Wayne County, North Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Wayne County, North Carolina ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
Wayne County Courthouse 215 S William Street P O Box 267 Goldsboro, NC 27530-4824 Phone: 919-731-1449 Register of Deeds has birth, marriage, death burial and land records Clerk Superior Courth has divoce, probate and court records

Register of Deeds 224-226 E. Walnut Street Goldsboro, NC 27533 Phone: 919-731-1440 Fax: 919-731-1441 Website

Clerk Superior Court 224 E Walnut Street Goldsboro, NC 27530 Phone: (919) 722-6100

History


The county is named after Revolutionary War General "Mad" Anthony Wayne (1745-1796).

Parent County
1779--Wayne County was created from Dobbs County. Dobbs County was abolished in 1791. County seat: Goldsboro

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating North Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation North Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1664-1965) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1781-- Fire burned courthouse, small record loss.

Neighboring Counties

 * Duplin
 * Greene
 * Johnston
 * Lenoir
 * Sampson
 * Wilson

Baptist

 * Black Creek. Established by 1783.
 * Falling Creek. Constituted 1778.
 * Naughunty. Constituted 1791.
 * Norhunty Swamp. Constituted 1789.
 * Pleasant Plains. Established by 1808.

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


 * Goldsboro
 * Mount Olive

Revolutionary War

 * 1779 - 1782 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and 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)
 * 1885 - 1953 - at FamilySearch — images


 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 4th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 13th Battalion, North Carolina Infantry, Company C
 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Artillery 10th Regiment Volunteers-1st Artillery, Company F
 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Cavalry, Company H
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, 2nd Company C
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company D
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company H
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company A
 * - 4th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company D
 * - 8th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Captain James M Garner's Company
 * - 8th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry (Partisan Rangers), 4th Company

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battles were fought in Wayne County:


 * March 23-April 26, 1862 = Goldsborough Bridge
 * December 16, 1862 = White Hall, also known as Whitehall or White Hall Ferry


 * Map showing Civil War battles in North Carolina.

World War I

 * 1917 - 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * 1940 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1660 - 1790 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1663 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1665 - 1998 - North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1735 - 1970 - at FamilySearch.org — images
 * 1760 - 1800 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry.com — index and images


 * Pre-1790  - Pre-1790  Wills stored at the North Carolina State Archives are online - free. Website tips.
 * 1773 - 1957 - have been digitized by FamilySearch - free.

Vital Records

 * Wayne County Vital Records includes a number of birth, marriage, and death records collections. It is free.

Births Records

 * 1800 - 2000 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1866 - 1964 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1891 - 1914 - Wayne County Birth Index 1891-1914. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * Wayne County Vital Records - NCGenWeb

Death Records

 * 1898 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1906 - 1930 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1908 - 2004 - North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1909 - 1975 - North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1931 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * Wayne County Vital Records - NCGenWeb

Divorce Records

 * 1958 - 2004 - North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage Records

 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1759 - 1979 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1762 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1763 - 1868 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1867 - 1936 - Wayne County Marriage Index 1867-1936 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * Wayne County Vital Records - NCGenWeb

Societies and Libraries
Wayne County Historical Association 116 N William St. Goldsboro, NC 27530

Old Dobbs County Genealogical Society PO Box 617 Goldsboro, NC 27533 Website

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Goldsboro North Carolina Family History Center

Websites

 * Wayne County, NC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.