Jones County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Jones County is located in the southeastern portion of North Carolina and was named for radical Revolutionary War leader and Anti-Federalist Willie Jones.

Jones County Courthouse PO Box 189 Trenton, NC 28585 Phone: 252-447-2551 Register of Deeds has birth and death records from 1913, marriage records from 1850, land records from 1779 and military discharge records. Clerk of the Court has probate records from 1779, court and divorce 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:

Bible Records

 * Jones County Bible records (NCGenWeb)
 * Jones County Bible records (USGenWeb)

Census Records

 * 1790 U.S. Census, Jones County, North Carolina - transcription. (USGenWeb)
 * 1810 U.S. Census, Jones County, North Carolina - images. (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1850 U.S. Census, Jones County, North Carolina - surname index only. (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Jones County Census records (NCGenWeb)

Church Records

 * 1700-1970 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Jones County Church Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Baptist
 * Chinquepin Chapel. Established 1781.
 * Trent. Established by 1761.
 * Tuckahoe. Tuckahoe Baptist Church Records, 1865-1873 (NCGenWeb)
 * White Oak. Constituted 1795.

Christian
 * Pleasant Hill Christian Church Records, 1858-1896 (NCGenWeb)

Court Records

 * Jones County court records (NCGenWeb)
 * Jones County court records (USGenWeb Archives)

Directories

 * North Carolina Business Directories. Directories provide information on area residents. Open the directory and navigate to the county of interest.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans  American Indians
 * Freedman Bank Records, individuals from Jones County.
 * The Tuscarora Indians (scroll down to bottom of page)

Local Histories

 * Aiken, Nancy, Minutes of the Jones County, North Carolina Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1826-1841, Heritage Books, 2002. (Google Books link without preview)
 * Gwynn, Zae Hargett, Abstracts of the Records of Jones County, North Carolina, 1779-1868, Vol. 1, self-published, 1963. (Google Books link without preview) (information in Genealogy.com)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1895 map, Jones County (1895 U.S. Atlas)
 * Jones County (historical maps in North Carolina Maps)
 * Jones County Maps (NCGenWeb)
 * Map of Jones and Adjacent Counties (Jones County Economic Development Commission)
 * USGS Gazetteer: Jones County

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Jones County for European settlers included:


 * Atlantic Ocean
 * King's Highway about 1704
 * Secondary Coast Road late 1730s

Military Records

 * 1890 Veteran's Schedule (NCGenWeb)
 * Jones County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Revolutionary War 
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch

Civil War 


 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 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


 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company G
 * - 8th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry (Partisan Rangers), 1st Company
 * - 8th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry (Partisan Rangers), 3rd Comppany

World War I 
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch

World War II 
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch

Newspapers

 * Jones County newspapers. List of newspapers that have been published in the county. Provides details on libraries that hold back issues. (Library of Congress)
 * Jones County Post. Current paper, part of the Kinston Free Press.

Obituaries

 * Jones County, North Carolina Obituaries

Probate Records

 * North Carolina Probate Records tips

Online Probate Records


 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
 * 1760-1964 Jones County North Carolina list of will book testators SAMPUBCO. Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1760-1964  at FamilySearch
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
 * 1779-1868 Images of Wills & Deeds, Vol. A, 1779-1812; Vol. B, 1813-1868  North Carolina Pioneers $
 * Pre-1790 Pre-1790 Jones County, North Carolina Genealogy Wills (North Carolina State Archives)
 * Jones County Index to Estate Records (NCGenWeb)
 * Jones County Individual Wills (NCGenWeb)
 * Jones County Wills and Estates (USGenWeb Archives)

School Records

 * Jones County students at NC colleges, yearbook index (NCGenWeb)

Tax Records

 * 1769 Tax Lists, Jones County, 1769 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, at Ancestry $
 * 1779 Tax Lists, Jones County, 1779 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, at Ancestry $
 * 1779 Tax Lists, Jones County, 1779 (images) at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1779 Tax List, Jones County, 1779 (images) at FamilySearch
 * 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
 * 1816 Tax Delinquents, Fourth Collection District of North Carolina 1816 (New Bern-Craven Public Library)
 * Jones County Tax Lists (USGenWeb Archives)

Vital Records

 * 1800-2000 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Uncertified copies of birth, marriage and death certificates can be ordered for 25 cents each from the Jones County Register of Deeds.

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch — 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
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch
 * 1851-1964 Jones County Marriage Index 1851-1964 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * Jones County Marriage Records (GenWed)

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Libraries

 * Neuse Regional Library Kinston, NC Website Serving Lenoir, Greene and Jones Counties

Societies

 * Heritage Genealogical Society PO Box 6204 Kinston, NC 28501 Website

Websites

 * County History (Jones County Gov't)
 * A History of Jones County
 * Jones County Genealogy (North Carolina Genealogy)
 * Jones County Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Jones County, NC (RootsWeb)
 * Jones County, NCGenWeb (free genealogy resources; part of the USGenWeb Project)
 * Jones County, North Carolina (Wikipedia)
 * Jones County, North Carolina Genealogy Trails
 * Jones County, North Carolina Register of Deeds | Genealogy Page
 * – 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.