Culpeper County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Culpeper County Virginia Courthouse


Culpeper County Courthouse 101 South West Street Culpeper, Virginia 22701 Phone: 540-727-3435

Clerk Circuit Court has birth records 1864-1896 and 1912-1917, death records 1864-1896 marriage records from 1781 and land and probate records from 1749 and court records from 1831; Town Clerks has burial records

Culpeper County Virginia History


The county was named after Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper (1635-1689), Colonial Governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683. The family name was also spelled "Culpeper."

Parent County
1748--Culpeper County was created 23 March 1748 from Orange County. County seat: Culpeper

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

 * Culpepper

Record Loss
Culpeper was the site of several battles during the American Civil War, and many courthouse papers were damaged or pillaged. Missing records include minute books for 1749-1762, 1765-1797, 1812-1813, and 1817.

Bound volumes of deeds and wills since the county's formation still exist.


 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

Getting Started
Compiled genealogies are a good place to start research for this area, see Culpeper County, Virginia Genealogy.

If you are researching families who lived in Culpeper County, Virginia between the 1760s and 1790s, the Sparacios' books are a great time saver. They comprehensively index several publications covering that period:

A website with many online resources: Culpeper County, Virginia US GenWeb Project
 * Sparacio, Ruth Trickey and Sam Sparacio. Surname Index of Antient Press Publications. 14+ vols. McLean, Va.: R. &amp; S. Sparacio, Antient Press, 1993-. 975.5 P22s v. 1-2; publisher's website: Antient Press.

African Americans
In 1790, Culpeper County had one of the largest slave populations in the state (8226 slaves).

Heinegg, Paul. "Culpeper County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1802, 1803-1823," Free African Americans.com, available online. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]


 * Hodge, Robert A. Some Pre-1871 Vital Statistics on Colored Persons of Culpeper County, Virginia. Fredericksburg, Virginia: R.A. Hodge, 1978.
 * Randall, Ruth. "Family Lore and Effects of Slavery on the Black Psyche: Rosa Grammar's Choice," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 97, No. 2 (June 2009):85-96. FHL 973 B2ng v. 97

Bible Records

 * Daughters of the American Revolution. Culpeper Minute Men Chapter (Culpepper, Virginia). Copy of Some Family Bible Records Found in Culpepper County, Culpepper, Virginia. MSS., 1945-1946, available at . [Family Bibles of: Daingerfield, Farish, Ellis B. Long, David Wright Kelly, R.T. Kelly, Richard Payne, Rust, Tutt, George Williams, and Wood.]

Cemeteries
For a detailed list, including addresses, phone numbers, and external links, see Culpeper County, Virginia Cemeteries.

The following is a list of cemeteries in Culpeper County:

References


 * Wulfeck, Dorothy Ford. Culpeper County, Virginia, Will Books B and C, Court Suits, Loose Papers, Inscriptions. Naugatuck, Conn.: D.F. Wulfeck, 1965. Available at . Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1966):35-36. Review available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

Census
1890 Union Veterans


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

Church Records

 * Thomas, Arthur Dicken, Angus McDonald Green and Culpeper Historical Society. Early Churches of Culpeper County, Virginia: Colonial and Ante-bellum Congregations. Culpeper, Virginia: Culpeper Historical Society, 1987. Available at.

Scheel's map of Culpeper County, Virginia identifies the locations of early churches and meetinghouses circa 1776. The Family History Library has a copy:.

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Battle Run (1773). Meeting minutes and membership lists (1827-1852) have been filmed:.
 * 2) Bethel (1803)
 * 3) Crooked Run (1772). The DAR prepared a history: . A history was also published in Culpeper Connections, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Aug. 2005)
 * 4) Culpeper (1771). Also known as The north water of Rapidanne.
 * 5) F.T. (1778)
 * 6) Fiery Run (1771)
 * 7) Goose Creek (1799)
 * 8) Gourdvine (1791)
 * 9) Hedgeman's River (1791)
 * 10) Jeffersonton (1773). A history has been published: Culpeper Connections, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Aug. 2005).
 * 11) Mill Creek (1772)
 * 12) Mountponey aka Mount Poney (1774) . A history was published in 1973: Virginia Baptist Register.
 * 13) Thompson's Gap (1787)

Culpeper County fell mainly within the bounds of the Culpeper Association. Hedgeman's River belonged to the Ketocton Association.


 * Finnell, Woolsey. Reverend Daniel Brown of Culpepper County, Virginia and Allied Families, Webster, Finnell, McCain, Pemberton. [Tuscaloosa?] Ala.: W. Finnell, 1954. Available at . [Baptist preacher.]

Church of England
See also Bromfield Parish See also St. Mark's Parish  See also St. Thomas Parish

Lutheran
Hebron Church was the first German church in Virginia.


 * Blankenbaker, John. "Hebron" Baptismal Register of the German Lutheran Church in Culpeper/Madison Counties, Virginia 1750 to 1849: Transcribed, Translated and Indexed from the Church Records with a Commentary on the Relationships of the Sponsors to the Parents. Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania: J. Blankenbaker, 2004. Available at.

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):


 * Southland Monthly Meeting, near Stevensburg, Va. (1772-1805) aka Mount Pony

Chancery Court
The county's chancery causes from 1829 to 1913 — 164,000 images in all — are now available to view online at the Library of Virginia web site, one of 36 counties with chancery court records on-line as part of the Virginia Memory Collection.


 * Wulfeck, Dorothy Ford. Culpeper County, Virginia, Will Books B and C, Court Suits, Loose Papers, Inscriptions. Naugatuck, Conn.: D.F. Wulfeck, 1965. Available at . Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1966):35-36. Review available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

District Court of Fredericksburg

The District Court of Fredericksburg and later the Superior Court of Chancery had jurisdiction over certain Culpeper County court cases. An index has been compiled:


 * Indexes of Court Records in the Clerk's Office, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 1782-1904. Original records, Fredericksburg City Courthouse, Fredericksburg, Va., microfilmed reproduction available at . [Indexes the following records: District Court law book v. 8, 1782-1792; District Court law books 1790-1793, v. A-F 1789-1811; Superior Court of Law law order books v. G-H 1812-1831; Superior Court of Chancery chancery order books 1814-1831; Hustings Court orders v. A-O 1782-1871; Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery law order books v. A-E 1831-1875; Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery chancery order books v. A-D 1831-1872; Circuit Court chancery order books v. A2, B-C 1875-1904; Fredericksburg District Court (1789-1808) had jurisdiction over the following counties: Spotsylvania (including Fredericksburg), Caroline, King George, Stafford, Orange, and Culpeper; Superior Court of Chancery (1802-1831) had jurisdiction over the following localities: city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fairfax, Lancaster, Northumberland, Madison, King George, Orange, Prince William, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Essex, and Westmoreland.]

Loose Papers


 * Wulfeck, Dorothy Ford. Culpeper County, Virginia, Will Books B and C, Court Suits, Loose Papers, Inscriptions. Naugatuck, Conn.: D.F. Wulfeck, 1965. Available at . Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1966):35-36. Review available at ; digital version at “American Factfinder”. ($).

Superior Court of Chancery

See District Court of Fredericksburg

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

Immigration
During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 6 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Culpeper County.

Land and Property
Grants and Patents


 * Gray, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775. Vol. II. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes Culpeper County.]
 * Gray, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1775-1800. Vol. III. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes Culpeper County.]
 * Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants/Northern Neck Grants and Surveys – Images for land patents issued prior to 1779, Land Office grants issued by the Virginia Land Office after 1779, Northern Neck grants from 1692-1862, and recorded Northern Neck surveys (1786-1874) are available online at the Library of Virginia. [Includes Culpeper County.]

Local Histories

 * Jones, Mary Stevens. An 18th Century Perspective, Culpeper County. Culpeper, Virginia: Culpeper Historical Society, 1976. Available at.
 * Green, Raleigh Travers. Genealogical and Historical Notes on Culpeper County, Virginia. Embracing a Revised and Enlarged Edition of Dr. Philip Slaughter's History of St. Mark's Parish. Culpeper, VA, USA: Regional Publishing Company, 1900. Digital versions at Archive.org;($); Google Books (full-view); and World Vital Records ($). 1964 reprint available at ; 1958 reprint reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1959):137-138. Reprint available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).
 * Slaughter, Philip. A History of St. Mark's Parish: Culpeper County, Virginia, with Notes of Old Churches and Old Families, and Illustrations of the Manners and Customs of the Olden Time. Baltimore: Innes &amp; Co., printers, 1877. Available at . Digital versions available at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).

Maps



 * Scheel, Eugene M. Culpeper, a Virginia County's History Through 1920. Culpeper, Va.: Culpeper Historical Society, 1982. Available at . [Features include "old roads, mills, stores, plantations, churches, ruins, cemeteries, battles, historic sites, early stream names and boundaries." ]
 * Online interactive map with historical quad outlines and topography: OnlineGIS.

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):29-34. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($). [These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Culpeper County's 1788-1789 Delinquent Lists appear on p. 29-31.]

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Culpeper 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 (full-view). [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 Culpeper County, see pp. 70, 74, 108.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at ; digital book at Ancestry ($); Google Books; and Archive.org. [Identifies some Culpeper County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.]

Dunmore's War

 * Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Culpeper and Fincastle Payrolls and Public Service Claims, 1775: Also Known as Dunmore's War: Enlarged and Photocopied. Fort Wayne, Indiana: Allen County Public Library, 2004. Available at.

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


 * - 3rd Virginia Regiment
 * - 8th Virginia Regiment
 * - 10th Virginia Regiment

Additional resources:

Culpeper residents recommended for military commissions during the Revolutionary War.


 * Blankenbaker, John. The Culpeper Classes. Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania: J. Blankenbaker, 1999. . [In 1780 and 1781 the Virginia Legislature passed an act requiring the counties to supply a specific number of men for the Continental Army. These men would be divided into classes or divisions within the militia, each under an officer. Culpeper County had 106 classes with a total of 3,000 men. This is a unique source for Culpeper County that does not survive for other Virginia counties.]
 * Godby, Jeannette. A List of Classes in Culpeper County for January 1781 for Recruiting the States Quota of Troops to Serve in the Continental Army. MSS., 1936.
 * List of Militia Classes and Index for Culpeper County, Virginia, for 1781. MSS., Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia; reproduction:
 * Ross, Edward. Your Affectionate Cousin: The Rosses of Culpeper County, Virginia, and San Jacinto County, Texas. Houston, Texas: Thornhouse Press, 1994. ["This is the story of the descendants of Daniel Ross -- a veteran on the British side of the American Revolution -- through two of his sons, William (in Virginia) and Wesley (in Texas)"--Acknowledgements.]
 * 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, Culpeper County on page 129.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions, With an Added Index to States.  973 M24ur; Collection with index and images at Ancestry ($).  [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

War of 1812
Culpeper County men served in the 5th and 34th Regiments.


 * 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, Culpeper County, p. 68.]

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, Virginia Light Artillery (Pendleton's) (Confederate). Company C (Newtown Artillery)
 * - 4th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate)
 * - 7th Battalion, Virginia Infantry, Local Defense (1st Nitre Battalion) (Confederate). Company C (Hazelwood Volunteers) and Company E (Hazelwood Volunteers).
 * - 11th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate).
 * - 13th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company B (The Culpeper Minute Men) and Company E (The Culpeper Riflemen).

Records and histories are available, including:


 * 1861-1865 -
 * 1861-1865 -
 * 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)
 * Grimsley, Daniel A. Battles in Culpeper County, Virginia, 1861-1865: And Other Articles. Culpeper, Va.: Raleigh Travers Green, 1900. ; digital version at Google Books.

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


 * August 9, 1862 = Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run
 * August 22-25, 1862 = Rappahannock Station I, also known as Waterloo Bridge, White Sulphur Springs, Lee Springs or Freeman’s Ford
 * March 17, 1863 = Kelly's Ford, also known as Kellysville
 * June 9, 1863 = Brandy Station, also known as Fleetwood Hill
 * November 7, 1863 = Rappahannock Station II
 * February 6-7, 1864 = Morton's Ford, also known as Rapidan River


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

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization

 * Virginia

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 advertisements for runaway 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.

The book An Index for Bell and Howell Microfilm Miscellaneous Titles and Dates, Culpeper, Va. Fredericksburg, Virginia: R.A. Hodge, 198-? is available on microfiche at through the. The book indexes the Culpeper Observer, the Culpeper Times, the Piedmont Advance, and the Culpeper Enterprise from June 24, 1859 through September 21, 1899, and The Exponent, the Culpeper Times, and the Culpeper Exponent from June 9, 1882 through February 8, 1889.]

Private Papers
Collection of Papers from Culpeper Co., VA: Dealing with the Payne, Tull, Stewart, Ficklin and Related Families, 1848-1859. Available at.

Probate Records
Wills

Online Probate Records
 * Dorman, John Frederick, Culpeper County, Virginia: Will Book A, 1749 - 1770. Washington, District of Columbia: [J.F. Dorman], 1956. Available at ; digital verstion at World Vital Records ($).
 * Green, Susanna Thornton and James W. Green. The Will of Robert Green of Culpeper County, Va. 1895; reprint with supplements, 1957. Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1958):91-92. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).
 * Wulfeck, Dorothy Ford. Culpeper County, Virginia, Will Books B and C, Court Suits, Loose Papers, Inscriptions. Naugatuck, Conn.: D.F. Wulfeck, 1965. Available at . Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1966):35-36. Review available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).
 * Digital Images of Culpeper County Wills 1749-1770. See names of testators. Virginia Pioneers
 * 1749-1770; 1770-1783 – Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories etc. Virginia Pioneers ($)


 * 1639 – 1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry.com — index to transcribed records, incomplete, $
 * 1749 - 1770; 1770 - 1783 – Images of Wills Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1826 – 1845; 1845 – 1852 – Images of Wills Virginia Pioneers ($)
 *  1845 – 1852 – Indexes to Wills and Inventories Virginia Pioneers ($)

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Culpeper County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1964):63-66. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * 1782-1791 - Tax Digests Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1782-1823 - Heinegg, Paul. "Culpeper County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1802, 1803-1823," Free African Americans.com, available online. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
 * 1783 - Norris, Mary Boldridge. Property Tax List of Culpeper County, Virginia: And Names of Slaves, 1783. Raleigh, N.C.: n.p., 1936. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); - free.
 * 1783 - 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. 1783 personal property tax list of Culpeper County.
 * 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. Available at . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Culpeper County is included in Vol. 1.
 * 1788-1789 - Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):29-34. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Culpeper County's 1788-1789 Delinquent Lists appear on p. 29-31.
 * 1791 - Indexed images of the 1791 Personal Property Tax List of Culpeper County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * 1800 - "Culpeper County, Virginia, 1800 Tax List," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1972):185-190; Vol. 16, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1972):277-280; Vol. 17, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1973):29-32; Vol. 17, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1973):93-100. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).
 * 1801 - Images of the 1801 Personal Property Tax List of Culpeper County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * 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. Culpeper County is included in Vol. 4.

Birth

 * 1864-1917 - Culpeper County Birth Index 1864-1917. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 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) ($).
 * 1751-1754 - King, George H.S. "Some Culpeper County Marriages," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 5, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1961):176. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($). [Identifies marriage license fees some men paid in 1751 and 1754. These entries were found in the Chancery Suit Clayton v. Gray, File #49, Fredericksburg District Court.]
 * 1781-1853 - Culpeper County Marriage Index 1781-1853. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1936-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1864-1896 - Culpeper County Death Index 1864-1896. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1912-1987 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Beth Fridley has published abstracts of Culpeper County death records online at Ancestry:


 * Culpeper County, Virginia Deaths, 1854-1879 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Culpeper County, Virginia Deaths, 1880-96 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).

Culpeper County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * Culpeper Genealogical Society
 * Central Virginia Genealogical Association
 * Culpeper Minute Men Chapter SAR11201 Springfield Fredericksburg, Virginia22408 540-710-6764
 * Culpeper Town and County Library; Main &amp; Mason Streets; Culpeper, Virginia 22701

Family History Centers

 * Culpeper Virginia Family History Center

Culpeper County Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Culpeper County, Virginia USGENWEB
 * Culpeper County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * Cyndi's List
 * Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * Virginia Pioneers ($)