Rockingham County, North Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Rockingham County, North Carolina ancestry, family history, and genealogy 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.

Rockingham County, North Carolina Courthouse
Rockingham County Courthouse 371 NC 65 #212 PO Box 56 Wentworth, NC 27375 Phone: 336-342-8820

Courthouse burned 1906 Register of Deeds has marriage records from 1868 Birth and Death records from 1913 Clerk Superio Court has Probate records from 1804; Has marriage records 1741-1868

Register of Deeds P.O. Box 56, Wentworth, NC 27375 Phone: 336-342-8820 Fax: 336-342-6209 Website

Clerk Superior Court P.O. Box 127 Wentworth, NC 27375-0127 Phone: (336) 634-6000

Rockingham County, North Carolina History
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.

Parent County
1785--Rockingham was from Guilford County. County seat: Wentworth

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
Some of the court records are missing.

Neighboring Counties

 * Alamance
 * Caswell
 * Forsyth
 * Guilford
 * Henry County, Virginia
 * Pittsylvania County, Virginia
 * Stokes

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Rockingham County Cemeteries

Baptist

 * Haw River. Constituted 1793.
 * Matrimony Creek. Constituted 1780. Church membership lists and minutes (1776-1814) are available online, with an index at the end: online.
 * Wolf Island. Constituted 1777.

Presbyterian

 * Speedwell Church, near Reidsville, N.C. Organized about 1759.

County Records

 * 1833-1970 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Court
Rockingham County Courthouse 1086 NC Highway 65 Wentworth, NC 27375-0127

Mail Address: P. O. Box 127 Wentworth, NC 27375-0127

Phone: (336) 342-8700

The following sites have copies of transcribed Court Records:


 * Rockingham County Court Records

Education

 * Rockingham Community College Yearbooks: 1967-1976

Maps

 * 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

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 — 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 — index and images

World War II

 * 1940 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Obituaries

 * Rockingham County Obituaries

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
 * 1804 - 1829 - Images of Wills and Estates. North Carolina Pioneers ($)

The Rockingham County Clerk of Superior Court's office employs 29 Assistant and Deputy Clerks with over 325 years of combined service. The office is divided into five separate divisions, each of which is administered by an Assistant Clerk. While it is a function of the Office of the Clerk of Superior Court to serve the public in connection with legal matters, employees of the Clerks Office cannot give legal advice. Nonetheless, it is the goal of the Office of Clerk of Superior Court to be as helpful as possible to all persons seeking its services.

The Clerks office is open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The mailing address is P. O. Box 127, 1086 Hwy 65 Wentworth, NC 27375. The telephone number is (336) 342-8700. Payment methods acceptable are cash, money order or cashiers check when paid in person and money order or cashiers check when paid by mail.

The Clerk of the Superior Court has copies of wills, estate records and all records associated with the administration of estates starting from 1772.


 * Pre-1790  - Pre-1790  Wills stored at the North Carolina State Archives are online - free. Website tips.
 * 1785 - 1965 - have been digitized by FamilySearch - free.

The following sites have transcribed copies of Probate Records, some including Wills &amp; Estates:


 * Rockingham County Wills &amp; Estates USGenWeb Archives

Research Guides

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

Taxation

 * 1815 - Tax Lists, Rockingham County, 1815 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections

Birth Records

 * 1800 - 2000 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1861 - 1892 - Dr. Simpsons Birth Books, Rockingham County, NC NCGenWeb Project
 * 1866 - 1964 - at FamilySearch.org — index

Marriage Records

 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1790 - 1965 - Rockingham County Marriage Index 1790-1965 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * Rockingham County Marriages
 * 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

Divorce Records

 * 1926 - 1975 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1958 - 2004 - North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $

Deaths

 * 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

Societies and Libraries
Richmond Co. Genealogical Society PO Box 1763 Rockingham NC 28380 Website

Rockingham County Historical Society PO Box 84 Wentworth 27375 Website

Rockingham-stokes Counties Genealogical Society PO Box 152 Mayodan 27027

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


 * Bassett Historical Center, Bassett, Virginia. Website includes descriptions of collections. Excellent 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.

Family History Centers

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

Rockingham County, North Carolina Genealogy Websites

 * Rockingham 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.
 * Rockingham County, NCGenWeb
 * Rockingham County, NCGenWeb Archives
 * Rockingham County, NCGenWeb Archives