Nelson County, Virginia Genealogy

United States   Virginia    Nelson County

County Courthouse
P.O. Box 10 84 Courthouse Square, 1st Floor Lovingston, VA 22949-0010

History


The county is named after [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nelson,_Jr. Virginia Governor Thomas Nelson] (1738-1789), a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Parent County
1807--Nelson County was created 25 December 1807 from Amherst County. County seat: Lovingston

Record Loss

 * Lost census: 1890

Neighboring Counties
Albemarle | Amherst | Appomattox | Augusta | Buckingham | Rockbridge

Cemeteries

 * Tombstone Transcription Project Nelson County- cemetery transcriptions - USGenWeb

Census
1890 Union Veterans


 * Turner, Ronald Ray. Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. Available online, courtesy: Prince William County Virginia website. [Includes residents of this county.]

Genealogy
More than 20 genealogies have been published about Nelson County families. To view a list, visit Nelson County, Virginia Genealogy.

Land
Grants and Patents


 * Bannister. 935 patents dated 1730-1861 in what is now Nelson County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2004. [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.]
 * Bannister. 971 patents dated 1738-1844 in what is now Amherst and Nelson Counties, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper. 2005. [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

 * Coincon, J.B. Colonial History of Nelson County, 1734-1807. Amherst, Va.: Amherst Publishing Co., Inc. Digital version at Family History Archives.

Revolutionary War

 * 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 versions at U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Nelson County on page 132.]
 * 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." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

War of 1812

 * 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 Nelson 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, Nelson County, pp. 91-92. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War
Nelson County men most often served in regiments (and companies) from their home county. At times, however, individuals and small groups can be found serving in regiments from neighboring counties. Later in the war, Confederate units often reorganized. -:Men from Nelson County served in the following regiments:

- 19th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate) - 49th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate) - 51st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate) - 56th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate) - 5th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate) - 8th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate) - Nelson Light Artillery, (Confederate)

Sources:


 * Pollard, Oliver A. Jr. Under the blue ledge, Nelson County, Virginia. Richmond: The Dietz Press, 1997.
 * Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies. New York: 1995
 * titled A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations 1861-1865

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 Lovington silversmiths.]

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at . [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Nelson County is included in Vol. 1.]

Societies and Libraries

 * Central Virginia Genealogical Association

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Cyndi's List
 * Cyndi's List