Russell County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
Russell County is located in the southwestern area of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Colonel William Russell.

County Courthouse
Russell County Courthouse 53 East Main Street PO Box 65 Lebanon, VA 24266 Phone: 276-889-8051 Russell County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1853, divorce and court records from 1786, probate records from 1803 and land records from 1787

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

 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Knisely, Mary Jane. "Russell County, Virginia, Family Cemeteries," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):111-112. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Russell County Cemeteries (Russell Co. GenWeb)

Census Records
1790 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation. 1800 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation. 1810 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.
 * 1810 Russell County Virginia Slave Holders List (Russell Co. GenWeb)

1820
 * Sutherland, Elihu Jasper. Russell County, Virginia, Census of 1820. Clintwood, Va.: unknown, 1940. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

1840
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Western District, Russell County on page 136.


 * Douthat, James L. 1840 Mountain Empire of Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2001. 975.5 X2d 1840.

1850 Census takers uncharacteristically recorded the birth town or county of residents this census year.
 * 1850 Annotated Census: Russell Co. Virginia (Microsoft Excel version; Russell Co. GenWeb) - download
 * 1850 Annotated Census: Russell Co. Virginia (text version; Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * 1850 Russell County, Virginia Federal Mortality Schedule (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * Ball, Bonnie S. and Ada Grace Catron. The Seventh Population Census of the United States for Russell County, Virginia, 1850. Haysi, Va.: B. Ball?, 1964. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

1860
 * Russell County, Virginia 1860 Census (Russell Co., VA Civil War Website)
 * Russell County, Virginia 1860 Census, Slave Schedule (Russell Co., VA Civil War Website)
 * Russell County, Virginia 1860 Federal Mortality Schedule (Russell Co. GenWeb)

1870
 * Salyer, Elisabeth L.W. 1870 Census of Russell County, Virginia. West Palm Beach, Fla.: Palm Beach County Genealogical Society, 1975. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1870 Russell County, Virginia Federal Mortality Schedule (document scans; Russell Co. GenWeb)

1880
 * 1880 Russell County, Virginia Federal Mortality Schedule (document scans; Russell Co. GenWeb)

1890 Union Veterans
 * Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. By Ronald Ray Turner..
 * 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census. Online at: Ancestry ($). Includes this county.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places


 * Russell County Church Records (Russell Co. GenWeb)

Baptist Early Baptist churches (with years constituted): Russell County fell within the bounds of the Holston and Mountain Associations.
 * 1) Castlewoods (1806)
 * 2) Copper Creek (1808)
 * 3) Glade Hollows (1788)
 * 4) Russel (1805)
 * 5) Stony Creek (1802)

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index can be used to search digital images of Russell County chancery records for the years 1840-1933. The index can also be used to search for records up until 1960 - for entries marked "original," see online catalog or contact Archives Research Services for availability. Most post-1913 chancery records are unindexed and available at the Circuit Court Clerk's Office.
 * Chancery records, 1948-present, housed in the courthouse
 * Court records, pre-1948, held at the Library of Virginia in preparation for microfilming
 * Russell County Court Records (transcriptions and document scans; Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * Russell County Declarations of Intention (Russell Co. GenWeb)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Kegley, Mary B. Free People of Colour: Free Negroes, Indians, Portuguese and Freed Slaves. Wytheville, Virginia: Kegley Books, 2003. Available at . Includes information from Russell County.
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans of Russell County.
 * Slaves and Free Blacks in Russell County, Virginia

Funeral Homes

 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Genealogies
' A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 * See Russell County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list pf 100+ published books and articles, or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar.

Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Families
 * Albert, Ethel Evans. Southwest Virginia in. 3 vols. Kingsport, Tenn., 1977. . Contents: v. 1. A Genealogical and historical account of the Evans, Ferrell, Kelly, Counts, Stinson and related families -- v. 2. Genealogical and historical records of Russell County and Southwest Virginia families; Hendricks, Gibson, Garrett, Nash, Heburn, Buckles -- v. 3. Honaker, Deskins and related families.
 * Smith, Gregg A. Genealogical Notes Concerning the Smith Family of Russell County, Va. Donated 1987. Available at Virginia Historical Society. Includes Arington, Artrip, Barks, Booth, Combs, Edwards, Finney, Glover, Grizzle, Hopkins, Johnson, Jones, Kiser, Larson, Lockhart, Martin, Mayfield, Musick, Nash, Pigman, Powers, Rasnake, Stinson, Sutherland, Sykes, Wallace, and Woolfe families.
 * The Heritage of Russell County, Virginia. 2 vols. Russell County Heritage Book Committee, c1985, c1989..
 * Russell County Pedigree Charts and Family Group Sheets (Russell Co., VA GenWeb)
 * Russell County, Virginia Biographies (Russell Co., VA GenWeb)
 * Russell County, Virginia Families (links to information regarding a number of specific families; Russell Co. GenWeb)

Land and Property Records
Grants and Patents Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Anderson. 699 patents dated 1782-1912 in what is now Russell and Tazewell Counties, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper. 2007. 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.
 * Russell County Land Grants &amp; Surveys (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * Sims, Edgar Barr. Sims Index to Land Grants in West Virginia. [Springfield, Virginia]: Genealogical Books in Print, c1992. Available at . Includes Russell County, Virginia.

Deeds
 * Deeds beginning 1787 are available at the courthouse
 * Russell County Deeds (Russell Co. GenWeb)

Local Histories
Russell County Lookups (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * Albert, Ethel Evans. Southwest Virginia Kin, Vol. 1.
 * Chafin, Andrew. Russell County (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2008..
 * The Heritage of Russell County, Virginia 1786-1986, 2 vols. Russell County Heritage Book Committee, 1989..
 * Sutherland, Elihu J. Pioneer Recollections of Southwest Virginia.

Maps and Gazetteers
Tom Rudder produced a map of the "First Land Owners in Castles Woods (Russel County, Virginia)," which as published in The Appalachian Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Mar. 2006):59-62. . Rudder's map includes supporting documentation.
 * Libre Map Project (includes detailed topographic maps of Russell Co.)
 * MyTopo Historical Maps (includes older topographic maps of Russell Co.)
 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Pre-Revolutionary War Revolutionary War
 * The First Militia Roster of the Clinch River Area of Russell County (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * Kegley, Mary B. Revolutionary War Pension Applications of Southwest Virginia Soldiers. n.p.: M.B. Kegley, 1997. Available at . [Includes Russell County pensioners.]
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Western District, Russell County on page 136.
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.

War of 1812
 * 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; online at:Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Russell County, p. 102. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Regiments. Russell County men served in the 72nd Regiment. Civil War
 * 1860-1865 Russell County, Virginia 1860-1865
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 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)
 * 1888 Russell County Pension Applications, 1888
 * 1900 Russell County Civil War Pension Applications 1900
 * Russell County, Virginia Civil War Website

Regiments. Civil War service men in Russell County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here:
 * - 2nd Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry) (Confederate). Companies A, E, and H.
 * - 13th Battalion, Virginia Reserves (Confederate). Company G.
 * - 16th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company A and Company B.
 * - 21st Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company E 1st.
 * - 22nd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Bowen's Virginia Mounted Riflemen) (Confederate). Company A, Company D, Company E, Company I, and Company K.
 * - 29th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A.
 * - 37th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Dunn's Battalion, Partisan Rangers) (Confederate). Company K.
 * - 37th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C, Company G, and Company I (New Garden Fearnots).
 * - 48th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C (Russell Guards).

World War I World War II
 * Military discharge records from World War I and later are housed in the courthouse
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1906-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers

 * The Geography of Slavery in Virginia: 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 the Virginia Gazette and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia.
 * Obituaries and Death Notices of Russell County (Russell Co., VA Civil War Website)
 * Lebanon News mentions of Civil War veterans, 1900-1933 (Russell Co., VA Civil War Website)

Other Records
Private Papers
 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Knisely, Mary Jane. "An Old Account Book of Russell County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1977):310. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).

Periodicals
Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin Genealogical articles with abstracts of Russell 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 FamilySearch 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 Indexes and Records
 * 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * Russell County Probate Records (Russell Co. GenWeb)

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

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records

Russell County's original personal property tax books are held at the Library of Virginia. The years 1787 through 1850 were microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1993:. Digitized images for select years are available online and abstracts of many of these records have appeared in print:
 * Personal property & land tax list (no date), Southwest Virginian, Vol. 7 (Mar. 1984)..
 * Tax list [date?], Southwest Virginian, Vol. 2, No. 9 (Jun. 1979)..
 * 1786-1818 Land Tax Books, 1786-1818, Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Winter 2001); online at Roanoke Public Library. Surnames: Boyd, Carter, Castle, Cox, Hensley, Jones, Penix, Ramey, Ratliff, Sword, Syck.
 * 1787 1787 Russell County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List; index online at New River Notes.
 * 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 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & 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. . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Russell County is included in Vol. 1.
 * 1787 Tax list, 1787, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 2, No. 7 (1979)..
 * 1787-1803, 1809-1810, 1821, 1824 Russell County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists at VAGenWeb.
 * 1788, 1790-1796, 1814 Russell County, Virginia Land Tax Lists at VAGenWeb.
 * 1787-1800 Tax list, 1787 through 1800, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 2, No. 9 (Apr. 1979)..
 * 1787-1850 Russell County, Virginia, Personal property tax lists, 1787-1850. Original records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.; microfilmed reproduction available at - images.
 * 1788 Tax list, 1788, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 2, No. 10 (Aug. 1979)..
 * 1789 Tax list, 1789, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 2, No. 11 (Oct. 1979)..
 * 1790 Tax list, 1790, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 2, No. 12 (1979)..
 * 1790 Personal property and land tax, 1790, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 3, No. 14 (Apr. 1980); Vol. 3, No. 15 (Jun. 1980)..
 * 1791 Personal property & land tax list, 1791, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 3, No. 16 (Aug. 1980); Vol. 3, No. 17 (Oct. 1980)..
 * 1792 Personal property & land tax list, 1792, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 3, No. 18 (Dec. 1980); Vol. 4, No. 19 (Feb. 1981); Vol. 4, No. 20 (Apr. 1981); Vol. 4, No. 21 (Jun. 1981). ff.
 * 1793 Personal property & land tax list, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 4, No. 22 (Sep. 1981); Vol. 4, No. 23 (Dec. 1981); Vol. 5, No. 25 (Jun. 1982); Vol. 5, No. 26 (Sep. 1982). ff. (perhaps 1792)
 * 1794 Personal property & land tax list, 1794, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 5, No. 27 (Dec. 1982); Vol. 6, No. 28 (Jun. 1983); Vol. 6, No. 29 (Jun. 1983). ff.
 * 1795 Personal property & land tax list, 1795, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 6, No. 30 (Sep. 1983); Vol. 6, No. 31 (Dec. 1983)..
 * 1796 Personal property and tax list, 1796, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 7, No. 32 (Mar. 1984)..
 * 1800, 1802, 1810 Tax list, 1800, 1802, 1810, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 1, No. 5 (1978)..
 * 1810 Schreiner-Yates, Netti. A Supplement to the 1810 Census of Virginia: Tax Lists of the Counties for which the Census is Missing. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1971. Available at . The source for this publication is the 1810 personal property tax list. Russell County is included because the 1810 Census for that county has been destroyed.
 * 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. Russell County is included in Vol. 5.
 * 1815 Kegley, Mary B. Southwest Virginia Tax Assessments, 1815: Grayson, Lee, Scott, Russell, Washington, and Wythe Counties. Wytheville, Va.: Kegley Books, 1991. Original edition and 1992 supplement available at . The source for this publication is a private collection of 1815 tax assessment tickets for the First District of Virginia. The tickets includes landowners' names, number of acres or lots, number of buildings along with descriptions, and number of slaves. N.B. These are not the 1815 land tax books.
 * 1816 Kincaid, Bathsheba. "Russell County, Virginia Tax Book for 1816," The Mountain Empire Genealogical Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Fall 1985):177-179..
 * 1841 Personal property tax list, 1841, A-D, Researcher. Chillicothe MO: Jul 1967. Vol. - Iss. 9.

Vital Records

 * Russell County Vital Records (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * Some Naturalizations, Births &amp; Deaths of Russell County, Virginia (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * Some Naturalizations, Births &amp; Deaths of Russell County, Virginia (Russell Co. GenWeb)

Birth

 * 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1853-1889 Birth registers, Russell County Public Library
 * 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1853-1896 Births, Russell Co. GenWeb
 * 1889-1896 Birth records, Library of Virginia
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at  at Findmypast — index, ($) — index $
 * 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1849-1911 Licenses or permissions, Russell County Public Library
 * 1853-1908 Russell County Marriages, 1853-1908 (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * 1848-1853 Lost Marriage Records of Russell County, Virginia 1848-1853 (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1900-1935  Crouse, Randy F. McNew. Russell County, Virginia Marriages, Vol. 1, 1900-1923; vol. 2 1923-1935, 2012-2015. 248 pages. . Separate indices sorted by groom surname and by bride surname. The register also contains the names of the parents, ages, birthplaces, marital condition, the groom’s occupation and residences of the parties.
 * 2000-present All marriage licenses after May 2000 are electronic with no paper records at the courthouse
 * Marriage Register of Rev. Alexander Little (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * Some Early Divorces of Russell County, Virginia (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * Some Early Russell County, Virginia Marriage Clues (Russell Co. GenWeb)

Death

 * 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1853-1896 Death register, Russell County Public Library
 * 1853-1896, 1912-1919 Russell County Deaths (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * 1853-1911 Virginia, U.S., Death Registers, 1853-1911 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection;  index & images
 * 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * From 1961 Death records, available from the Russell County Health Department (released only to immediate family); earlier records are at the Virginia Department of Vital Records in Richmond
 * Russell Countians Found in the Wise County, Virginia Death Register (Russell Co. GenWeb)
 * Some Early 1900s Russell, Scott, and Washington Co., VA Deaths (Russell Co. GenWeb)

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index & images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Bristol Virginia FamilySearch Center


 * Washington County Public Library - Hayters Gap Branch - an affiliate library
 * Washington County Public Library - Glade Spring Branch - an affiliate library
 * Washington County Public Library - Main Library - an affiliate library
 * Smyth County Public Library an affiliate library

Libraries
Russell County Public Library: Local History Website
 * General William Campbell Chapter SAR 19770 McCray Drive Abingdon, VA 24211 Phone: 540-623-2442
 * Branches located in Lebanon and Honaker. Visit website for details.

Websites

 * References for Southwest Virginia (Southwest Virginia Project)
 * Russell County Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Russell County Genealogy and History (Genealogy Trails)
 * Russell County, Virginia (Wikipedia)
 * Russell County, Virginia 1860-1865
 * Russell County, Virginia GenWeb (VA GenWeb)
 * Russell County, Virginia U.S. GenWeb Archives (U.S. GenWeb)
 * Cyndi's List


 * – 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.

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Russell County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1978):131-133. Digital version at ; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS($).