Caroline County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Tidewater county.

Caroline County Virginia Courthouse


Caroline County Courthouse P O Box 309 Bowling Green, Virginia 22427 Phone: 804-633-5800

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records 1787-1853, land records from 1836

Caroline County Virginia History


This county was named after Queen Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach, also known as simply Caroline of Ansbach (1683-1737), consort of King George II of Great Britain. The reason for this choice as to the county's name was because the county was organized in 1728 on the basis of a legislative act of 1727, the year that George assumed the throne.

Parent County
1727--Caroline County was organized in 1728 on the basis of a legislative act of 1727. The county was formed from Essex, King and Queen, and King William Counties. County seat: Bowling Green

Boundary Changes
After the county's formation, additional land was added to Caroline County in 1742 and 1762 from King and Queen County.

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
1864. Most antebellum probate prior to 1853, land records prior to 1836, and loose papers were lost during the American Civil War, 1861-1865 and, of those that are extant, many of those are scattered among the Virginia State Archives, the Caroline County Circuit Court, and the Circuit Court for the City of Fredericksburg. Postbellum land and probate records can be presumed to be housed at the Caroline County Courthouse. For a general assessment of the status of Caroline County's early records, see the following:


 * Historical Connections to Caroline County (see bottom of page; RootsWeb)

George Harrison Sanford King's Card File is especially valuable for reconstructing Caroline County families. His papers are available online, see Virginia Genealogy.

Other record losses:


 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

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..

Populated Places
The following are the only two incorporated towns in the county:


 * Bowling Green: official site
 * Port Royal: historical society | official site

For unincorporated populated places, see the following:


 * Caroline County Information (Home Town Locator)

Getting Started
Compiled genealogies are a good place to start research for this area, see Caroline County, Virginia Genealogy.

If you are researching families who lived in Caroline County, Virginia between the 1760s and 1790s, the Sparacios' books are a great time saver. They comprehensively index several publications covering that period:


 * Sparacio, Ruth Trickey and Sam Sparacio. Surname Index of Antient Press Publications. 14+ vols. McLean, Va.: R. &amp; S. Sparacio, Antient Press, 1993-. 975.5 P22s v. 1-2; publisher's website: Antient Press.

Research Guides

 * Davis, Virginia Lee Hutcheson. "Records of Tidewater Virginia Counties," Tidewater Virginia Families: A Magazine of History and Genealogy, Vol. 1, No. 2 (May-June 1992):53-66. 975.51 D25t [For Caroline County, see p. 55]
 * Davis, Virginia Lee Hutcheson. "Research Opportunities in Caroline County," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 18, No. 3 (May-June 1992):1-3. ; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website.
 * Dorman, John Frederick. "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Caroline County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1963):30-33. ; digital version at American Ancestors($).

African American
From 1790 to 1860, Caroline County had one of the largest slave populations in the state (10,292 in 1790; 10,672 in 1860).

Freedmen's Bureau

Bible Records

 * Bibles at USGenWeb Archives - free.


 * [Campbell] Major, Mrs. Nettie Leitch. "Campbell Family Bible, Caroline County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1979):117-118. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors($).

Cemeteries
For a list with provision for eventual inclusion of addresses, phone numbers, and external links, see Caroline County, Virginia Cemeteries.

The following is a list of cemeteries in Caroline County. Note that this is not an exhaustive list:

General information (with links to specific cemeteries):


 * Caroline County Cemeteries (ePodunk)
 * Collins, Herbert Ridgeway.Cemeteries of Caroline County, Vol. 3: Private Cemeteries. Heritage Books, 2007 (covers about 170 cemeteries). Google Books page
 * Tombstone Transcription Project Caroline County (cemetery transcriptions and photos; USGenWeb)

Census
Census (transcriptions and indices) (Caroline County U.S. GenWeb Archives)

1890 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) Bethel (1800)
 * 2) Bethesda Church, Port Royal, Va. (1847; RootsWeb)
 * 3) Burrus's (1773)
 * 4) County Line (1782)
 * 5) Liberty Baptist Church, Port Royal, Va. (1796; RootsWeb)
 * 6) Reeds (1773)
 * 7) Salem (1802)
 * 8) Tuckahoe (1774), Port Royal, Va. Later known as Upper Zion Baptist Church (RootsWeb).
 * 9) Zoar Church, Port Royal, Va. (1902; RootsWeb)

Caroline County fell within the bounds of the Goshen Association and the Dover Association.

Church of England
See also Drysdale Parish See also St. Anne's Parish  See also St. Asaph's Parish  See also St. Margaret's Parish  See also St. Mary's Parish

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):


 * Caroline Monthly Meeting (1739-1844)

County Court

 * 1772-1774 - Sparacio, Ruth and Sam Sparacio. Order Book Abstracts of Caroline County, Virginia 1772-1774. 2 vols. McLean, Va.: The Antient Press, 1993. Digital version at - free.
 * Court (transcriptions and abstracts) (Caroline County U.S. GenWeb Archives)

Chancery Court

 * Indexed images of Caroline County, Virginia Chancery Records 1787-1849 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. Additional records are available at the Caroline County Courthouse. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.
 * Reddy, Anne Waller. Suit -- Brown vs. Brown: Chancery Court Records in Caroline County, Virginia. 1950?. MSS., available at . [Rene (René, Rainey, or Renney) Parsons Brown of Caroline County was sued by John Brown of Franklin County.]

District Court of Fredericksburg
The District Court of Fredericksburg and later the Superior Court of Chancery had jurisdiction over certain Caroline County court cases. An index has been compiled:


 * Indexes of Court Records in the Clerk's Office, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 1782-1904. Original records, Fredericksburg City Courthouse, Fredericksburg, Va., microfilmed reproduction available at . [Indexes the following records: District Court law book v. 8, 1782-1792; District Court law books 1790-1793, v. A-F 1789-1811; Superior Court of Law law order books v. G-H 1812-1831; Superior Court of Chancery chancery order books 1814-1831; Hustings Court orders v. A-O 1782-1871; Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery law order books v. A-E 1831-1875; Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery chancery order books v. A-D 1831-1872; Circuit Court chancery order books v. A2, B-C 1875-1904; Fredericksburg District Court (1789-1808) had jurisdiction over the following counties: Spotsylvania (including Fredericksburg), Caroline, King George, Stafford, Orange, and Culpeper; Superior Court of Chancery (1802-1831) had jurisdiction over the following localities: city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fairfax, Lancaster, Northumberland, Madison, King George, Orange, Prince William, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Essex, and Westmoreland.]

See also Historic Court Records for indexes of Apprentice Records, Clerk's Order Books, Court Records, Free Negro / Slave records, Inquests, Marriage Records, Mayor's Court, Military Records &amp; Wills.

Superior Court of Chancery
See District Court of Fredericksburg

Genealogy
More than 300 genealogies have been published about Caroline County families. To view a list, visit Caroline County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies.

Immigration
Port Royal, on the Rappahannock River, was established as a port in 1652. It was incorporated as a town in 1744. Many ships carrying settlers landed there during the colonial period. No official passenger lists survive for the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries, but a general chronology of shipping activities for that period has been prepared.

General

 * Deeds (transcriptions and indices) (Caroline County U.S. GenWeb Archives)

Surveys

 * Sparacio, Ruth Trickey and Sam Sparacio. Caroline County, Virginia County Surveys, 1729-1762, and Proceedings of Committee of Safety, 1774-1776. McLean, Virginia: Antient Press, 1997. Available at.

Grants and Patents

 * Gray, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants 1694-1742. Vol. I. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1987. Available at . [Includes Caroline County residents.]
 * Hudgins. 371 patents dated 1650-1752 in what is now Caroline County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper. [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

 * Howe, Henry. "Caroline" (excerpt), Historical Collections of Virginia, pp. 214-215. Digital copy in Caroline County U.S. GenWeb Archives
 * Letters and Journal Written by Reuben Ellis McDaniel to His Wife (RootsWeb)
 * Wingfield, Marshall. A History of Caroline County: From Its Formation in 1727 to 1924. Richmond, Va.: Press of Trevvet Christian &amp; Co., 1924. 1975 reprint available at [2 copies] | Digital version at Ancestry ($) | Digital version at World Vital Records ($) | Index at EveryNameIndex.com - free.

Maps

 * Caroline County, Virginia Creeks &amp; Rivers (1751) (VAGenWeb) - free.

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):29-34; 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. Some of Caroline County's 1789 Delinquent Lists appear on 20:29; 1787-1789 Delinquent Lists appear on 21:116-117.]

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Caroline County militia officers, soldier enlistments, 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 Caroline County, see p. 69.]
 * Caroline Men in the French and Indian War (RootsWeb)

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


 * - 10th Virginia Regiment

Additional resources:

Caroline residents recommended for military commissions during the Revolutionary War.


 * Proceedings of the Committees of Safety of Caroline and Southampton Counties, Virginia, 1774-1776. Richmond, Virginia: Division of Purchase and Printing, 1929.
 * Sparacio, Ruth Trickey and Sam Sparacio. Caroline County, Virginia County Surveys, 1729-1762, and Proceedings of Committee of Safety, 1774-1776. McLean, Virginia: Antient Press, 1997.
 * 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, Caroline 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.]
 * Revolutionary War (pension affidavits) (Caroline County U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * Revolutionary War Soldiers from Caroline County (RootsWeb)

War of 1812
Caroline County men served in the 6th and 30th Regiments.


 * 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. ; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Caroline County, p. 66.]
 * Sheads, Scott Sumpter: Guardian of the star-spangled banner : Lt. Colonel George Armistead and the Fort McHenry flag (Baltimore, Maryland:  Toomey Press, 1999) pages 84.


 * George Armistead, son of John Armistead and Lucinda Baylor, was born in 1780 at Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia. George married Louisa Hughes, daughter of Christopher Hughes Sr., on 26 Oct 1810 in Baltimore. They had 3 children. He was the commanding officer of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland on 13-14 Sep 1814. He kept the flag that was flying over the fort and passed it along to his descendants. In 1912, it was given as a gift to the Smithsonian National Museum. George died 25 Apr 1818 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Civil War
Regiments. Caroline County men most often served in regiments (and companies) from their home county. At times, however, individuals and small groups can be found serving in a regiment of a neighboring county. Later in the war, Confederate units often reorganized. Men from Caroline County can be found in the following regiments:


 * - 9th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company B (Caroline Light Dragoons).
 * - 9th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company B (Caroline Light Dragoons).
 * - 24th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company F.
 * - 30th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Caroline Grays), Company F (Bowling Green Guards), Company G (Childsburg Light Infantry), and Company H (Sparta Grays).
 * - 47th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Port Royal Guards).
 * - Lightfoot's Battalion, "Caroline Light Artillery," (Confederate)

Records and histories are available, including:


 * 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)
 * Wingfield, Marshall. A History of Caroline County, Virginia. Baltimore: Regional Publishing Co., 1975. Pages 235-251 contain muster lists for the companies that served in these regiments from this county.
 * Wallace, Lee A. A Guide to Virginia Military organizations 1861-1865. Lynchburg: H. E. Howard, Inc., 1986.
 * Caroline County Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows (Caroline County U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * Confederate Pensioners List for Caroline County 1909 (RootsWeb)

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Caroline County.


 * May 23-26, 1864 = North Anna, also known as Telegraph Road Bridge, Jericho Mill (May 23), Ox Ford, Quarles Mill, or Hanover Junction (May 24)


 * Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

World War I

 * Caroline County Men Who Served in World War I (RootsWeb)

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization

 * Virginia

Newspapers

 * The Caroline Progress, Bowling Green, VA (current newspaper)
 * Virginia Gazette: 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.

Occupations

 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at . [Includes a section on Port Royal silversmiths.]

Officials

 * Fisher, Therese. Skeletons in the Closet: 200 Years of Murders in Old Virginia; a Genealogical and Historical Resource. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2001. Available at . [Identifies Caroline County's sheriffs 1729-1780.]

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 Caroline County.]
 * Wills (transcriptions and indices) (Caroline County U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * Digital Images of Caroline County Wills 1742, 1762-1830. See names of testators. Virginia Pioneers ($)

Online Probate Records


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

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * 1783 - "Caroline County Personal Property List, 1783," William and Mary College Quarterly, 1st Series, Vol. 27 (1919):154-163. Available at | Reprint in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at  | Digital version at JSTOR ($)  Digital version in Caroline County U.S. GenWeb Archives
 * 1783 - Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. Online at FamilySearch - free; FHL. 1783 personal property tax list of Caroline County.
 * 1787 - Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available at . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Caroline County is included in Vol. 1.
 * 1787-1789 - Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):29-34; Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):113-118. Available at ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Some of Caroline County's 1789 Delinquent Lists appear on 20:29; 1787-1789 Delinquent Lists appear on 21:116-117.
 * 1789, 1799 - Indexed images of the 1789 and 1799 Personal Property Tax Lists of Caroline County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * 1789, 1799 - Indexed images of the 1789 and 1799 Land Tax Lists of Caroline County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * 1800 - "Caroline County, Virginia, 1800 Tax List," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1970):82-87; Vol. 14, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1970):112-116; Vol. 14, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1970):155-159. Available at ; digital version 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. Caroline County is included in Vol. 3.

Birth

 * 1864-1867 - Caroline County Birth Index 1864-1867. at FamilySearch - free.

Beth Fridley has published the following indexes online at Ancestry:


 * 1859-1868 - Caroline County, Virginia Births, 1859-68 (Except 1863). Available at Ancestry ($).
 * 1870-1880 - Caroline County, Virginia Births, 1870-1880. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * 1881-1896 - Caroline County, Virginia Births, 1881-96. Available at Ancestry ($).

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 - Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1777-1853 - Fisher, Therese A. Marriages of Caroline County, Virginia, 1777-1853. Heritage Books, 1998.
 * 1787-1851 - Caroline County Marriage Index 1787-1851. at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1824-1857 - Caroline County Marriage Index 1824-1857. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1864-1899 - Caroline County Marriage Index 1864-1899. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Deaths

 * 1853-189 - Collins, Herbert Ridgeway. Caroline County, Virginia: Bureau of Vital Statistics Death Records, 1853-1896. Heritage Books, 1999.
 * 1865-1867 -Caroline County Death Index 1865-1867. at FamilySearch - free.

Caroline County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * Caroline County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 9, Bowling Green, VA 22427
 * Caroline Historical Society, P.O. 324, Bowling Green, VA 22427
 * Caroline Library, 17202 Richmond Turnpike, Bowling Green, VA 22427
 * Historic Port Royal (historical society)
 * Tidewater Genealogical Society

Caroline County Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Caroline County (Geography of Virginia)
 * Caroline County Genealogy (Yahoo Group)
 * Caroline County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * Caroline County Genealogy Queries (Cousin Connect)
 * Caroline County Information (Home Town Locator)
 * Caroline County, Virginia GenWeb (VA GenWeb)
 * Caroline County, Virginia U.S. GenWeb Archives Project (different from Caroline County GenWeb, above)
 * National Register of Historic Places Listings in Caroline County, Virginia (Wikipedia)
 * Profile for Caroline County, Virginia (includes information of direct genealogical relevance; ePodunk)
 * Welcome to Caroline County, Virginia (official county site)
 * Fredericksburg Family History Center
 * Cyndi's List
 * North Carolina Pioneers ($)
 * North Carolina Pioneers ($)