Nottoway County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
Nottoway County is located in the central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe.

County Courthouse
Nottoway County Courthouse 328 West Courthouse Road / PO Box 25 Nottoway, VA 23955 Phone: 434-645-9312 Nottoway County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage divorce and court records from 1865, land, probate and military records from 1789

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Bible Records

 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Featherston "Bible Record of William Featherston (Nottoway Co., Va. - Robertson Co., Tenn.)," Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 3 (July 1963):20.

Biographies

 * Cummins, A. B. Nottoway County, Virginia: Founding and Development with Biographical Sketches. Richmond, Va.: W.M. Brown and Son, Printers, 1970.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Medical register, 1917-1975. Contains copies of medical licenses for physical therapists, surgeons, dentists, optometrists, general practioners ("regular doctors"), and "allopathic" doctors.
 * Register of physicians, surgeons and dentists, 1894-1950
 * Contract book of the Richmond Cooperative Milk Producers Association, 1930-1931

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Census Records
1850
 * 1850 census of Nottoway County, Virginia

1860
 * The 1860 federal census for Nottoway County, Virginia

1890 Union Veterans
 * Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. By Ronald Ray Turner. .  Includes residents of this county.
 * 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census. Online at: Ancestry ($). Includes this county.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Baptist

Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):
 * 1) Nottoway (1765). Edwards published a membership list dated 1769 in Materials Towards a History of the Baptists... (1772), 68-69.

Nottoway County fell within the bounds of the Middle District Association.

Church of England Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Nottoway County is available online.

See also Nottoway Parish
 * Rev. John Cameron's marriage register of Bristol, Cumberland and Nottoway parishes, Virginia, 1784-1815 and other more recent records, mainly of Nottoway Parish

Presbyterian
 * A brief history of the Blackstone Presbyterian Church 1823-1961. This church was formed in 1824 as a branch of the Nottoway Presbyterian Church. In 1911 it became a separate church.

Court Records
Chancery Court
 * Indexed images of Nottoway County, Virginia Chancery Records 1818-1968 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

Correctional Institutions
 * A register of persons convicted of felony, etc., 1931-1966

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Heinegg, Paul. Nottoway County Personal Property Tax List, 1789-1822, Free African Americans.com. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in this source.
 * Records of the field offices for the state of Virginia, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands NARA, RG105, M1913, 1865-1872 Freedmen's Bureau Marriages 1815-1869
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans of Nottoway County.

Funeral Homes

 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Genealogies
Compiled Genealogies by Surname A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 * See Nottoway County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of published books and articles, or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar.

Compiled genealogies for Multiple Families
 * Cummins, A.B. Nottoway County, Virginia: Founding and Development with Biographical Sketches. Richmond, Va.: W.M. Brown, 1970..
 * Pritchett, John W. Southside Virginia Genealogies. CD-ROM. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Free online index, courtesy: Virginians - The Family History of John W. Pritchett. Includes a great deal of information about residents of Nottoway County, see discussion of cited sources.
 * Turner, W. R. Old Homes and Families in Nottoway. Blackstone, Va.: Nottoway Pub. Co., 1950, c1932. . For the index compiled by Colonel R. Bolling Batte and the Projects Committee of the Virginia Genealogical Society ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Available at Virginia Historical Society.
 * Jottings about Nottoway. Contains a Narrative history of Nottoway County from earliest times to about 1890.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Amelia County, Virginia deeds. Prince Edward County, Va. was not cut off of Amelia County until 1754, and Nottoway County was not cut off until 1789, so this book contains deeds for both of these present-day counties. -- Foreword, v. 1 v. 1. Deed book 1, 1735-1743, and bonds, 1735-1741 v. 2. Deed book 2, 1742-1747 v. 3. Deed books 3-4, 1747-1753 v. 4. Deed book 5-6, 1753-1759 v. 5. Deed books 7-8, 1759-1765 v. 6. Deed books 9-11, 1766-1773 v. 7. Deed books 12-14, 1773-1778 v. 8. Deed books 15-17, 1778-1786.
 * Deed records, 1789-1900; general indexes, 1866-1974. Some of the deed books may have been lost during the Civil War. After the war, the numbering of volumes started over with v. 1.
 * Returns of processioners, 1795-1824. Contains land processioning records recorded with the County Court which include the land description and who was present at the processioning.
 * Some early landowners in southern Nottoway and northern Lunenburg counties, Virginia and the Cocke (Coke) family who once lived there. Contains maps with tract codes and a list of landowners giving the names of grantor and grantee, tract code, year, number of acres, source, and other information. Includes a list of streams and other landmarks and the Cocke (Coke) family genealogy.

Grants and Patents
 * Hudgins and Sullivan. 901 patents dated 1717-1779 in what is now Amelia and Nottoway Counties, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2003. 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

 * Account book, 1875-1877. This is the account book for Council no. 124, F. of T, which is a temperance society.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Nottoway County, Virginia land ownership map, 1864
 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

 * Elliott, Katherine B. Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 2 vols. South Hill, Virginia: K. B. Elliott, 1966. Includes individuals who migrated out of Nottoway County to other parts of the country.

Military Records
Revolutionary War Nottoway County residents' participation in the Revolutionary War. War of 1812 Nottoway County men served in the 49th Regiment. Civil War
 * 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 Nottoway 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, Nottoway County, p. 96. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 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)
 * The Nottoway Artillery and Barr's Battery, Virginia Light Artillery
 * Southside Virginia in the Civil War Amelia, Brunswick, Charlotte, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, &amp; Prince Edward counties
 * Minute book for the Pension Board 1902-1917. The Pension Board handled the approval process and dispersion of pensions for the Confederate veterans of the Civil War.
 * The Captain remembers: the papers of Captain Richard Irby. Historical sketch of the Nottaway Grays, afterwards Company G, Eighteenth Virginia Regiment, Army of Northern Virginia.
 * Minute book for the Board of Blendon Township 1871-1875 and the Pension Board 1902-1917.

Regiments. Civil War service men in Nottoway County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here:
 * - 3rd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company E (Nottoway Troop).
 * - 18th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C (Nottoway Rifle Guards) and Company G (Nottoway Grays).
 * - 21st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company K (Meherrin Grays).

Civil War Battle The following Civil War battle was fought in Nottoway County.
 * April 6, 1865 Sailor's Creek, also known as Hillsman Farm or Lockett Farm
 * Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

World War II
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers
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 the Virginia Gazette and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia.

Other Records
Public Records
 * 1932-1940 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1633-1800 Wills and Estate Records Index at Library of Virginia.
 * 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * SAMPUBCO free online index resource that serves as a good starting place to search for Nottoway County wills.
 * Will records, 1789-1964; general indexes, 1865-1975
 * Accounts current records, 1867-1915; general index to fiduciary settlements, 1867-1915
 * Fiduciary order books, 1942-1972
 * Record of fiduciaries, 1901-1902
 * Bond and guarantee companies books, 1923-1974. A bond is a legal document wherein a person commits himself, his heirs, executors and administrators to pay a required amount of money to another if certain duties are not performed. These were paid by people elected or appointed to public offices or to act as guardians, executors or administrators of a person's estate.
 * Bond books, 1852-1865, 1891-1917; general index to bond books, 1866-1917
 * Bond books, 1899-1914, 1972-1975
 * Images of Wills and Estates 1788-1802 Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * Images of Wills and Estates 1803-1809 Virginia Pioneers ($)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1747 "Amelia Tithables, 1747," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. Richmond VA: Nov 2004. Vol. 42 Iss. 4.
 * 1782-1822 Heinegg, Paul. "Nottoway County Personal Property Tax List, 1789-1822," Free African Americans.com. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in this source.
 * 1791, 1801 Indexed images of the 1791 and 1801 Personal Property Tax Lists of Nottoway County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * 1800 Tax List, 1800, Virginia Genealogist. Falmouth VA: Oct 2002. Vol. 46 Iss. 4
 * 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. Nottoway County is included in Vol. 1.
 * Minute book, 1915-1916
 * Personal property tax lists, 1789-1850

Vital Records

 * The Farmville Herald: index to births, deaths and marriages. Contents: v. 1. 1893-1912, also includes 1873-1876 of The Farmville Mercury and The Farmville Commonwealth.

Birth

 * 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index, ($) — index $
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * 1865-1975 Marriage register, 1865-1942; general indexes, 1866-1958, 1969-1975
 * 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Death

 * 1853-1911 Virginia, U.S., Death Registers, 1853-1911 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection;  index & images
 * 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index & images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Buckingham Virginia Family History Center
 * Lynchburg Virginia Family History Center
 * Richmond Virginia Family History Center
 * Richmond Virginia Midlothian Family History Center


 * Greenwood Library - Longwood University - an affiliate library

Websites

 * Nottoway Co., VAGenWeb. Part of the USGenWeb Project. Maps, name indexes, documents.
 * Nottoway County VA Trails to the Past.
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives


 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.