Vance County, North Carolina Genealogy

United States   North Carolina    Vance County

History
The county was formed in 1881 from parts of Franklin County, Granville County, and Warren County. According to the 1955 book, Zeb's Black Baby, by Samuel Thomas Peace Sr., "The formation of Vance County was accomplished largely as a political expediency. It was in 1881 when Blacks in large numbers were voting solidly Republican. Granville and Franklin Counties were nip and tuck, Democratic or Republican. From the Democratic standpoint, Warren County was hopelessly Republican. But by taking from Granville, Franklin and Warren, those sections that were heavily Republican and out of these sections forming the new county of Vance, the Democratic party could lose Vance to the Republicans and save Granville and Franklin for the Democrats (see gerrymandering). [U.S.] Senator [Zebulon Baird] Vance was a Democrat. He took kindly to this move and thanked the [North Carolina] Legislature for honoring him with naming the new county after him. At the same time Vance showed his humor by always referring to Vance County as 'Zeb's Black Baby.' In the 1890 Census, Vance County was more than 63 percent African American.

• Formation and Naming of Vance County

• Vance County Quick Facts

• Henderson in the 1920s

Parent County
1881--Vance County was created from Granville, Warren, and Franklin Counties. County seat: Henderson

Populated Places

 * History of Vance County Townships

Neighboring Counties

 * Franklin
 * Granville
 * Mecklenburg County, Virginia
 * Warren

Cemeteries

 * Vance County USGenWeb Archives: Cemeteries


 * Vance County Cemeteries from Cemetery Census
 * Plank Chapel Cemetery
 * Vance County Cemeteries from Find-A-Grave
 * Kittrell Confederate Cemetery
 * NC Vance: Cemeteries

Church

 * St. John's Episcopal Church - historical church building completed in 1773

Court
Vance County's Court system is the District 9 jurisdiction. More information about their Court system can be found on their website. Vance County District Court 156 Church St., Suite 101 Henderson, NC 27536 252-738-9000

Land
The Vance County Register of Deeds maintains land records back to the formation of the County in 1881. You will want to contact them for more details on how to obtain copies of these records. Vance County Register of Deeds 122 Young Street, Suite F Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-738-2110

There is a searchable online database for land records dating back to 1881 available here:

Land Records

Local Histories

 * Life in Henderson in the 1920s, by Frances Parker Woodlief
 * Historical Family Collections
 * Vance County from National Register of Historical Places
 * Faulkners of Sandy Creek
 * The Reavis Family of Vance County
 * Ealie Grissom Family of Kittrell

Maps

 * North Carolina Maps, collaborative digitization project by the North Carolina State Archives, the Outer Banks History Center, and the University Library at UNC-Chapel Hill.
 * NC Vance: Maps

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

The following sites have Vance County military pages:


 * 1890 Vance County Veterans Schedule
 * World War II Vance County Casualties

Newspapers
The Daily Dispatch (Henderson, NC)

Probate
Wills and Estate Records are maintained by the County Clerk of the Superior Court. Copies may be obtained by contacting their office at the following:

Vance County Clerk of the Court 156 Church St., Suite 101 Henderson, NC 27536 252-738-9000

The following online sites have indexed lists of the Will Books:


 * Index to Will Book A, 1881-1916
 * Index to Will Book B, 1904-1916

Vance County Probate Records Images are available for browsing here

Vital Records
Vance County has a number of marriage records missing, reason unknown. They have Marriage Registers that cover 1881-1962; Marriage Licenses for 1897, 1902, 1911-1968; there is an Index to the Marriage Register, 1963-1969.

North Carolina began requiring Birth and Death records in 1913; there are a number of Delayed Birth Certificates that were filed by those born prior to that date, and there are a few Death Certificates that go back as far as 1909.

Copies of Birth, Death and Marriage records can be obtained from the Register of Deeds office.

Vance County Register of Deeds          122 Young Street, Suite F           Henderson, NC 27536           Phone: 252-738-2110

There are Birth or Marriage records for Vance County on a few places online, the following databases are free:


 * North Carolina Marriages 1759-1979
 * Vance County Marriages 1900-1929 (currently A-K)
 * Vance County USGenWeb Archives-Marriages
 * Vance County Birth Index Prior to 1920 (currently A-G)
 * Vance County Marriage Register 1881-1898 (currently A-F)

Societies and Libraries
Vance County has an active Historical Society and a new Genealogical Society which is an offshoot of the Historical Society.

H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

 * Vance County, NCGenWeb
 * Vance County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Vance County History &amp; Genealogy
 * Vance County Government
 * City of Henderson (Vance County seat of government)
 * City of Henderson (Vance County seat of government)