Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy

United States   Virginia    Halifax County





History


Halifax County, Virginia is named after George Montagu-Dunk, the second Earl of Halifax (1716-1771). (The same can be said for Halifax County, North Carolina.) He was a British statesman and was president of the Board of Trade from 1748 to 1761. He was also a friend of Robert Dinwiddie, who was governor of the colony of Virginia.

The first county seat was Peytonsburg (now in Pittsylvania County). The current county seat of Halifax County is Halifax, which has served as such since 1800. The county was established in May, 1752 from Lunenburg County. Halifax County originally extended as far west as the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The counties of Henry, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties were formed out of Halifax County, as well as the southern half of Franklin County. In addition, parts of Bedford and Floyd Counties were formed from Halifax.

Pittsylvania County was formed in 1766 or 1767 (sources differ) as a subdivision of Halifax. The other counties mentioned were then formed out of Pittsylvania. At the time that Pittsylvania County broke away from Halifax County, the latter county took on its present outline.

The boundaries of Antrim Parish were identical to those of Halifax County when the county was formed in 1752. After Pittsylvania County was formed, the boundaries of Antrim Parish were adjusted to match those of the present form of Halifax County.

Parent County
1752--Halifax County was created 27 February 1752 from Lunenburg County.

County seat: Halifax

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

Populated Places

 * Halifax
 * Scottsburg
 * South Boston
 * Virgilina
 * Clarksville

African American

 * Heinegg, Paul. "Halifax County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1832," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records. This list also includes some families with Native American ancestry.]

Cemeteries

 * Barksdale Cemetery Tombstone Photographs (US GenWeb Archives)
 * Halifax County, Virginia Cemeteries (Cemetery Census)
 * Halifax County, Virginia Cemetery Search Results (Find A Grave)
 * Halifax County, Virginia Tombstone Transcription Project
 * Halifax County, Virginia USGenWeb Archives (with cemetery listings)

Census
For tips on accessing census records online, see Virginia Census.

1790

 * Lost, but a subsitute is available, see Taxation

1800

 * Lost, but a subsitute is available, see Taxation

1810

 * Lost, but a subsitute is available, see Taxation

1820

 * Exists, but is defective. See "Halifax County, Virginia, 1820 Census: A Comment," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1959):26. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors($). [Explains that in 1820, census takers skipped entire Halifax County communities.]

1850

 * 1850 census (scroll to "Census" section) (US GenWeb Archives)

Church of England
See also Antrim Parish

Quaker

 * Brown, Jane Douglas Summers and Jones Memorial Library. Jane Douglas Summers Brown (1903-) Quaker Records: Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Virginia); MS 1515. MSS, Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, Va. Available on 26 microfilms at . [Includes records of Halifax County Quakers; Brown assisted "William Wade Hinshaw in the writing of the Virginia volume of the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy."]

Court

 * Court Records (scroll to "Court" section) (US GenWeb Archives)

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Halifax County, Virginia residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.


 * [Fletcher] Descendant of Thomas Fletcher, b. c1762, resident of Halifax County, Virginia, d. 1838 Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA. Genetic signature available online (labelled William Fletcher of Accomac County, Virginia/James Fletcher of Brunswick County, Virginia), courtesy: The Fletcher DNA Project.

Genealogy
More than 185 genealogies have been published about Halifax County families. To view a list, visit Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy.

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=Halifax&placeOfIndentureColony=Virginia&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 Halifax County, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.

Land
Grants and Patents


 * Hudgins and Wells. 782 patents dated 1738-1853 in what is now Halifax County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2006. [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.]

Miscellaneous Deed Records


 * Deeds (scroll to "Deeds" section) (US GenWeb Archives)
 * Hamlin, Charles Hughes, comp., Virginia Ancestors and Adventurers, 3 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1973. Reprinted in one vol., Baltimore: Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. This title includes a number of Halifax County, Virginia land records. Google Books link with preview.

Local Histories

 * Aaron, Larry G.. The Race to the Dan: The Retreat that Rescued the American Revolution. Halifax County, Virginia: Halifax County Historical Society, and Lynchburg, Virginia: Warwick House Publishing, 2007. At the Library of Virginia.
 * Carrington, Wirt Johnson. A History of Halifax County [Virginia]. Richmond, Virginia: Appeals Press, 1924. Available at ; 1959 reprint available at ; digital version of original edition at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($). Part of Quintin Publications. Discussed at Genealogical.com. Google Books link. Reviewed in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 33, No. 3 (Jul., 1925):331. Review available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). Reviewed by Philip Alexander Bruce in The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Jan., 1925):66-73. Review available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). Reprint reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1970):37. Review available at ; digital version at American Ancestors($).
 * Edmunds, Pocahontas White. History of Halifax. 2 vols. Halifax, Virginia: P.W. Edmunds, 1978. Reviewed by Susan L. Bracey in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 87, No. 3 (Jul., 1979):365-367. Review available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Estabrooks, Henry L. Adrift in Dixie or, a Yankee Officer Among the Rebels. South Boston, Virginia: South Boston-Halifax County Museum of Fine Arts and History, 2007. At the Library of Virginia.
 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Halifax County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 12, No. 4, 1968.
 * Halifax County, Virginia Heritage 1752-2007, Waynesville, North Carolina: County Heritage, Inc., 2007. At the Library of Virginia.
 * Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina from the Colonial Period to About 1820, 5th ed., 2 vols. Despite the title, this work discusses Native American families of Halifax County as well as African-American families. Google Books links with previews: Vol. 1 | Vol. 2. Discussed in Genealogical.com. An updated edition of this publication is available for free at FreeAfricanAmericans.com.
 * Stone, Martha Jane. The Genealogy and History of the Stewart Family of Halifax County, Virginia, Caswell and Person Counties, North Carolina, Trigg County, Kentucky. Google Books link to Vol. 2, without preview.

Migration

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

Bell published records of Halifax County residents who migrated to South Carolina:


 * Bell, Mary McCampbell. "Some Migrations from Virginia to South Carolina," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Summer 1981):143-144; Vol. 9, No. 4 (Fall 1981):183-190; Vol. 10, No. 1 (Winter 1982):37-42; Vol. 10, No. 2 (Spring 1982):70-77.

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Halifax County militia officers and 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 ; 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 Halifax County, see pp. 83-85, 108-110.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at ; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Halifax County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.]

Revolutionary War

 * Carrington, Wirt Johnson. "Revolutionary Soldiers, Halifax County Records, Court of Pleas, 1774-1777," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan., 1927):60. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). [Recommendations for military officers.]
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital versions at U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Halifax County on page 131.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [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 Halifax County.]
 * 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, Halifax County, pp. 82-83. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Newspapers

 * Halifax County, Virginia Obituaries
 * 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.

Periodicals
The Blount Journal

Genealogical articles with abstracts of Halifax County, Virginia records have been published in The Blount Journal, the publication of the Blount County Genealogical and Historical Society. Began in 1985, still in print. Tables of contents are available online. Purchase back issues through the society. The Family History Library has acquired most volumes.

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Halifax County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1968):184-187. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors($).

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1752-1790] Tithables, 1752-90, Southsider [Charlotte Court House, Va.], Vol. 19, No. 1 (2000).
 * [1755-1780] Warren, Mary Bondurant. Halifax County, Virginia Colonial Poll [1764-1769] and Tithables Lists [1755-1780]. Danielsville, Georgia: Heritage Papers, 1991. Available at.
 * [1771] Halifax Tithables, 1771, Piedmont Lineages, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Aug. 2001).
 * [1771] Tithables, 1771, Southside Virginian, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Jan. 1985).
 * [1782] 1782 Tax List (US GenWeb Archives)
 * [1782] Tax List, 1782, District 2, Halifax County Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Dec. 2001). [Halifax County, Virginia or North Carolina? check]
 * [1782-1832] Heinegg, Paul. "Halifax County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1832," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records. This list includes some families with Native American ancestry as well.]
 * [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. Halifax County is included in Vol. 1.]
 * [1789, 1798] Indexed images of the 1789 and 1798 Personal Property Tax Lists of Halifax County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Oct. 1982); Vol. 27, No. 1 (Jan. 1983); Vol. 27, No. 2 (Apr. 1983); Vol. 27, No. 3 (Jul. 1983); Vol. 27, No. 4 (Oct. 1983). Available at.
 * [1810] Schreiner-Yates, Netti. A Supplement to the 1810 Census of Virginia: Tax Lists of the Counties for which the Census is Missing. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1971. Available at . [The source for this publication is the 1810 personal property tax lists. Halifax County is included because the 1810 Census for that county has been destroyed.]
 * [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 the 1815 land tax. Halifax County is included in Vol. 2.]
 * [1867] Internal Revenue Tax Warning Notice, 1867, Piedmont Lineages, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Aug. 2007).
 * [1901] Delinquent Tax List, 1901, Piedmont Lineages, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Aug. 2007).

Vital Records
Marriage


 * "Halifax County Marriage Bonds" [1750s-1780s], The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Jan., 1912):202-204. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Knorr, Catherine Lindsay. Marriage Bonds and Ministers' Returns of Halifax County, Virginia, 1753-1800. Pine Bluff, Arkansas: C.L. Knorr, 1957. Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1958):91. Review available at ; digital version at American Ancestors($).

Voting

 * Warren, Mary Bondurant. Halifax County, Virginia Colonial Poll [1764-1769] and Tithables Lists [1755-1780]. Danielsville, Georgia: Heritage Papers, 1991. Available at.

Societies and Libraries

 * L.E. Coleman African-American Museum, 3011 Mountain Road, Halifax, VA 24558
 * South Central Virginia Genealogical Society, Inc., Rt. 1, Box 66-G, Pamplin, VA 23958
 * The Virginia-North Carolina Piedmont Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 2272, Danville, VA 24541

Websites

 * Halifax County, Virginia (official county government website)
 * Halifax County, Virginia (Wikipedia)
 * Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy (Halifax.com)
 * Halifax County Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Halifax County, Virginia GenWeb
 * Halifax County, Virginia GenWeb Archives
 * Halifax County, Virginia History, Records, Facts, Genealogy and Ancestry (Family History 101)
 * The History of Halifax County
 * History of Halifax County, Virginia
 * The History of Halifax County, Virginia 1750-1940
 * The Native Americans of Halifax County, Virginia &amp; the Early Explorers
 * The Native Americans of Halifax County, Virginia &amp; the Early Explorers