Buckingham County, Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Buckingham County Virginia ancestry, family history and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, immigration records, and military records.

Description
Buckingham County is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the origin of its name is unknown. Some surmise it was named for either a person or place in England; it is the only Buckingham County in the United States.

Buckingham County Virginia Courthouse
Buckingham County Courthouse 13061 W. James Anderson Hwy. P.O. Box 107 Buckingham, Virginia 23921-0107 Phone 804-969-4734

Clerk Circuit Court has birth and death records from 1896 marriage, divorce and probate records from 1869

Buckingham County Virginia History
The origin of the county's name is disputed. Some argue it was named after the Duke of Buckingham, others point to the English city or county of Buckingham, while others point out that Archibald Cary's estate was named Buckingham.

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

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Virginia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Virginia County Boundary Maps" (1617-1995) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
County court records were destroyed by fire in 1869. One plat book survived the fire along with a few colonial tithe lists and all the Personal Property and Land Tax lists beginning 1782. Some lost wills and deeds were rerecorded later. Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

Randy F. McNew Crouse has transcribed every extant personal property tithe and tax list through 1802. This indispensable source contains a vast amount of information on virtually every resident. In two volumes, easily the most complete and valuable publication on this burned county, serves as more than a substitute census, tax records fix time and location more precisely and contain much more information than census records, even when they do exist. For Buckingham, prior to 1820, they do not. "Valuable genealogical conclusions can be deduced from these records, nicknamed "annual censuses," such as: relationships, approximate years of birth, socio-economic status, identification of neighbors, the ability to distinguish between persons of the same name, evidence of land inheritance, years of migration, and years of death." Learn more about Virginia tax lists at Virginia Taxation. Elizabeth Shown Mills' study of the Anderson family of Buckingham County (available online) demonstrates how she succeeded in reconstructing a burned-county pedigree in this area:
 * Crouse, Randy F. McNew "Personal Property Tax Lists of Buckingham County Virginia, Vol. 1, 1764-1792, Randy F. McNew Crouse 2017. 428 pages. Available at Lulu ($) and FHL. Family History Library Call Number: 975.5623 R4c. Comprehensive transcription of all extant tithe and personal property tax lists (over 12,000 records) for Buckingham County, Virginia from its formation in 1761 through 1792. Includes 1764, 1773-4, 1782-1792. All proprietors are named (male or female) along with many additional white males over the age of 16, number of white tithes, number of slave tithes, names of slaves over the age of 12 (until 1783), carriages, ordinary licences, horses, cattle (1783-1788) and acres of land (1764).
 * Crouse, Randy F. McNew "Personal Property Tax Lists of Buckingham County Virginia, Vol. 2, 1792-1802, Randy F. McNew Crouse 2017. 460 pages. Available only at Lulu ($). Comprehensive transcription of all extant personal property tax lists (over 13,700 records enumerating over 47,000 tithes) for Buckingham County, Virginia from 1792-1802. All proprietors are named (male or female) along with many additional white males over the age of 16, number of white tithes, number of slave tithes, carriages, ordinary licences and horses.


 * “Anderson of Buckingham: A Case Study in Family Reconstruction within a ‘Burned County,’ Part 2: Parental Family of William Anderson (1788–1852),” The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 30 (July–September 1986): 174–87, and (October–December 1986): 263–73. Digital image. Elizabeth Shown Mills, Historic Pathways - free. Accessed 29 December 2011.

Weisiger abstracted a valuable source that includes deed, will, and marriage information about residents:


 * Weisiger, Benjamin B. Burned County Data 1809-1848 As Found in the Virginia Contested Election Files. Richmond, Va., 1986..

Research Guides

 * Dorman, John Frederick. "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Buckingham County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1962):121-124. Available at American Ancestors ($).


 * Peebles, Anne Bradbury. "Buckingham County, Virginia, and the Southern Parts of Early Albemarle," Special Aids to Genealogical Research on Southern Families. National Genealogical Society Special Publications, No. 15, Washington, D.C., 1962.


 * Whitley, Edythe Rucker. Genealogical Records of Buckingham County, Virginia. Dayton, Ohio, 1984.

African American
Freedmen's

Heinegg, Paul. "Buckingham County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1826," Free African Americans.com, available online. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]

Bible Records

 * Moore, Caroline Tiedeman. "Payne Family Bible, Buckingham County, Virginia, and Micapony, Florida," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1974):304. Digital version at American Ancestors ($).
 * Stinson, Hubert M. "Harris-Stinson-Carter-Wood-Branch Bible Record, Buckingham County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 24, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1980):41-43. Digital version at American Ancestors ($).

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

The following is a list of cemeteries in Buckingham County:

Census
Since the 1790 and 1800 Census were burned, tax lists may be used as a substitute. See the "Taxation" section below.

1850 Census
In 1850, census enumerators uncharacteristically recorded both the state and county of birth of residents of half of Buckingham County's population.

1890 Union Veterans

 * "Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890." Prince William County Virginia, by Ronald Ray Turner.

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Buckingham (1771). Records were published in 1993: . Edwards published a membership list dated 1772 in Materials Towards a History of the Baptists... (1772), 83.
 * 2) Providence (1774)
 * 3) Slate River (1805)
 * 4) Union (1786)
 * 5) Wreck Island (1784)

Buckingham County fell within the bounds of the Appomattox Association.

Church of England

 * See also Tillotson Parish

Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Buckingham County is available online.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Early LDS converts with Buckingham County connections:


 * Kitchen

Genealogy
More than 150 genealogies have been published about Buckingham County families. To view a list, visit Buckingham County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies.

Land and Property
Grants and Patents


 * Bannister. 778 patents dated 1723-1842 in what is now Buckingham County, Virginia Patents 1723-1842 placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2002. [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.]

Local Histories

 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Genealogical Records of Buckingham County, Virginia. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1984. Available at ; and World Vital Records ($).

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):113-118. Available at ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Buckingham County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on p. 115.]

French and Indian War

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

Revolutionary War
Regiments. Service men in Buckingham County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Buckingham County supplied soldiers for the:


 * - 6th Virginia Regiment

Additional resources:

Buckingham residents recommended for military commissions during the Revolutionary War.


 * 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, Buckingham County on page 129.]
 * 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." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

War of 1812
Buckingham County men served in the 24th and 100th Regiments.


 * 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 Buckingham 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, Buckingham County, p. 65.]

Civil War

 * - 4th Regiment Virginia Cavalry, Company K.
 * - 20th Regiment Virginia Infantry, Col. E "Lee Guards," and Co. F "Buckingham Institute Guard."
 * - 21st Regiment Virginia Infantry, Co. E "Buckingham Leaches."
 * - 44th Regiment Virginia Infantry, Co. C "Travis Rifles."
 * - 56th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company D (Buckingham Yancey Guards)
 * - 57th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Buckingham Institute).

Records and histories are available, see:


 * 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers 1861-1865
 * 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers 1861-1865
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * Maloney, Eugene A. A History of Buckingham County. Berryville, Virginia: Virginia Book Co., 1976. Lists regiments, companies and muster rolls on pages 107-112. Author states that the original muster rolls are kept in the county clerk's office.
 * titled A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations 1861-1865

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Virginia Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929

Newspapers
Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette (1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburg website. 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.

Probate Records

 * Hopkins, William Lindsay. Some Wills from the Burned Counties of Virginia and Other Wills Not Listed in Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800. Richmond, Virginia: W.L. Hopkins, 1987. Available at . [Includes Buckingham County.]
 * King, George Harrison Sanford. "Will of Joseph Cabell, Buckingham County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1971):298-302. Digital version at American Ancestors ($).

Online Probate Records


 * 1639 – 1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry.com — index to transcribed records, $

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me? "The census taker came every ten years and often missed people. The tax collector came every year and seldom missed anyone." - Carol C. Darrow and Susan Winchester, "The Genealogists Guide to Researching Tax Records"


 * 1764-1792 - Crouse, Randy F. McNew "Personal Property Tax Lists of Buckingham County Virginia, Vol. 1, 1764-1792, Randy F. McNew Crouse 2017. 428 pages. Available at Lulu ($) and FHL. Family History Library Call Number: 975.5623 R4c. Comprehensive transcription of all extant tithe and personal property tax lists (over 12,000 records) for Buckingham County, Virginia from its formation in 1761 through 1792. Includes 1764, 1773-4, 1782-1792. All proprietors are named (male or female) along with many additional white males over the age of 16, number of white tithes, number of slave tithes, names of slaves over the age of 12 (until 1783), carriages, ordinary licences, horses, cattle (1783-1788) and acres of land (1764). Comments and annotations are included, as found in the original lists, describe familial relationships, marital status (widow), physical characteristics, race, occupation, nationality, religion, place of residence and more.Transcribed records are ordered as they appear in the tax lists and, in addition, are ordered alphabetically in a 160 page index section. Includes an introduction and guide to use, a table and graphs to summarize statistics, extensive bibliography, table of alternate surname spellings, list of abbreviations and appendices.
 * 1764 - Warren, Mary Bondurant and Eve Bondurant Warren Weeks. Virginia's District Courts, 1789-1809: Records of the Prince Edward District: Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, and Prince Edward Counties: (Wills to 1829, Deeds to 1816). Danielsville, Georgia: Heritage Papers, 1991. Available at . Buckingham County tithables list, 1764 (found in the loose case papers).
 * 1764 - Warren, Mary Bondurant et al. Buckingham County, Virginia, Church and Marriage Records, 1764-1822. Athens, Ga.: Heritage Papers, 1993..
 * 1773-1774 - Buckingham County, Virginia Tithables, 1773-1774. Original records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia; also available on microfilm at.
 * 1773-1774 - Woodson, Robert F. and Isobel B. Woodson. Virginia Tithables from Burned Record Counties: Buckingham, 1773-1774; Gloucester, 1770-1771, 1774-1775; Hanover, 1763 and 1770; James City, 1768-1769; Stafford, 1768 and 1773. Richmond, Virginia: I.B. Woodson, 1970. Available at.
 * 1782-1810 Buckingham County Personal Property Tax Lists 1782-1810 (images); digital version in Tax List Club at Binns Genealogy ($).
 * 1782 - Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. Online at FamilySearch - free; FHL. 1782 personal property tax list of Buckingham County.
 * 1782-1826 - Heinegg, Paul. "Buckingham County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1826," 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. Available at . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Buckingham County is included in Vol. 1.
 * 1787 - Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):113-118. Available at ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Buckingham County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on p. 115.
 * 1788, 1800 - Indexed images of the 1788 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Buckingham County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * 1792-1802 - Crouse, Randy F. McNew "Personal Property Tax Lists of Buckingham County Virginia, Vol. 2, 1792-1802, Randy F. McNew Crouse 2017. 460 pages. Available only at Lulu ($). The second volume in this monumental tax list transcription effort. Comprehensive transcription of all personal property tax lists (over 13,700 records enumerating over 47,000 tithes) for Buckingham County, Virginia from 1792-1802. All proprietors are named (male or female) along with many additional white males over the age of 16, number of white tithes, number of slave tithes, carriages, ordinary licences and horses. 130 page index. An illustrated appendix on Riding Carriages is a very interesting added feature.
 * 1800 - "Buckingham County, Virginia 1800 Tax List," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 12, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1968):114-118; Vol. 12, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1968):162-168; Vol. 13, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1969):23-27. Available at New England Ancestors ($).
 * 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. Buckingham County is included in Vol. 1.

Birth

 * 1912-1913 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 - Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1660-1959 - Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1784-1794 - Lindsay, Mrs. James R. "Buckingham County Virginia Marriage Bonds, 1784-1794" (Only known marriage records during this period), Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 2 (April 1963):13-14.
 * 1936-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1912-1987 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Buckingham County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * Central Virginia Genealogical Association

Family History Centers

 * Buckingham Virginia Family History Center

Buckingham County Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Buckingham County, Virginia USGENWEB
 * Buckingham County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * Cyndi's List