Rockingham County, Virginia Genealogy

United States   Virginia    Rockingham County

Virginia county in the Shenandoah Valley region.

County Courthouse


Rockingham County Courthouse Circuit Court Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801 Phone: 540-564-3111

Clerk Circuit Court has birth records 1862-1894, death records 1890-1894, marriage, probate, court and land records from 1778 and divorce records from 1833. Some records burned in 1864

History


The county is named after Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham (1730-1782), who served two terms as Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Parent County
1777--Rockingham County was created 20 October 1777 from Augusta County. County seat: Harrisonburg

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890
 * Some wills and other records burned in 1864

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Rockingham County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1981):54-57. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).
 * Good, Rebecca H. and Rebecca A. Ebert. Finding Your People in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia: A Genealogical Guide. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1998. 4th ed.

African American

 * Freedmen's Bureau
 * Free negroes list, 1815, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. Richmond VA: Feb 2007. Vol. 45 Iss. 1.
 * Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. 2005-present. - free online book. Adams, Ailstock, Barrell, Clark, Connally, Colley, Fortune, Hughes, Hurley, Jackson, McCoy, Mayo, Nickens, Payne, Peters, Redman, Spelman, Tyre, Vena, Venie families of pre-1820 Rockingham County, Virginia.
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Rockingham County Personal Property Tax, 1795-1813," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Rockingham County Register of Free Negroes 1807-1859 (Partial)," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]

Biography

 * Wayland, John W. Men of Mark and Representative Citizens of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Virginia. Staunton, Va.: McClure Co., 1943. ; digital versions at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).

Census
1784 Enumeration


 * Rockingham County Heads of Families - 1784 at U.S. Census Bureau - free. County begins on page 76.

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.]

1900


 * United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Rockingham County, Virginia, Census, 1900. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1900. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Church Records
A map identifying the locations of early churches is available for Rockingham County: Where the River Flows: Finding Faith in Rockingham County, Virginia, 1726-1876. The Family History Library has a copy:.

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Lost River (1784).
 * 2) Lynville's Creek aka Linville Creek (1756) . Minute books begin in 1756: . Another copy: . Some records have been published: . Cemetery records are online. Church records are online in Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry.com.
 * 3) Pleasant Run (by 1806). Membership rolls (1806-1809) were published in the Seattle Genealogical Society Bulletin, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Mar. 1967)..
 * 4) Smith's Creek (1756), New Market, Va. A history has been published: . Some records have been published:.

Rockingham County fell within the bounds of the Culpeper Association.

German Reformed

 * Braun, Johannes, Klaus Wust and Joseph H. Meyerhoeffer. Shenandoah Valley Family Data, 1799-1813: From the Memorandum Book of Pastor Johannes Braun. Edinburg, Va.: Shenandoah History Publishers, 1978..

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):


 * Smith's Creek Monthly Meeting (1736-1810) aka Broadway

Genealogy
More than 250 genealogies have been published about Rockingham County families. To view a list, visit Rockingham County, Virginia Genealogy.

Land and Property

 * Kaylor, Peter Cline. Abstract of Land Grant Surveys of Augusta and Rockingham Counties, Virginia, 1761-1791. Dayton, VA: Shenandoah Press, 1938. Available at ; digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Local Histories

 * Wayland, John Walter. A History of Rockingham County, Virginia. Dayton, Va.: Ruebush-Elkins Co., 1912. ; digital versions at Ancestry ($); - free.
 * Wayland, John Walter. Men of Mark and Representative Citizens of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Virginia: Portraits and Biographies of Men and Women. Staunton, Va.: McClure Co., 1943. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Wayland, John Walter. Virginia Valley Records: Genealogical and Historical Materials of Rockingham County, Virginia, and Related Regions (with Map). Strasburg, Va.: Shenandoah Publishing House, 1930. Available at FHL ( and ); digital versions at - free; Ancestry ($); World Vital Records ($).

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1976):269-274. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($). [These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Rockingham County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on pp. 273-274.]

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Rockingham County veterans; see place name index.]

Revolutionary War
residents' participation in the Revolutionary War.


 * "A Page from Court Orders of Rockingham County, VA" [Showing Public Claims Enabling Descendants to Join Revolutionary Societies], The American Genealogist, Vol. 11 (1934):4. Available at American Ancestors ($).
 * Revolutionary Soldiers, Rockingham County, Virginia. Harrisonburg, Va.: The Historical Society?, 1976. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 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, Rockingham County on page 136.]
 * 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
Rockingham County men served in the 58th and 116th Regiments.


 * Switzer, Frank C. and Dorothy A. Boyd-Rush Rosters, Rockingham Units, War of 1812. Rockingham Historical Society, 1987. Leaves 12.
 * Yankey, Lewis H. and Patricia T Ritchie. Brocks Gap Miscellaneous Research.
 * 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, Rockingham County, p. 101-102. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

 * Information about the following regiments can be found:

(1) Rockingham County Men in Gray. (2) A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations 1861-1865


 * - 1st Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate).
 * - 6th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company C (Rockingham Cavalry, River Rangers).
 * - 7th Battalion, Virginia Reserves (Confederate). Companies A, B, and C.
 * - 7th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Ashby's) (Confederate). Company B (2nd) (Letcher Brock's Gap Rifles), Company H (1st) (Brock's Gap Sharpshooters), Company H (2nd) (Captain John C. Shoup), and Company I (Captain E.A. Shands).
 * - 9th Battalion, Virginia Reserves (Confederate). Companies A, B, C, and D.
 * - 10th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company B (Rockingham Rifles), Company C (2nd) (Mauck's Company), Company D (Bridgewater Greys), Company E (Peaked Mt. Grays), Company G (Valley Guards), Company H (Chrisman's Infantry), and Company I (Riverton Invincibles).
 * - 10th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (1st Cavalry Regiment, Wise Legion (Confederate). Company H (Valley Rangers).
 * - 11th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry. Company C (The Brock's Gap Sharpshooters or The Brock's Gap Rifles).
 * - 12th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company H.
 * - 23rd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company B.
 * - 25th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Heck's) (Confederate). Company I (Mount Crawford Cavalry aka Valley Rifles).
 * - 31st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). 1st Company B (Pendleton County Minutemen).
 * - 33rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company I (Rockingham Confederates).


 * Men from Rockingham County were also members of the following regiments: 35th Battlion Virginia Cavalry, 58th Virginia Militia, 3rd Battalion Virginia Reserves, 97th Virginia Militia, 136th Virginia Militia, 146th Virginia Militia

Records and histories are available, including:


 * Virginia, Civil War Service
 * Virginia, Civil War Service

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battles were fought in Rockingham County.


 * June 8, 1862 = Cross Keys
 * June 9, 1862 = Port Republic


 * Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

Naturalization
Virginia Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929

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.

Occupations

 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at . [Includes a section on Harrisonburg silversmiths.]

Private Papers

 * Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007
 * [Hite] Major, Nettie Leitch. "Hite Family Bible, Rockingham County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):119-121. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1777] "Augusta County Tithables, 1777," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 42 Iss. 4 (Nov. 2004):307-310. Available at . [Covers area of present-day eastern Rockingham and Page counties.]
 * [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. Available at . [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Rockingham County is included in Vol. 1.]
 * [1787] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1976):269-274. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Rockingham County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on pp. 273-274.]
 * [1788] Boyd-Rush, Dorothy. "Three Tax-Militia Lists: Heads of Families and Male Members Thereof Over Sixteen Years of Age of Rockingham County, Virginia, 1788," The Rockingham Recorder, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr. 1982):66-68. Available at.
 * [1789, 1801] Images of the 1789 and 1801 Personal Property Tax Lists of Rockingham County, Virginia are available to browse online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1790] Boyd-Rush, Dorothy. "1790 Poling List, Rockingham County, Virginia," The Rockingham Recorder, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr. 1982):69. Available at.
 * [1792] Strickler, Harry M. Tenth Legion Tithables (Rockingham Division) Rockingham County, Virginia Tithables for 1792: A List of All the White Males Above 16 Years of Age in the County and All the Slaves Above 12 in the County in 1792. Luray, Virginia: H.M. Strickler, 1930. Available at and ; digital version at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).
 * [1795-1813]Heinegg, Paul. "Rockingham County Personal Property Tax, 1795-1813," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [1798] Tax list of house owners, 1798, Rockingham Recorder. Dayton VA: Apr 1945. Vol. 1 Iss. 1.
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at . [The source for this publication is 1815 land tax. Rockingham County is included in Vol. 4.]
 * [1815] Boyd-Rush, Dorothy A. "1815 Rockingham County Tax List," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 40, No. 2 (May 2002):89-102; Vol. 40, No. 3 (Aug. 2002):200-206; Vol. 40, No. 4 (Nov. 2002):317-326; Vol. 41, No. 1 (Feb. 2003):55-68; Vol. 41, No. 2 (May 2003):149-166; Vol. 42, No. 2 (Feb. 2005):97-104; Vol. 43, No. 1 (Feb. 2005):70-74. Available at ; digital version of Volume 40 at Ancestry ($).
 * [1815] Boyd-Bragg, Dorothy A. "A List of the Free Negroes, Rockingham County [1815]," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 45, No. 1 (Feb. 2007):63-64. Available at.
 * [1816] Boyd-Bragg, Dorothy A. "Rockingham County Tax Book for the Year 1816," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Aug. 2004):189-202; Vol. 42, No. 4 (Nov. 2004):265-284; Vol. 43, No. 2 (May 2005):153-168. Available at.

Birth
Beth Fridley has published the following abstracts of Rockingham County, Virginia birth records online at Ancestry:


 * Rockingham County, Virginia Births, 1853-56 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Rockingham County, Virginia Births, 1857-59 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Rockingham County, Virginia Births, 1860-65 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Rockingham County, Virginia Births, 1866-84 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Rockingham County, Virginia Births, 1885-87 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Rockingham County, Virginia Births, 1888-90 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Rockingham County, Virginia Births, 1891-93 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Rockingham County, Virginia Births, 1894-96 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).

Marriage

 * Wayland, John Walter. Virginia Valley Records: Genealogical and Historical Materials of Rockingham County, Virginia, and Related Regions (with Map). Strasburg, Va.: Shenandoah Publishing House, 1930. Available at FHL ( and ); digital versions at Ancestry ($); - free; and World Vital Records ($) Original, and Reprint. Includes Rockingham Marriages 1795-1825.

Death
Beth Fridley has published the following abstracts of Rockingham County, Virginia death records online at Ancestry:


 * Rockingham County, Virginia Deaths, 1853-61 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Rockingham County, Virginia Deaths, 1862-77 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Rockingham County, Virginia Deaths, 1878-85 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Rockingham County, Virginia Deaths, 1886-95 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).

Societies and Libraries
Rockingham County Historical Society

310 S Main Street

Dayton, Virginia 22812


 * Central Virginia Genealogical Association

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Websites

 * Rockingham County, Virginia USGENWEB.
 * Learning How to Edit our Wiki Sites
 * Learning How to Edit our Wiki Sites