Rockingham County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Rockingham County is located in the north-central portion of North Carolina and shares a border with Virginia. It was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, Second Marquis of Rockingham, the British prime minister at the time of the repeal of the Stamp Act and a supporter of American independence.

County Courthouse
Rockingham County Courthouse 371 NC 65, #212 PO Box 56 Wentworth, NC 27375 Phone: 336-342-8820 Rockingham County Website Register of Deeds has marriage records from 1868, birth and death records from 1913. Clerk Superior Court has probate records from 1804, marriage records 1741-1868, and copies of wills and estate records starting from 1772.

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:

History Timeline
On December 29, 1785, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation that created Rockingham County from the northern half of the Guilford County. The assembly chose to name the new county for Charles Watson-Wentworth, second Marquess of Rockingham (1730-1782). Rockingham was a leading Whig and was Prime Minister of Britain from 1765 to 1766 and again in 1782. His popularity in America was assured when he secured repeal of the hated Stamp Act in 1766 and led the ministry that initiated negotiations to terminate the Revolutionary War. From 1768 to 1781 he had been the leading Parliamentary opponent of both the government's American policy and the war.

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Rockingham County Cemeteries

Church Records

 * 1700-1970 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Baptist
 * Haw River. Constituted 1793.
 * Matrimony Creek. Constituted 1780.
 * Wolf Island. Constituted 1777.

Presbyterian List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Speedwell Church, near Reidsville, N.C. Organized about 1759.
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * Rockingham County Court Records

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1862-1870   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1863-1872   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Eden-area
 * Ellisboro area
 * Madison
 * Mayfield
 * Midway area
 * Reidsville area
 * Stephens Crossroads
 * Stoneville area
 * Wentworth area
 * Williamsburg area
 * 1795 Carey Matthew Map
 * 1796 Carey Matthew Map
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War 
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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
 * 1885-1953  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images


 * - 13th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry formerly the 3rd Volunteers., Company H
 * - 13th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry formerly the 3rd Volunteers., Company I
 * - 13th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry formerly the 3rd Volunteers., Company K
 * - 14th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, formerly the 4th Volunteers, Company G
 * - 4th Battalion, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company D
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Cavalry (63rd Regiment Volunteers), Company D
 * - 7th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Captain George F Fisher's Company
 * - 7th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company F

World War I 
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II 
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC

Obituaries

 * Rockingham County Obituaries

Other Records
County Records
 * 1833-1970 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images. (incomplete)

Voter Registration
 * 1868-1898 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Records


 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
 * 1720-1960 - at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
 * 1785-1965   at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * Pre-1790 Pre-1790 Rockingham County, North Carolina Genealogy Wills (North Carolina State Archives)
 * 1804-1829 Images of Wills and Estates. North Carolina Pioneers $
 * Rockingham County Wills &amp; Estates (USGenWeb Archives)

School Records

 * Rockingham Community College Yearbooks: 1967-1976

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 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

 * 1815 Rockingham County Tax Lists, 1815 (North Carolina Digital Collections)

Vital Records

 * 1800-2000 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1861-1892 Dr. Simpsons Birth Books, Rockingham County, NC (NCGenWeb Project)
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
 * 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1759-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1790-1965 Rockingham County Marriage Index 1790-1965 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * Rockingham County Marriages

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Eden North Carolina Family History Center

Libraries

 * Madison-Mayodan Public Library 611 Burton Street Madison, NC 27025 Phone: 336-548-6553 Website

Societies

 * Richmond Co. Genealogical Society PO Box 1763 Rockingham, NC 28380 Website
 * Rockingham County Historical Society PO Box 84 Wentworth, NC 27375 Website
 * Rockingham-Stokes Counties Genealogical Society PO Box 152 Mayodan, NC 27027
 * Bassett Historical Center 3964 Fairystone Park Highway Bassett, VA 24055 Phone: 276-629-9191 Email: [mailto:baslib@hotmail.com baslib@hotmail.com] Website Resource for family history research in Henry, Patrick, Floyd, Franklin and Pittsylvania counties in Virginia; the city of Martinsville, Virginia; and Rockingham, Stokes and Surry counties in North Carolina.

Websites

 * USGenWeb Project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Rockingham County, NCGenWeb
 * Rockingham County, NCGenWeb 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.

Research Guides

 * Sweeney, Alice J. "Bassett Historical Center," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Aug. 2002):1-3. Available at ; Virginia Genealogical Society.