Johnston County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Johnston County is located in the central portion of North Carolina and was named for Royal Governor of North Carolina Gabriel Johnston.

County Courthouse
Johnston County Courthouse 207 East Johnston Street PO Box 118 Smithfield, NC 27577-4515 Phone: 919-989-5160 Johnston County Website Register of Deeds has marriage and land records. Clerk Superior Court has 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:

History Timeline

 * June 28, 1746  Royal Governor Gabriel Johnston signs legislation creating the County of Johnston.
 * Oct. 18, 1775  Independent North Carolina's Provincial Council holds its first meeting at Johnston County Courthouse (Smithfield).
 * May 9, 1777  Town of Smithfield chartered by the N.C. General Assembly.
 * May 3-15, 1779  N.C. General Assembly meets in Smithfield.
 * Feb. 16, 1861  Town of Boon Hill chartered - renamed Princeton in 1873.
 * March 19-21, 1865  Civil War Battle of Bentonville rages as the "bloodiest battle ever fought on North Carolina soil."
 * April 12, 1869  Town of Clayton chartered.
 * Feb. 11, 1873  Town of Selma chartered.
 * Jan. 30, 1874  Town of Pine Level chartered.
 * March 7, 1887  Towns of Benson and Kenly chartered.
 * March 11, 1889  Town of Four Oaks chartered.
 * May 1, 1899  Town of Jerome chartered - renamed Micro in 1905.
 * Aug. 15, 1945  Farmers Day in Smithfield celebrates the end of World War II.
 * Sept. 1, 1965  Johnston County's public schools begin racial desegregation, completed by consolidation of high schools in 1969.
 * Oct. 1, 1991  Land-use zoning instituted throughout Johnston County as suburbanization follows recently completed I-40 from Raleigh.
 * Aug. 2, 1996  Town of Wilson's Mills re-chartered (original charter issued in 1927, revoked in 1971).
 * Nov. 3, 2009  Town of Archer Lodge incorporated by a majority vote of residents within its proposed borders.

Bible Records

 * Bible Records at North Carolina Digital Archives - index and images

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images; Also at: Ancestry ($)

Census Records

 * 1790-1940 Johnston County Census Records

Church Records

 * 1700-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Baptist
 * Mill Creek. Established by 1808.
 * Rocky Spring. Constituted 1793.
 * Three Creeks. Established by 1789.

Church of England List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * St. Patrick's Parish. Established 1756.
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1764-1930 (*); State Archives at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1850-1895 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1867-1916 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1929 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1939 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images


 * 1869-1962 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1905-1953 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Johnston County North Carolina Court Records at JohnsonCountyGenealogy.org

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1862-1870   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1863-1872   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Funeral Homes

 * Barnes Funeral Home and Cremations in Clayton.
 * Casey Funeral Home and Cremations in Princeton.
 * Hood Funeral Home in Clayton.
 * Kenly Funeral and Cremation Services in Kenly.
 * Lori's Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Smithfield/Selma.
 * McLaurin Funeral Home and Pinecrest Memorial Park in Clayton.
 * Parrish and Underwood Funeral Homes and Cremations in Selma and Smithfield.
 * Rose and Graham Funeral Home, Inc. in Benson and Four Oaks.
 * Sanders Funeral Home in Smithfield.
 * V.B. Peterkin Funeral Home in Selma.
 * Walter Sanders Funeral and Cremation Services in Smithfield.
 * West and Dunn Funeral Homes, Inc. in Benson.

Genealogies

 * [Humphries] Holcomb, Brent Howard. Ancestors and Descendants of Charles Humphries (d. 1837) of Union District, South Carolina, 1677-1984. Columbia, S.C., 1985..

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * North Carolina Land Grants at NC Historical Records Online - index, requires free account to view images
 * 1746; 1750-1754; 1754-1755 [North Caroline Pioneers Index to Deeds ($)
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * A Very Short History of the County (Johnston Count)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War 
 * 1778-1833 Delamar Transcripts of Revolutionary War Petitions at North Carolina Genealogical Society - index ($)
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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 - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1885 and 1901 1885 and 1901 Confederate Pension Applications at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images


 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company H
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company C
 * - 7th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry, Company F
 * - 7th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry, Company G
 * - 8th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Captain John Daniel's Company

Civil War Battles  The following Civil War battle was fought in Johnston County:
 * March 19-21, 1865 - Bentonville, also known as Bentonsville.
 * Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.

World War I 
 * 1914-1918 World War I Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II 
 * 1939-1945 World Ward II Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * Johnston County Deaths. List of county area deaths reported in various newspapers; dates range from late 1700s to 1900s.
 * North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC

Obituaries

 * Smithfield Herald Obituaries from Jan 2011 forward (GenealogyBank) $

Other Records
Voter Registration
 * 1868-1898 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1663-1978 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1720-1960  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1759-1863 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1760-1859 Images of Wills and Estates. North Carolina Pioneers ($)
 * 1760-1962  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1970 (*); Clerk of the Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1771-1962 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1779-1807 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1781-1868 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1789-1960 (*); Superior Court and County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1790 Pre-1790 Johnston County, North Carolina Genealogy Wills (North Carolina State Archives)
 * 1793-1836 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1799-1859 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1808-1946 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions and Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1808-1962 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1818-1914 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions and Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1849-1940 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions and Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1854-1904 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1866-1869 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1923 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1925 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1939 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1894-1951 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1900-1942 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1902-1939 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1902-1949 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images


 * 1903-1924 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1907-1962 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1923-1962 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * North Carolina Probate Records tips
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

 * 1779 Tax Lists, New Bern District, 1779 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, at Ancestry $
 * 1779 Tax Lists, New Bern District, 1779 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1784 Tax Lists, Johnston County, 1784 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, at Ancestry $
 * 1784 Tax Lists, Johnston County, 1784 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1809-1819, 1863 Tax Lists, 1809-1819, 1863 (images) at FamilySearch
 * 1815 Tax Lists, Johnston County, 1815 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections

Vital Records

 * 1800-2000 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1850-1895 Johnston County Bastardy Bonds 1850-1895 at USGenWeb
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; 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 - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1764-1930 Johnston County Marriage Index 1764-1930 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;index and images  Also at:  MyHeritage ($)
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Deaths at the Johnston County NCGenWeb site

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

Archives
Johnston County Heritage Center 241 E Market St Smithfield, NC 27577 Phone: 919-934-2836 Email: [mailto:heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com] Facebook Website

FamilySearch Centers

 * Apex North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Goldsboro North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Greenville North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Kinston North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Raleigh North Carolina FamilySearch Center


 * Johnston County Heritage Center - an affiliate library
 * Wake County Public Libraries-Olivia Raney Local History Library Branch - an affiliate library

Libraries
Johnston County Heritage Center 241 E Market St Smithfield, NC 27577 Phone: 919-934-2836 Email: [mailto:heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com] Facebook Website

Societies
Johnston County Genealogical Society PO Box 2373 Smithfield, NC 27577-2373 Phone: 828-631-2646 Facebook Website Johnston County Heritage Center 241 E Market St Smithfield, NC 27577 Phone: 919-934-2836 Email: [mailto:heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com] Facebook Website

Websites

 * NCGenWeb Johnston County
 * Johnston County Heritage Center
 * Johnston County, NCGenWeb Archives
 * – 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.