Hanover County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Hanover County Virginia Courthouse


Hanover County Courthouse P O Box 470 Hanover, Virginia 23069 Phone: 804-365-6151

Clerk of the circuit court has marriage, divorce, probate, land and court records from 1865

Hanover County Virginia History


The county is named after the Electorate of Hanover in what is today Germany, as King George I of Great Britain (1660-1727) held the title Elector of Hanover at the time of the county's organization.

Parent County
1720--Hanover County was created 2 November 1720 from New Kent County. County seat: Hanover

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.

Variant Spellings

 * Hannover

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

Most county court records, particularly deeds, wills, and marriage records, were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865. Circuit Court records are relatively unscathed leaving common law papers and chancery papers after 1831 generated by the Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery, and the later Circuit Court. The Hanover County, Virginia Record Loss page provides further details.

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..

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 Hanover County, see p. 58]

African American
In 1790, Hanover County had one of the largest slave populations in the state (8223 slaves).

Freedmen's

"Hanover County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1815," ''Free African Americans.com. ''[Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]

Census
1782 Enumeration


 * Hanover County Heads of Families - 1782 at U.S. Census Bureau - free. County begins on page 27.

1890 Union Veterans


 * "Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890." Prince William County Virginia, by Ronald Ray Turner.    Includes residents of this county.

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Black Creek (1777)
 * 2) Chickahominy aka Chickahoming (1776). Lists of male members (1812-1826) have been published: Hanover County Historical Society Bulletin, Issue 39 (Nov. 1988).
 * 3) Hopeful (1807)

Hanover County fell within the bounds of the Dover Association.

Church of England
See also St. Martin's Parish See also St. Paul's Parish

Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Hanover County is available online.


 * Mason, George Carrington. "The Colonial Churches of New Kent and Hanover Counties, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 53, No. 4 (Oct., 1945):243-264. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).

Presbyterian

 * Rachael, William M.E. "Early Minutes of Hanover Presbytery," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 63, No. 1 (Jan., 1955):53-75; Vol. 63, No. 2 (Apr. 1955):161-185. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). [The Hanover Presbytery covered Virginia.]

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):


 * Beaver Dam Monthly Meeting (1755-1783)


 * Cedar Creek Monthly Meeting (1721-1860). Attended by "Friends living in the counties of Albemarle, Amelia, Bedford, Campbell, Caroline, Charles City (part), Goochland, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Louisa and Orange counties and Richmond City."


 * In 1905, Bell published the early minutes, which are now available online for free at - free and Google Books - free. Hinshaw also published these records: . Brewer also published records from 1739 to 1793:.
 * Meyer's history, available on JSTOR ($), was published in 1956 (for a hard copy, see: ). The old building burned in 1904. Meyer includes a drawing of the church building and a map pinpointing the location where it stood.


 * Pisquinoqy Swamp Monthly Meeting (1719-1775) aka Grassy Swamp aka Swamp

Court
Chancery Court


 * Indexes and images to Hanover County, Virginia Chancery Records 1831-1913 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.
 * Cocke, William Ronald. Hanover County Chancery Wills and Notes. A Compendium of Genealogical, Biographical and Historical Material as Contained in Cases of the Chancery Suits of Hanover County, Virginia. Columbia, Va.: W.R. Cocke, 1940. Available at ; digital version at . Reviewed by John M. Jennings in The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct., 1940):575-576. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). Reviewed by R.A. Stewart in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Jul., 1940):284. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).

County Court


 * "Records of Hanover County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jul., 1912):47-63; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jan., 1913):143-162; Vol. 22, No. 2 (Oct. 1913):114-130; Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jan. 1914):169-174; Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jul. 1914):21-30; Vol. 23, No. 2 (Oct. 1914):117-126. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). ["There are only two old books in the Clerk's Office of Hanover county, Va. The oldest, designated the 'Small Book' in these notes, covers the years 1734 and 1735, and contains orders, wills, deeds, etc. The other, 'The Larger Book' of these notes, is a deed book for 1780-1790." (21:47)]

Genealogy
More than 250 genealogies have been published about Hanover County families. To view a list, visit Hanover County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies.

Immigration

 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of York River and Hanover County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
 * [http://www.pricegen.com/immigrantservants/search/simple.php/search/advancedResults.php?surname=&givenName=&varientSurnameSpellings=&gender=&dateOfBirthDay=&dateOfBirthMonth=&dateOfBirthQuantifier=&dateOfBirthYear=&placeOfBirthParish=&placeOfBirthTown=&placeOfBirthCity=&placeOfBirthCounty=&placeOfBirthColony=&placeOfBirthNation=&occupations=&religions=&orphan=&familyPosition=&immigrationYearQualifier=&immigrationYear=&portOfDepartureTown=&portOfDepartureCity=&portOfDepartureCounty=&portOfDepartureNation=&placeOfArrivalTown=&placeOfArrivalCounty=&placeOfArrivalColony=&shipName=&convict=&yearOfIndentureQualifier=&yearOfIndenture=&lengthOfIndentureYears=&lengthOfIndentureMonths=&yearOfFreedomQualifier=&yearOfFreedom=&placeOfIndentureTown=&placeOfIndentureCity=&placeOfIndentureCounty=Hanover&placeOfIndentureColony=Virginia&agentSurname=&agentGivenName=&agentTitle=&masterSurname=&masterGivenName=&masterTitle=&residenceParish=&residenceTown=&residenceCity=&residenceCounty=&residenceColony=&residenceNation=&landowner=&literate=&spouseSurname=&spouseGivenName=&spouseMarriageDateDay=&spouseMarriageDateMonth=&spouseMarriageDateQualifier=&spouseMarriageDateYear=&spouseMarriageLocationParish=&spouseMarriageLocationCounty=&spouseMarriageLocationColony=&spouseMarriageLocationNation=&deathDateDay=&deathDateMonth=&deathDateQualifier=&deathDateYear=&deathLocality=&deathCounty=&deathColony=&deathState=&testate=&proofServantStatus=&proofConvictStatus=&headright=&preServitudeSources=&postServitudeSources=&comments=&family=&sourceCitations=&interestedResearchers= List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe] who served labor terms in Colonial Hanover County, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.

Land and Property
Deeds


 * "Records of Hanover County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jul., 1912):47-63; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jan., 1913):143-162; Vol. 22, No. 2 (Oct. 1913):114-130; Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jan. 1914):169-174; Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jul. 1914):21-30; Vol. 23, No. 2 (Oct. 1914):117-126. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). ["There are only two old books in the Clerk's Office of Hanover county, Va. The oldest, designated the 'Small Book' in these notes, covers the years 1734 and 1735, and contains orders, wills, deeds, etc. The other, 'The Larger Book' of these notes, is a deed book for 1780-1790." (21:47)]

Grants and Patents


 * Sullivan and Hudgins. 451 patents dated 1653-1819 in what is now Hanover County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2008. [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

 * Lancaster, Robert Bolling. A Sketch of the Early History of Hanover County, Virginia, and Its Large and Important Contributions to the American Revolution. Richmond, Va.: Whittet and Shepperson for the Bicentennial Committee for Hanover County, 1976. Reviewed by W. Alexander Mabry in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 85, No. 1 (Jan., 1977):110-111. Review available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1977):287-292. Available at ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Hanover County's 1788-1789 Delinquent Lists appear on pp. 290-291.]
 * Glazebrook, Eugenia G. and Preston G. Glazebrook. Virginia Migrations. Hanover Co. Vol. I. 1723-1850. Wills, Deeds, Depositions, Invoices, Letters and other Documents. Richmond, Va. Reviewed by Beverley Fleet in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 52, No. 2 (Apr., 1944):161-162. Review available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Hanover 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 Hanover County, see pp. 86-87, 111.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at ; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Hanover County militia officers; see place name index.]

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


 * - 5th Virginia Regiment
 * - 14th Virginia Regiment (1st Company, possibly 6th Company)

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. Digital version at Google Books. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Hanover County on page 131.]
 * 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.]

War of 1812
Hanover County men served in the 74th Regiment.


 * Douthat, James L. Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2007. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. 975.5 M2djL. [Includes Hanover County.]
 * 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. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Hanover County, p. 83. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

 * - 4th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate)
 * - 15th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C (Patrick Henry Rifles), Company E (Ashland Grays), and Company I (Hanover Grays).
 * - 44th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company D (Ambler Grays).
 * - 56th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company K (Harrison's Guards).

Records and histories are available, including:


 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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)

Civil War Battles
The following Civil War battles were fought in Hanover County.


 * May 27, 1862 = Hanover Court House, also known as Slash Church
 * June 26, 1862 = Beaver Dam Creek, also known as Mechanicsville and Ellerson’s Mill
 * June 27, 1862 = Gaines’ Mill, also known as First Cold Harbor
 * 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)
 * May 28-30, 1864 = Totopotomoy Creek, also known as Bethesda Church, Crumps Creek, Matadequin Creek, Shady Grove Road or Hanovertown
 * May 28, 1864 = Haw’s Shop, also known as Enon Church
 * May 30, 1864 = Old Church, also known as Matadequin Creek
 * May 31-June 12, 1864 = Cold Harbor, also known as Second Cold Harbor


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

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
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 Hanover silversmiths.]

Private Papers

 * Virginia,

Probate Records
Local Court


 * "Records of Hanover County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jul., 1912):47-63; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jan., 1913):143-162; Vol. 22, No. 2 (Oct. 1913):114-130; Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jan. 1914):169-174; Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jul. 1914):21-30; Vol. 23, No. 2 (Oct. 1914):117-126. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). ["There are only two old books in the Clerk's Office of Hanover county, Va. The oldest, designated the 'Small Book' in these notes, covers the years 1734 and 1735, and contains orders, wills, deeds, etc. The other, 'The Larger Book' of these notes, is a deed book for 1780-1790." (21:47)]

London Courts


 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of York River and Hanover County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

Original Wills


 * Bazile, Leon M. "The Wills of the Reverend Patrick Henry [dated and proved in 1777] and Walter Coles [dated and proved in 1815] of Hanover County, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 58, No. 1 (Jan., 1950):120-130. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). [Source: certified copies of original wills.]
 * Cocke, William Ronald. Hanover County Chancery Wills and Notes. A Compendium of Genealogical, Biographical and Historical Material as Contained in Cases of the Chancery Suits of Hanover County, Virginia. Columbia, Va.: W.R. Cocke, 1940. Available at ; digital version at ; and World Vital Records ($). Reviewed by John M. Jennings in The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct., 1940):575-576. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). Reviewed by R.A. Stewart in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Jul., 1940):284. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Cole, Robert F. and Marguerite S. Parrish. "Will of William Fleming Sheriff of Hanover County, Virginia, 1727-1728," [dated 1742, proved 1744] The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Oct., 1935):424-427. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). [Found in Louisa Co., Va. Chancery Suit "McAllister versus Bibb, May, 1770," found in loose papers at the Louisa County Courthouse.]
 * Hopkins, William Lindsay. Some Wills from the Burned Counties of Virginia and Other Wills Not Listed in Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800. Richmond, Virginia: W.L. Hopkins, 1987. Available at . [Includes Hanover County.]
 * King, George H.S. "Will of George Hudson of Hanover County, Virginia," [dated 1770, proved 1773] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 66, No. 1 (Jan., 1958):85-87. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($). [King found this will among the Henry Clay Papers at the Library of Congress. Clay was Hudson's grandson.]
 * "Will of Robert Jennings, 1750," Typescript, Library of Virginia. Genealogical Notes [Collection] Box 6, Jen. Microfilmed.

Probate
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?

Original versions
Original Hanover County land tax lists are held at the Library of Virginia. Microfilm reproductions (years: 1782-1863):. Original Hanover County personal property tax lists are also held at the Library of Virginia. Microfilm reproductions (years: 1782-1863): ; (years: 1792-1828):

Published versions

 * [1753-1763] Coldham, Peter Wilson. "Rent Roll of Hanover County, Virginia, 1753-1763," The Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Spring 2000):71-80. [Discovered at The National Archives, Kew, England, Reference AO 13/30/110-129.]
 * [1763, 1770] Woodson, Robert F. and Isobel B. Woodson. Virginia Tithables from Burned Record Counties: Buckingham, 1773-1774; Gloucester, 1770-1771, 1774-1775; Hanover, 1763 and 1770; James City, 1768-1769; Stafford, 1768 and 1773. Richmond, Va.: I.B. Woodson, 1970.
 * [1782-1815] Heinegg, Paul. "Hanover County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1815," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [1782-1815] Cocke, William Ronald, III. Hanover County Taxpayers Saint Paul's Parish 1782-1815: A Register of Taxpayers, with Legends, Together with Individual Lists and Descriptions of Their Assessable Personal Property. 1956; reprint, Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000. Original edition: ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Reviewed by Malcolm H. Harris in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 65, No. 1 (Jan., 1957):117-118. Review available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [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. [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Hanover County appears in Vol. 2.]
 * [1788-1789] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1977):287-292. ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Hanover County's 1788-1789 Delinquent Lists appear on pp. 290-291.]
 * [1789, 1799] Indexed images of the 1789 and 1799 Personal Property Tax Lists of Hanover County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1789, 1800] Indexed images of the 1789 and 1800 Land Tax Lists of Hanover County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, Saint Martin's Parish, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Jul. 1962). ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($).
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Jan. 1985); Vol. 29, No. 2 (Apr. 1985)..
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. . [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Hanover County is included in Vol. 1.]

Birth

 * 1853-1896 - Fridley, Beth, comp. Hanover County Virginia Birth Records, 1853-1896 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001. Available at Ancestry ($).

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 - Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1863-1897 - Hanover County Marriage Index 1863-1897. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Ljundstedt discovered a few early marriage licenses:


 * 1780-1781 - Ljundstedt, Milnor. "Hanover County, Virginia Marriage Licenses," [1780-1781] The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jan. 1926):78. Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).

Vital Record Substitutes
Early marriage registers have been lost. Yates, a professional genealogist, collected marriage data on residents of Hanover County, Virginia from a variety of substitute sources:


 * Yates, Helen Kay. Some Early Marriages of Hanover County, Virginia. Mechanicsville, Va., 2004.

Hanover County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * Central Virginia Genealogical Association
 * Tidewater Genealogical Society

Hanover County Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Hanover County, Virginia USGENWEB
 * Hanover County, Virginia Tax Records 1790, 1800
 * Hanover County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * Fold3 may have wills contributed by subscribers. For example see: Found proof that Pettus is the father of Burwell Chick