHL. [Includes Giles County pensioners.]
 * 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, Western District, Giles County on page 134.]
 * 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

 * 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.: Government Printing Office, 1883. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Giles County, p. 81. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Private Papers

 * French, David. Day Book, v. 2, 1835-1837. Original records, Giles County Courthouse, Pearisburg, Va.; also available on microfilm at FHL. [Book seems to be an account or ledger book for a private business or store. David French may have been the secretary or owner. Name and location of store or business was not given.]

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at FHL. [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Giles County is included in Vol. 5.]
 * [1815] Schreiner-Yantis, Netti. 1815 Tax List of Giles County, Virginia: Abstracts of 300 Deeds and Surveys, 1806-1830; Detailed Map of Area Covered by Tax Collector. Springfield, Va.: N. Schreiner-Yantis, 1971. Available at FHL.

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Family History Library Catalog