New Hanover County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
New Hanover County is located in the southeastern portion of North Carolina and was named in honor of England's King George I of the House of Hanover.

County Courthouse
New Hanover County Courthouse 3rd Princess Street, Rm 103 Wilmington, NC 28401-4090 Phone: 910-341-7125 New Hanover County Website Register of Deeds has birth, marriage, death and land records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records.

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:

Biographies

 * [Lewis] Lewis, J.D. My Neck of the Woods: The Lewis Families of Southeastern North Carolina and Northeastern South Carolina. Little River, S.C.: J.D. Lewis, 2002.

Church Records

 * 1700-1970 - at FamilySearch — index

Baptist
 * Black River. Established by 1758.

Church of England
 * St. James's Parish, Wilmington, N.C. Established 1729. Official website. Church records from 1737 to 1892 have been published. Baptisms 1754-1880 (Batch ) and Marriages 1811-1892 (Batch ) are included in the International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * St. Philip's Parish. Established by 1741.

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


 * Wilmington

Methodist List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * St. Stephen A.M.E. Church, Wilmington, N.C. Formed 1865. Served the African American community.
 * FamilySearch Places

Emigration and Immigration
Wilmington has been a port since colonial times.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African-American
 * Pine Forest Cemetery is a historical African American burial ground dating back to 1860 and the final resting place of many notable citizens. It is located on 15 acres in the city of Wilmington at the north end of 16th Street and Rankin. The Wilmington Journal published an article (May 2012) on the history of the cemetery with contact information for donations towards the preservation and upkeep of the cemetery. Search known burials and contribute information at Find A Grave. Learn more about Pine Forest Cemeteryfrom the Folk Art Society of America.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from New Hanover County for European settlers included:


 * Atlantic Ocean
 * King's Highway about 1704
 * Secondary Coast Road late 1730s
 * Fayetteville, Elizabethtown, and Wilmington Trail
 * Wilmington, Highpoint, and Northern Trail

Military Records
Revolutionary War 
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 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

Civil War Battles  The following Civil War battles were fought in New Hanover County:


 * December 7-27, 1864 Fort Fisher I
 * January 13-15, 1865 Fort Fisher II
 * February 12-22, 1865 Wilmington, also known as Fort Anderson, Town Creek, Forks Road, or Sugar Loaf Hill
 * Map showing Civil War battles in North Carolina.

World War I 
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch

World War II 
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch

Newspapers

 * North Carolina Newspaper Digitization Project, North Carolina State Archives. Search full text historical newspapers published in Wilmington.

Probate Records
Online Probate Records


 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
 * 1735-1970 Wills Index, Volumes 1–2, New Hanover at FamilySearch
 * 1735-1970 Wills Index,, New Hanover at FamilySearch
 * 1735-1970 Bonds, Volumes 1–17,, New Hanover at FamilySearch
 * 1735-1970 Wills Index, Volume 3, New Hanover at FamilySearch.
 * 1738-42; 1759-1769 Minutes of the Pleas and Quarter Session Court 1738-42; 1759-1769 and General Index. (contains estates, inventories, wills, deeds proved, administrators appointed, orphans, etc.) North Carolina Pioneers $
 * 1740-1760 Abstracts of Wills 1740-1760. North Carolina Pioneers $
 * 1747-1868 Images of Wills & Estates, Book C, 1747-1858; Book D, 1858-1868. North Carolina Pioneers $
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
 * 1790-1836 Images of Wills and Estates in Court of Common Pleas. North Carolina Pioneers $
 * 1827-1837 Images of Wills and Estates in Court of Common Pleas. North Carolina Pioneers $
 * Pre-1790 Pre-1790 New Hanover County, North Carolina Genealogy Wills (North Carolina State Archives)

Tax Records

 * 1755 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1755 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry $
 * 1755 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1755 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1755 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1755 (images) at FamilySearch
 * 1755 1755 New Hanover County, North Carolina Tax List 975.6 A1 no. 260
 * 1762 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1762 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry $
 * 1762 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1762 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1762 Lists of Taxables, New Hanover County, 1762 (images) at FamilySearch
 * 1763 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1763 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry $
 * 1763 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1763 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1765 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1765 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry $
 * 1765 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1765 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1767 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1767 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry $
 * 1767 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1767 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1782 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1782 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1815 Tax Lists, New Hanover County, 1815 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections

Vital Records

 * 1800-2000 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Search online public record databases of the New Hanover County Register of Deeds, including birth and death certificates, and marriage records.

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch — 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
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch
 * New Hanover County Vital Records (USGenWeb)

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Wilmington North Carolina Family History Center
 * Family History Centers are also located in Shallotte, Jacksonville, Kinston, and Myrtle Beach.

Libraries

 * New Hanover County Public Libraries Website
 * Main Library and Law Library 201 Chestnut Street Wilmington, NC 28401 Phone: 901-798-6301
 * Northeast Regional Library 1241 Military Cutoff Rd Wilmington, NC 28405 Phone: 910-798-6371
 * Myrtle Grove Library 5155 South College Rd Wilmington, NC 28412 Phone: 910-798-6391
 * Carolina Beach Library 300 Cape Fear Blvd Carolina Beach, NC 28428 Phone: 910-798-6385

Museums

 * African American Heritage Museum of Wilmington PO Box 968 Wilmington, NC 28402 Email: [mailto:info@aahfwilmington.org info@aahfwilmington.org] Website
 * Cape Fear Museum of History and Science 814 Market Street Wilmington, NC 28401 Phone: 910-798-4350 Fax: 910-798-4382 Website

Societies

 * Old New Hanover Genealogical Society PO Box 2536 Wilmington, NC 28402-2536 Email: [mailto:info@onhgs.org info@onhgs.org] Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * – 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.
 * North Carolina Pioneers $