Essex County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
Essex County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named either for the shire or county in England or for the Duke of Essex.

Essex County Virginia Courthouse
Essex County Courthouse P. O. Box 445 Tappahannock, Virginia 22560 Phone: 804-443-3541

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1814, divorce and land records from 1865, probate records from 1656 and court records from 1692.

Essex County Courthouse is the repository for seventeenth-century records of Old Rappahannock County, Virginia.

Parent County
1692 Essex County was created 16 April 1692 from Rappahannock (old) County. County seat: Tappahannock

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
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.


 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

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

If you are researching families who lived in Essex County, Virginia between the 1690s and 1750s, the Sparacios' books are a great time saver. They comprehensively index several publications covering that period:


 * Surname Index of Antient Press Publications. 1993. By Ruth Trickey Sparacio and Sam Sparacio. 14+ vols. McLean, VA : R. S. Sparacio, Antient Press. 975.5 P22s v. 1-2.

Research Guides

 * Records of Tidewater Virginia Counties. By Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis. Tidewater Virginia Families: A Magazine of History and Genealogy, Vol. 1, No. 2 (May-June 1992):53-66. 975.51 D25t. For Essex County, see p. 57

African American
Freedmen's Bureau Letters or Correspondence, 1865-18721

The original Register of Free Negroes, 1810-1861 for Essex County is kept at the County Courthouse. It has been microfilmed by the Library of Virginia 1929922 Item 6, 1929923 Item 1, and abstracted:


 * Register of Free Blacks, 1810-1843, Essex County. By Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis. Tidewater Virginia Families: A Magazine of History and Genealogy, Vol. 8, No. 3 (November/December 1999):179-187; Vol. 8, No. 4 (February/March 2000):247-251; Vol. 9, No. 1 (May/June 2000):50-55; Vol. 9, No. 2 (August/September 2000):118-121; Vol. 9, No. 3 (November/December 2000):188-191. 975.51 D25t.

Additional Essex County African American resources include:


 * Essex County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1819. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
 * Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. c2005. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans; . Adams, Ailstock, Armfield, Atkins, Barton, Black, Bond, Bowden, Braxton, Breedlove (see introduction), Brooks, Bunday, Bush, Byrd, Cambridge (see introduction), Chandler, Clark, Cook, Day, Ellis, Fortune, Fry, Goings, Goldman, Gregory, Haithcock, Halestock, Hays, Hollinger, Jones, Kee, Lantor, Lawrence, Lawson, McCoy, McGuy, Mann, Mason, Meggs, Nickens, Rollins, Sampson, Simmons, Soleleather, Taylor, Twopence, Webb, Whistler, and Wilson families in pre-1820 Essex County, Virginia.
 * Uprooted and Transplanted : From Africa to America : Focus on African-Americans in Essex County, Virginia : Oppressions, Achievements, Contributions, The 1600s-1900s. 1999. By Lillian H. McGuire. New York, NY : Vantage Press..

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 - at FamilySearch — index

Census
1783 Enumeration


 * Essex County Heads of Families - 1783 at U.S. Census Bureau. County begins on page 51.

1890 Union Veterans


 * Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. c1994. By Ronald Ray Turner. Online at: Prince William County Virginia, ;.

Church of England
See also North Farnham Parish See also Piscataway Parish  See also St. Anne's Parish  See also St. George's Parish  See also St. Mary's Parish  See also Sittenburne Parish  See also South Farnham Parish

Court

 * Essex County, Virginia, records, 1717-1722 : deeds, etc., no. 16, 1718-1721, wills, inventoires and settlements of estates, no. 3, 1717-1722. c1959. By John Frederick Dorman. Online at: FamilySearch Books Online.

County Court
Most Essex County, Virginia County Court Order Books have survived (starting in 1692). They have been abstracted from 1692 to 1729.

Superior Court of Chancery
The Superior Court of Chancery of Fredericksburg (1802-1831) had jurisdiction over certain Essex 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.]

Genealogy
More than 400 genealogies have been published about Essex County families. To view a list, visit Essex County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies.

Historic Residences

 * Old Homes of Essex County. c1940, 1957. By Woman's Club of Essex County (Virginia). n.p.: Woman's Club of Essex County Virginia. Available at.

Immigration
Tappahannock, also known as Hobb's Hole, has been a port since colonial times. No official passenger lists survive for the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries.


 * 1769 Passenger List of Charming Molly Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. 2007. By Coldham, Peter Wilson. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Includes wills of residents of Clydeside and Essex County proved in London. Land in Tappahannock is also mentioned. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.

Land and Property
Deeds


 * Essex County Records, 1703-1706. 1961. By Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Pub. Co. ; online at: Ancestry ($).
 * Essex County Records, 1711-1714. 1961. By Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Pub. Co. ; online at: Ancestry ($).
 * Essex County Wills and Deeds, 1714-1717. 1961. By Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Pub. Co. ; online at: Ancestry ($).

Grants and Patents


 * Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants 1694-1742. 1987. By Gertrude E. Gray. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Vol. I. Available at.

Local Histories

 * Essex Institute Historical Collections. 1859. By Essex Historical Society. Salem, MA : n.p. Vol 1. Online at: Internet Archive.
 * Essex Institute Historical Collections. 1862. By Essex Historical Society. Salem, MA : G.M. Whipple & A.A. Smith. Vol 4. Online at: Internet Archive.

https://archive.org/details/essexinstituteh05instgoog/page/n5 Internet Archive].
 * Essex Institute Historical Collections. 1878. By Essex Historical Society. Salem, MA : n.p. Vol 14. Online at: Internet Archive.
 * Essex Institute Historical Collections. 1885. By Essex Historical Society. Salem, MA : n.p. Vol 22. Online at:
 * Essex Institute Historical Collections. 1907. By Essex Historical Society. Salem, MA : n.p. Vol 43. Online at: Internet Archive.
 * Essex Institute Historical Collections. 1916. By Essex Historical Society. Salem, MA : n.p. Vol 52. Online at: Internet Archive.
 * History of Old Rappanhannock County, Virginia, 1656-1692: With Introduction, 1608-1656, Including the Present Counties of Essex and Richmond and Parts of Westmoreland, King George, Stafford, Caroline and Spotsylvania Counties. 1965. By Thomas Hoskins Warner. Tappahannock, Virginia : P.P. Warner. Available at.
 * Settlers, Southerners, Americans: The History of Essex County, Virginia, 1608-1984. c1985 (1998). By James B. Slaughter. n.p.: Essex County Board of Supervisors. Available at.

Migration

 * Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790. By Robert Y. Clay. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at ; online at: American Ancestors ($) These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Essex County's 1788-1789 Delinquent Lists appear on pp. 169-170.

Colonial Militia

 * Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. By Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck. 1988. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co..
 * Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. By William Armstrong Crozier. 1954. Baltimore : Southern Book Co. Online at: Internet Archive, Hathitrust, Ancestry ($);.

French and Indian War

 * Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. By William F. Boogher. 2007. Baltimore : Genealogical Pub. Co. Online 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 Essex County, see p. 75.
 * Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. By William Armstrong Crozier. 1954. Baltimore : Southern Book Co. Online at: Internet Archive, Hathitrust, Ancestry ($);.
 * Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. By Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck. 1988. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co..

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


 * - 7th Virginia Regiment

Additional resources:


 * 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. Washington : Blair and Rives. Online at: Internet Archive, Google Books; . See Virginia, Eastern District, Essex County on page 130.
 * Essex Militia [1781]. The Researcher: A Magazine of History and Genealogical Exchange. By Robert Armistead Stewart. Vol. 1, No. 4;(Jul. 1927):237. . Taken from Auditor's Public Claim Papers, Virginia State Archives.

War of 1812
Essex County men served in the 6th Regiment.


 * 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... 1883. Washington, D.C : Government Printing Office. Online at: Internet Archive, Google Books. See Vol. 5, Virginia, Essex County, pp. 77-78.

Civil War

 * - 9th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company F (Essex Light Dragoons).
 * - 9th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (Essex Light Dragoons).
 * - 47th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company H (1st) (Essex Sharpshooters) and Company I (1st) (Essex Grays).
 * - 55th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies A (Essex Artillery), D (Essex Davis Rifles), F (Essex Sharpshooters), G (Essex Grays).

Records and histories are available, including:


 * 1861-1865
 * 1861-1865
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization
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.

Occupations

 * The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. By George Barton Cutten. 1952. Richmond, Virginia : The Dietz Press, Incorporated. Online at: Hathitrust; . Includes a section on Essex County (Ephesus Springs) silversmiths.

Private Papers

 * Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1692-1799;1717-2171;1722-30;1775-1792 - Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories etc. Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1692-1695 Images of Orders. Deeds, Wills (with index). Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1695-1699 Wills and Estates. Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1717-1720 Wills and Estates. Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1722-1730 Wills and Estates. Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * Images of Wills, Estates, Orders 1692-95; Images of Wills & Estates 1695-99; 1717-20; 1722-1730; 1775-1785; 1786-1792. Virginia Pioneers ($)

Local Courts


 * Essex County Records, 1703-1706. 1961. By Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Pub. Co. ; online at: Ancestry ($).
 * Essex County Records, 1711-1714. 1961. By Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Pub. Co. ; online at: Ancestry ($).
 * Essex County Wills and Deeds, 1714-1717. 1961. By Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Pub. Co. ; online at: Ancestry ($).
 * Wills of Rappahannock County, Virginia 1656-1692. 1947. By William Montgomery Sweeny. Lynchburg, Virginia : Mrs. W.M. Sweeny.  Online at: FamilySearch Books Online.

London Courts


 * North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. 2007. By Coldham, Peter Wilson. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Includes wills of residents of Clydeside and Essex County proved in London. Land in Tappahannock is also mentioned. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.

Online Probate Records


 * 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry ($)

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?

The original Essex County Personal Property Tax Lists are kept at the Library of Virginia. Microfilm copies for the years 1782 to 1852 are available at the Family History Library:.

Published abstracts:


 * 1704 Virginia Quit Rent Rolls, 1704. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 28 (1920):207-218, 328-339; Vol. 29 (1921):18-28, 337-343, 402-412; Vol. 30 (1922):21-30, 280-285, 341-347; Vol. 31 (1923):70-75, 153-163, 215-231, 314-318; Vol. 32 (1924):69-75, 144-158, 281-287, 338-343; Vol. 33 (1925):47-50, 359-370; Vol. 34 (1926):113-119, 252-258, 313, 321. Available at ; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at ; digital version of VMHB at JSTOR($). Essex County appears in 33:359-370. "Thomas Leftwitch in Essex" appears on the King and Queen County list, see 32:151.
 * 1704 Essex County: An Annotated Copy of the Rent Roll of 1704. By John Bailey Calvert Nicklin. William and Mary College Quarterly, 2nd Series, Vol. 21(1941):397-405. Available at ; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at ; digital version of W&MQ at JSTOR ($).
 * 1715 Quit Rent Roll of 1715 - Essex County, Va. By John Bailey Calver Nicklin. William and Mary College Quarterly, 2nd Series, Vol. 18 (1938):203-206. Available at ; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * 1715 Quit Rents Rolls online at Genealogy Trails.
 * 1741 True and Exact Poll of the Election of Burgesses, Essex County, Va., November 20, 1741. 1983. By William Montgomery Sweeny. William and Mary College Quarterly, 2nd Series, Vol. 22(1942):54-60. Available at ; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Available at ; online at JSTOR ($).
 * 1782-1819 Essex County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1819. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans, Binns Genealogy ($).
 * 1783 Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783. Online at: Revolutionary War Service.
 * 1787 The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. By Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florene Speakman Love. c1987. Springfield, Virginia : Genealogical Books in Print. . Essex County is included in Vol. 2.
 * 1788-1789 Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790. By Robert Y. Clay. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($). These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Essex County's 1788-1789 Delinquent Lists appear on pp. 169-170.
 * 1790, 1800 Indexed images of the 1790 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Essex County, Virginia are available online at: Binns Genealogy ($).
 * 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). By Roger D. Ward. c1997. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co. Online at: FHL. . The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Essex County is included in Vol. 3.

Birth

 * 1853-1916 Essex County Birth Index 1853-1916. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage

 * 1655-1900 Index to Marriages of Old Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia, 1655-1900. 1953. By Eva Eubank Wilkerson. Richmond, VA : Clearfield Co. Online at: FamilySearch Books Online, Ancestry ($); 1983 reprint available at.
 * 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 Ancestry ($).
 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($).
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 Ancestry ($).
 * 1804-1921 Essex County Marriage Index 1804-1921. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1851-1900 Virginia Marriages 1851-1900 Ancestry ($).
 * 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1853-1916 Essex County Death Index 1853-1916. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — index and images

Essex County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * Tidewater Genealogical Society
 * Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical &amp; Historical Society

Family History Centers

 * Tappahannock Virginia Family History Center

Essex County Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Essex County, Virginia USGENWEB
 * Essex County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * "Northern Neck," Wikipedia.
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: VA-NORTHERN-NECK-L
 * Cyndi's List
 * Cyndi's List