Montgomery County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Virginia Online Genealogy Records

Description
Montgomery County is located in the Southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general.

Montgomery County, Virginia Courthouse
Montgomery County Courthouse 1 East Main Street Christiansburg, Virginia 24073-3027 Phone: 540-382-5760

Clerk Circuit Court has birth, and death records 1853-1871 marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1773

Montgomery County, Virginia History


The county was named after Brigadier-General Richard Montgomery (1738-1775). Montgomery died during the Revolutionary War in the failed 1775 invasion of Canada.

Parent County
1776--Montgomery County was created 7 October 1776 from Fincastle and Botetourt Counties. Fincastle County was formed from Botetourt County in 1772, and was abolished in 1777. County seat: Christiansburg

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.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.


 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

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:

African American
Freedmen's Bureau


 * Dickenson, Richard B. Entitled! Free Papers in Appalachia Concerning Antebellum Freeborn Negroes and Emancipated Blacks of Montgomery County, Virginia. Washington, D.C.: National Genealogical Society Bookstore, 1981. 975.5785 F2d
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Montgomery County Personal Property Tax List, 1787-1812," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Montgomery County Register of Free Negroes, 1823-1847," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * Kegley, Mary B. Free People of Colour: Free Negroes, Indians, Portuguese and Freed Slaves. Wytheville, Virginia: Kegley Books, 2003. ; digital version at . [Includes information from Montgomery County.]

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 - at FamilySearch — index

Census
1790 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1800 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1810


 * 1810 Census of Montgomery County, Virginia. Beverly, W. Va.: Crickard, 1969?, 1979. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

1840


 * Douthat, James L. 1840 Mountain Empire of Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2001. 975.5 X2d 1840. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. [Includes Montgomery County.]

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.]

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Greasy Creek (1789)
 * 2) Meadow Creek (1785)
 * 3) N.F. Roanoke (1801)
 * 4) Pine Creek (1803)
 * 5) West Fork (1803)

Montgomery County fell within the bounds of the New River Association.

Church of England
Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Montgomery County is available online.

German Reformed

 * Braun, Johannes, Klaus Wust and Joseph H. Meyerhoeffer. Shenandoah Valley Family Data, 1799-1813: From the Memorandum Book of Pastor Johannes Braun. Edinburg, Va.: Shenandoah History Publishers, 1978..

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):


 * Burk's Fork Monthly Meeting (1800-1812)

Court
Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index can be used to search Montgomery County chancery records for the years 1773-1938. Digital images are available for 1773-1913. Post-1913 records available at the Montgomery County Office of the Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

Genealogy
More than 100 genealogies have been published about Montgomery County families. To view a list, visit Montgomery County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies.

See also: Virginia Compiled Genealogies

Compiled genealogies that treat multiple Montgomery County families include:


 * Allison, Elizabeth Kelly. Early Southwest Virginia Families: Families of Kelly, Smyth, Buchanan, Clark and Related Families of Edmonson, Keys, Beattie, Ryburn, McDonald. Auburn, Ala., 1960.
 * Heavener, Ulysses S.A. German New River Settlement: Virginia. 1929; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1976..
 * Kegley, Mary B. Early Adventurers on the Western Waters. 5 vols. 1990-1998..

Land and Property
An early settlers map is available for Montgomery County. Hildebrand plots the locations of pioneers from 1750-1865. The Family History Library has a copy:.

Grants and Patents


 * Hudgins. 1009 patents dated 1746-1891 in what is now Montgomery County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2009. [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.]


 * Sims, Edgar Barr. Sims Index to Land Grants in West Virginia. [Springfield, Virginia]: Genealogical Books in Print, c1992. Available at . [Includes Montgomery County, Virginia.]

Local Histories

 * Crush, Charles W. The Montgomery County Story, 1776-1957. unknown: unknown, 1957. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Montgomery County, Virginia. Blacksburg?, Va.: unknown, 1907. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

Maps

 * Historical Map of Montgomery County Virginia. Identifies early settlers. Available online.

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Montgomery County veterans; see place name index.]

Revolutionary War
residents' participation in the Revolutionary War.


 * Kegley, Mary B. Revolutionary War Pension Applications of Southwest Virginia Soldiers. n.p.: M.B. Kegley, 1997. [Includes Montgomery County pensioners.]
 * 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: . [See Virginia, Western District, Montgomery County on page 135.]
 * 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
Montgomery County men served in the 75th Regiment.


 * 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, Montgomery County, p. 91. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

 * - 4th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company B (Fort Lewis Volunteers), Company E (Montgomery Highlanders), Company G (Montgomery Fencibles).


 * - 11th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate).
 * - 14th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company F (2nd) and Company G (Border Rangers).
 * - 22nd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Bowen's Virginia Mounted Riflemen) (Confederate). Company K.
 * - 24th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company K (New River Grays).
 * - 25th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company E and Company F.
 * - 54th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies C and E (Montgomery Grays).
 * - 63rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (McMahon's) (Confederate). Company D.

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)

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette (1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburg website. 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.

Naturalization
Virginia Naturalization

Periodicals
Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Montgomery County, Virginia records have been published in the Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin (39+ vols., 1972-present), the journal of the Watauga Association of Genealogists. The organization has posted tables of contents for most volumes on their website. Back issues are available for purchase.The Family History Library has a complete collection, including Margaret W. Hougland and Betty Jane Hylton's Bulletin Subject Index: The First Thirty Years, 1972-2001 (Johnson City, Tenn.: Watauga Association of Genealogists, 2002).

Probate Records
'Online Probate Links


 * 1639 – 1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry.com — index to transcribed records, incomplete, $
 * 1796-1809 Images of Wills Book 1 at Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1809-1817 Images of Wills Book 2 at Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1818-1823 Images of Wills, Deeds, Estates No. 3 Virginia Pioneers ($)

Public Papers
Virginia,

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Montgomery County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1974):298-301. ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1770-1773] Kegley, Mary B. New River Tithables, 1770-1773. Wytheville, Virginia: M.B. Kegley, 1972. Available at.
 * [1782] 1782 Montgomery County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List; index online at New River Notes - free.
 * [1782] The 1782 Montgomery County, Virginia Land Tax List (New River Notes) - free.
 * [1782] Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. Online at FamilySearch - free; . [1782 personal property tax list of Montgomery County.]
 * [1782; 1787-89] Tax Digests at Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * [1787-1812] Montgomery County Personal Property Tax Lists 1787-1812 (images); digital version in Tax List Club at Binns Genealogy ($).
 * [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. Online at FamilySearch - free; . [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Montgomery County is included in Vol. 1.]
 * [1787] Taxables, 1787, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Summer 1972).
 * [1787] Delinquent Tax Lists, 1787, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 37, No. 3 (Aug. 1999); Vol. 38, No. 1 (Feb. 2000). Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [1787-1788, 1797] Delinquent Tax List, 1787, 1788, 1797 Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov. 1999). Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [1787, 1798-1799] Delinquent Tax Lists, 1787 (sel.), 1798-99, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 34, No. 2 (Spring 1996). Available at ; digital version at Ancestry.
 * [1787-1812] Heinegg, Paul. "Montgomery County Personal Property Tax List, 1787-1812," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [1788] Indexed images of the 1788 Personal Property Tax List of Montgomery County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1789] Tax List, 1789, Harlan Mountain Roots, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Summer 1997).
 * [1789] Possible Family Groups from 1789 Tax List, Boone Genealogical Quarterly, [Madison, West Va.] Vol. 13, No. 2 (Apr. 1990).
 * [1789-1790] Tax List, 1789-90, Lincoln Lineage, [Griffithsville, West Va.], Vol. 16, No. 4 (Nov. 1995).
 * [1790] County Tax Delinquents, 1790, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Nov. 2005). Available at.
 * [1790] Tax List, 1790, Harlan Mountain Roots, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Winter 1996).
 * [1799] Images of the 1799 Personal Property Tax List of Montgomery County, Virginia are indexed online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1806] Personal Property Tax List, 1806, A-C, Friends of Genealogy Journal, [Shreveport, La.], Vol. 7, No. 1 (1995).
 * [1806] Personal Property Tax List, 1806, Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Aug. 1985); online at Roanoke Public Library - free.
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Oct. 1998); Vol. 43, No. 1 (Jan. 1999); Vol. 43, No. 2 (Apr. 1999).
 * [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. Montgomery County is included in Vol. 5.]
 * [1818] Delinquent Tax Lists, 1818, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Feb. 2000). Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [1830] Delinquent Muster Tax, Capt. Osborne, 1830, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Feb. 2000). Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

Birth

 * 1853-1866 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1912-1913 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 - Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1660-1959 - Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $


 * 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).


 * 1777-1853 - Montgomery County Marriage Index 1777-1853. Batch at FamilySearch - free.


 * 1850-1860 - Montgomery County Marriages 1850-1860 (VAGenWeb) - free. Sorted by groom; sorted by bride.


 * 1853-1935 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1854-1902 - Montgomery County Marriage Index 1854-1902- images only


 * 1936-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1912-1987 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Montgomery County, Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries
There are many genealogical MS holdings, including full collections located at Virginia Tech Special Collections Department on the first floor of Newman Library on campus.

Montgomery County, Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Montgomery County, VirginiaUSGENWEB.
 * Montgomery County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * Cyndi's List
 * Cyndi's List