Edgecombe County, North Carolina Genealogy

United States   North Carolina    Edgecombe County

County Courthouse
Edgecombe County Courthouse 301 Saint Andrews Street P O Box 386 Tarboro, NC 27886 Phone: 252-641-7924 Register of Deeds has birth, marriage and land records Clerk Superior Court has probate and Court Records

History
Edgecombe County was formed in 1741 from Bertie County. It was named for Richard Edgcombe, a Member of Parliament from 1701 to 1742 and a lord of the treasury, who became 1st Baron Edgcumbe in 1742.

In 1746 part of Edgecombe County became Granville County; in 1758 another portion became Halifax County; and in 1777 yet another part became Nash County. In 1855 the formation of Wilson County from parts of Edgecombe County, Johnston County, Nash County, and Wayne County reduced Edgecombe to its present size, with a minor boundary adjustments.

Land records prior to 1759 are among those of Halifax County.

Parent County
1741--Edgecombe County was established 4 April 1741 from Bertie County. County seat: Tarboro

Neighboring Counties

 * Halifax
 * Martin
 * Nash
 * Pitt
 * Wilson

General Resources

 * Cemetery information on Edgecombe County, NCGenWeb
 * Cemetery information on Edgecombe County, NCGenWeb Archives
 * Edgecombe County cemeteries - Find-A-Grave

Specific Cemeteries

 * Calvary Episcopal Cemetery - in Tarboro;site contains interactive burial plot map

Baptist

 * Swift Creek. Established by 1775.
 * Toisnot. Founded 1756. Now in Wilson County.
 * Town Creek. Constituted 1780.
 * Winstead's Meeting House. Constituted 1802.

Church of England

 * Edgecombe Parish, later St. Mary's Parish. Established 1741. A history was published in 1955.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Rocky Mount

Court
See also Probate.

Family Histories
Bibliography


 * [Boddie] Leary, Helen F.M. "The Two William Boddies of North Carolina," The American Genealogist, Vol. 66, No. 1 (Jan. 1991):16-29; Vol. 62, No. 2 (Apr. 1991):106-110; Vol. 66, No. 3 (Jul. 1991):148-153. Available at.

Local Histories

 * Pamphlet: To the citizens and soldiers of Edgecomb County : I respectfully announce myself a candidate for the office of Sheriff of Edgecomb county (1864) by J.B Jenkins - full-text online via the Internet Archive
 * The History of Edgecombe County - online book at Eastern North Carolina Library

Maps

 * North Carolina Map-1779 - includes early Edgecombe Co.
 * North Carolina County Formations - clickable map for 1700 - 1912
 * Edgecombe County-1905
 * Edgecombe County Maps- from the UNC Digital Maps Collections
 * 1895 Edgecombe County - from Pam Rietsch's fantastic 1895 US Atlas Project

Civil War
Civil War Confederate units - Brief history, counties where recruited, etc.


 * -1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, usually known as the Bethel Regiment.

Probate

 * Pre-1790 - Pre-1790 Wills stored at the North Carolina State Archives are online - free. Website tips.


 * 1758-1959 - have been digitized by FamilySearch - free.

Yearbooks

 * Wesleyan College Yearbooks: 1962-2009 - freely available via the NC Digitization Center
 * Edgecombe County students at North Carolina colleges - a list alphabetized by surname from the NCGenWeb Yearbook Index.

Public Libraries
The following public libraries in Edgecombe County have collections of particular interest to genealogists.


 * Braswell Memorial Library 727 North Grace Street Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804 (252) 442-1951 The Kornegay Room offers a local history and genealogy collection which includes maps, local records, newspapers, city directories, photographs, and more.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Rocky Mount North Carolina Family History Center

Web Sites

 * Edgecombe County, NCGenWeb - free genealogy resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project
 * Edgecombe County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Edgecombe County, USGenWeb Archives