North Carolina, United States Genealogy

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Bibles were often given to a bride as a wedding gift, and families recorded in them information about their immediate family and close relatives. Bible records can include birth, marriage, and death dates; parents’ names; and names of children and their spouses, including maiden names. A person’s age at the time of death may be given. Many families kept Bible records from the 1700s to more recent times, although few of these records have survived. Some have been donated to local libraries or societies, but you may need to contact descendants to find some family Bible records.

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Did You Know?

 * City and county directories are similar to present-day telephone books and are useful for locating people. They were often published annually, listing heads of households, employed household members, and their occupations, and addresses. They can be used with census records or as substitutes for them.

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Online Resources:

 * North Carolina GenWeb Project: County Pages - http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Encgenweb/county.html

For Further Reading
Information about research and records in North Carolina is available in:

Draughon, Wallace R. North Carolina Genealogical Reference: A Research Guide for All Genealogists, both Amateur and Professional. 2nd ed. Durham, N.C.: Smith Publishing, 1966. (FHL book 975.6 D2dr 1966) The book includes chapters about genealogical collections, maps, county research (with published sources for each county), records at the state archives, Quakers (with a map showing the location of monthly meetings), and missing records (giving dates).

Eichholz, Alice, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources. 3rd ed. Provo: Ancestry, 2004. (FHL book 973 D27rb 1992.) This book contains bibliographies and background information on history and ethnic groups. It also contains maps and tables showing when each county was created. Pages 541–560 contain a chapter about North Carolina research.

Hofmann, Margaret M. An Intermediate Short, Short Course in the Use of Some North Carolina Records in Genealogical Research. Rocky Mount, N.C,: Copy-It Print, 1990. (FHL book 975.6 D27hm.) This book has chapters about maps, record interpretation, military records, land records, petitions, non-public record sources, and oral histories.

Hofmann, Margaret M. The Short, Short Course in the Use of North Carolina’s Early County-Level Records in Genealogical Research. Ahoskie, N.C.: Atlantic Printing, 1988. (FHL book 975.6 D27h.) This book contains discussions on how to use bonds, censuses, court records, land records, probate records, and marriage records.

Leary, Helen F. M., and Maurice R. Stirewalt, eds. North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History. 2nd ed. Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina Genealogical Society, 1996. (FHL book 975.6 D27n 1996.) This is a how-to book. Chapter2 contains instructions on how to use strategies in studying various types of sources.

Schweitzer, George K. North Carolina Genealogical Research. Knoxville, Tenn.: G. K. Schweitzer, 1984. (FHL book 975.6 D27s.) This important reference book lists specific books and microfilms and the types and dates of records available on state, county, and some city levels. It also lists libraries and county histories. Chapter3 contains descriptions of records at the state archives, state library, and the libraries at Duke University and the University of North Carolina.

A free brochure about genealoical research is available from the North Carolina State Archives: Genealogical Research in the North Carolina State Archives

Another good article is located online through the North Carolina State Library: Tar Heel Tracks: Genealogical Research in North Carolina http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/iss/gr/tracks.htm