Brunswick County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
Brunswick County is located in the South-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia on the North Carolina border and was named for the House of Brunswick which had assumed the English throne in 1714.

Brunswick County Virginia Courthouse
Brunswick County Courthouse 216 North Main Street Lawrenceville, VA 23868-0160 Phone: 804-848-2215

Clerk Circuit court has marriage, divorce and probate records from 1732 and land records from 1900

Brunswick County Virginia History


Brunswick County is said to have been named after the Duchy of Brunswick-Lunenburg in modern-day Germany. This is because the county was named, more directly, after the House of Brunswick, which had gained possession of the British throne in 1714. One of the titles of the Hanoverian kings of Britain was that of Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg.

Parent County
1720--Brunswick County was created 2 November 1720 from Prince George County. Additional territory from Isle of Wight and Surry Counties was added in 1732. County seat: Lawrenceville

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
Most loose papers prior to 1781 are missing, but deeds, court orders, and wills still exist prior to 1781.


 * Lost census: 1890

Populated Places
Brunswick County includes three incorporated towns:


 * Alberta
 * Brodnax
 * Lawrenceville

African American
Freedmen's Bureau Letters or Correspondence, 1865-18721


 * Brunswick County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1815. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.


 * Register of Free Negroes and Also of Dower Slaves, Brunswick County, Virginia, 1803-1850. 1983. By Frances Holloway Wynne. Fairfax, Virginia : Self-published.

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 -

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

A partial list of cemeteries in Brunswick County appears below. A more comprehensive list appears in the website titled Cemeteries of Brunswick County, Virginia.
 * Cemeteries of Brunswick County, Virginia (detailed and comprehensive site)
 * Wilkes Burial Ground, 'Charlie's Hope,' Brunswick County, Virginia. By Charles Fred Wilkes. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1971):135-136., CD available at: New England Ancestors ($).

Census
1810


 * 1810 census (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1810 census index (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1810 census index, Meherrin Parish (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1810 census index, St. Andrews Parish (USGenWeb Archives)

1830


 * Simmons, Don. Brunswick Co., Va. Census of 1830. Melber, Kentucky: Self-published, 1976.

1850


 * 1850 census index (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1850 census, northern division (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1850 census, southern division, part 1 of 2 (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1850 census, southern division, part 2 of 2 (USGenWeb Archives)

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

Church Records

 * History of Pleasant Hill Christian Church

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Fountain Creek (by 1787)
 * 2) Great Creek (by 1790)
 * 3) James's
 * 4) Reedy Creek (by 1775)

Brunswick County fell within the bounds of the Meherrin Association.

Church of England
See also Meherrin Parish See also St. Andrew's Parish


 * Hopkins, William Lindsay. Bath Parish Register (Births, Deaths, &amp; Marriages), 1827-1897, of Dinwiddie County, Virginia and St. Andrews Parish Vestry Book, 1732-1797, of Brunswick County, Virginia. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Publishing Company, 1993.
 * Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Brunswick County is available online.

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):


 * Ward's Monthly Meeting (1770-1790) aka Sadler's

Court

 * Courts [court records], Brunswick County, Virginia USGenWeb Archives
 * Pawlett, Nathaniel Mason. Brunswick County Road Orders, 1732-1746. Charlottesville, Virginia: Virginia Transportation Research Council, 1988.

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Brunswick County, Virginia residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.


 * Fletcher - Descendant of James Fletcher, b. c1680s, resident of Prince George County, Virginia, d. 1733 Brunswick County, Virginia. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA. Genetic signature available online - (Labelled William Fletcher of Accomac County, Virginia/James Fletcher of Brunswick County, Virginia), courtesy: The Fletcher DNA Project.
 * Harrison - Descendant of Benjamin Harrison, b. c1720, d. 1790 Brunswick County, Virginia. Y-DNA 67 Marker Test, FTDNA (labelled H-18, Lineage 2). Genetic signature available online, courtesy: The Harrison DNA Project, World Families Network.
 * Harrison - Descendant of John Harrison, b. 1760 of Brunswick County, Virginia, d. 1822. Y-DNA 67 Marker Test, FTDNA (labelled H-101, Lineage 2). Genetic signature available online, courtesy: The Harrison DNA Project, World Families Network.

Genealogy
More than 225 genealogies have been published about Brunswick County families. To view a list, visit Brunswick County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies.

General

 * Virginia Historical Records Survey, Works Projects Administration. Inventory of County Archives of Virginia: No. 13, Brunswick County (Lawrenceville). Richmond, Virginia: Virginia Historical Records Survey, 1943.

Immigration

 * Ljungstedt, Milnor. "Items from Southern Records" [Showing Family and Trade Connections with Northern Colonies and the Home Countries], The American Genealogist, Vol. 15 (1938):95-104. Available at New England Ancestors ($). [Brunswick Co., VA surname: Godwyn.]

Land and Property
Deeds


 * Brunswick County, Virginia Deeds. Miami Beach, Florida: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1991.
 * "Brunswick County, Virginia, Deeds, Wills, Etc., No. 1, 1732-1740," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1957):73-79; Vol. 1, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1957):124-131; Vol. 1, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1957):163-168; Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1958):33-37; Vol. 2, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1958):87-90; Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1958):124-127; Vol. 2, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1958):172-176; Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1959):27-33; Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1959):65-70; Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1959):103-112; Vol. 3, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1959):153-161. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors($).
 * Land Records, Brunswick County, Virginia USGenWeb Archives

Grants and Patents


 * Hudgins. 821 patents dated 1717-1801 in what is now Brunswick County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2002. [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.]

Local Histories

 * "Brunswick County and Fort Christiana," William and Mary College Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 4 (transcribed; USGenWeb Archives)
 * Neale, Gay, Henry L. Mitchell, Brunswick County, Virginia, 1720-1975. Brunswick County Bicentennial Committee, 1975. Google Books page (without preview).

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1975):248-254. Available at ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Brunswick County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on p. 254]
 * Elliott, Katherine B. Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 2 vols. South Hill, Virginia: K.B. Elliott, 1966. Vol. 1 of original edition available at ; 1983 reprints (both volumes) available at ; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) also available at . [Includes individuals who migrated out of Brunswick County to other parts of the country.]

Bell published records of Brunswick County residents who migrated to South Carolina:


 * Bell, Mary McCampbell. "Some Migrations from Virginia to South Carolina," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Spring 1983):97-102; Vol. 12, No. 2 (Spring 1984):94-99.

Military

 * Fort Christanna (Historical Marker Database)
 * Fort Christanna (Wikipedia)
 * Military, Brunswick County, Virginia USGenWeb Archives

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Brunswick 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. [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 Brunswick County, see p. 68-69.]
 * Bracey, Mrs. Carstairs. "Soldiers From Brunswick County, Virginia, in the French and Indian War," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1979):193-194.
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at ; digital version at New England Ancestors($).; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Brunswick County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.]

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


 * - 15th Virginia Regiment (6th Company)

Additional resources:


 * 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, Brunswick County on page 129.]
 * 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
Brunswick County men served in the 66th and 96th Regiments.


 * Douthat, James L. Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2007. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. 975.5 M2djL. [Includes Brunswick County.]
 * 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, Brunswick County, p. 64.]

Civil War
Brunswick County men served in regiments (and companies) from their home county as well as neighboring counties. Because Confederate units often reorganized, this list might not be complete.

Additional information for the following regiments can be at, pp. 158-174, and.


 * - 4th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 5th Battalion, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Brunswick Guard).
 * - 5th Battalion, Virginia Infantry (Wilson's)(Archer's)(Confederate).
 * - 12th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (Huger Grays) and Company I (Meherrin Grays).
 * - 20th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company I (Brunswick Blues).
 * - 21st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company G (Brunswick Grays or Brunswick Guard).
 * - 46th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 53rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 56th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Ebenezer Grays).
 * - 59th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company B3 (Brunswick Blues).
 * - 66th Regiment, Virginia Infantry Militia (Confederate)
 * - 96th Regiment, Virginia Infantry Militia (Confederate) was part of the 15th Brigade along with the precedingly mentioned 66th Regiment, Virginia Infantry Militia (Confederate) as mentioned in titled A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations 1861-1865, page 241

Records and histories are available, including:


 * 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers 1861-1865
 * 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers 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)
 * Pritchett, W.M. Civil War Soldiers from Brunswick County, Virginia. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 2000.

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch  index and images

Naturalization
Virginia Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929

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.
 * Obituaries, Brunswick County, Virginia USGenWeb Archives

Probate Records
SamPubCo has created a free online resource that serves as a good starting place to search for Colonial Brunswick County wills:


 * Brunswick County, Virginia Will Testators Index, Books 1-3 (1732-1769)

Other Brunswick County probate resources include:


 * "Brunswick County, Virginia, Deeds, Wills, Etc., No. 1, 1732-1740," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1957):73-79; Vol. 1, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1957):124-131; Vol. 1, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1957):163-168; Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1958):33-37; Vol. 2, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1958):87-90; Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1958):124-127; Vol. 2, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1958):172-176; Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1959):27-33; Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1959):65-70; Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1959):103-112; Vol. 3, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1959):153-161. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors($).
 * Brunswick County, Virginia Wills, 1739-1750. Miami Beach. Florida: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1991.
 * Cridlin, W.B., "Brunswick County, Virginia Wills, Etc. (continued)," Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 22. Digital copy in Google Books.
 * Hopkins, William Lindsay. Some Wills from the Burned Counties of Virginia and Other Wills Not Listed in Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800. Richmond, Virginia: W.L. Hopkins, 1987. Available at . [Includes Brunswick County.]
 * Wills, Brunswick County, Virginia USGenWeb Archives

Online Probate Records
 * 1639 – 1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry.com index to transcribed records, $
 * 1739 - 1750 Virginia Pioneers Wills, (Digital Images)
 * 1739 - 1750 Virginia Pioneers Index to Wills and Indentures (Deeds)
 * 1739 - 1750 Virginia Pioneers ($) Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories, Guardianships
 * 1751 - 1761 Virginia Pioneers Wills, (Digital Images)
 * 1751 - 1761 Virginia Pioneers ($) Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories, Guardianships
 * 1751 - 1769 Virginia Pioneers Index to Inventories, Accounts, Wills, Book No. 3.
 * 1764 - 1769 Virginia Pioneers Wills, (Digital images)
 * 1764 - 1769 Virginia Pioneers ($) Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories, Guardianships
 * 1783 - 1785 Virginia Pioneers Wills, (Digital Images)
 * 1783 - 1785 Virginia Pioneers ($) Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories, Guardianships

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Brunswick County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1962):34-38. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).
 * Pritchett, John W. "Genealogical Research in Brunswick County," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 32, No. 3 (2006). Available at ; digital version at VGS website - ($).

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * 1748 - "Brunswick County, Va., Poll List, 1748," William and Mary College Quarterly, 1st Series, Vol. 26 (1917):59-64. Available at ; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at ; digital version at USGenWeb Archives or at JSTOR ($).
 * 1782 - Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. Online at FamilySearch - free; . 1784 personal property tax list of Botetourt County.
 * 1782-1815 - Heinegg, Paul. "Brunswick County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1815," Free African Americans.com, available online. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
 * 1783 - 1783 Personal Property Tax Lists (VAGenWeb).
 * 1783 - Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783; index online at Revolutionary War Service website - free.
 * 1787 - Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Online at FamilySearch - free; . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Brunswick County is included in Vol. 1.
 * 1787 - Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1975):248-254. Available at ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Brunswick County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on p. 254.
 * 1788, 1798 - Indexed images of the 1788 and 1798 Personal Property Tax Lists of Brunswick County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * 1800 - "Brunswick County, Virginia, 1800 Tax List," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1967):35-38; Vol. 11, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1967):67-70; Vol. 11, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1967):116-120; Vol. 11, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1967):175-178. Available at ; digital version at USGenWeb Archives or at New England Ancestors ($).
 * 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. Brunswick County is included in Vol. 2.

Vital Records

 * Vital Records, Brunswick County, Virginia USGenWeb Archives

Birth
Beth Fridley has published abstracts of Brunswick County births from 1853 through 1896 online at Ancestry:


 * 1853-1862 - Brunswick County, Virginia Births, 1853-62 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * 1865-1873 - Brunswick County, Virginia Births, 1865-73 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * 1874-1879 - Brunswick County, Virginia Births, 1874-79 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * 1880-1896 - Brunswick County, Virginia Births, 1880-96 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).


 * 1853-1857 - Brunswick County Birth Index 1853-1857. 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 $
 * 1730-1852 - Fothergill, Augusta B. Marriage Records of Brunswick County, Virginia, 1730 - 1852. [S.l.]: A.B. Fothergill, 1953. Available at ; digital version at World Vital Records ($); partial preview in Google Books.
 * 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1750-1810 - Knorr, Catherine Lindsay. Marriage Bonds and Ministers' Returns of Brunswick County, Virginia, 1750-1810. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1953, 1982.
 * 1750-1861 - Ricks, Joel. Brunswick County, Virginia Marriage Bonds, 1750-1861. Salem, Massachusetts: Higginson Book Company, 1997.
 * 1750-1861 - Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1750-1861 - Brunswick County Marriages 1750 to 1861 Virginia Pioneers
 * 1750-1872 - Brunswick County Marriage Index 1750-1872. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1751-1853 - Brunswick County Marriage Index 1751-1853. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1872-1885 - Brunswick County Marriage Index 1872-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1885-1895 - Brunswick County Marriage Index 1885-1895. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1936-1988 - at FamilySearch  index and images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 - at FamilySearch  index and images

Deaths

 * Obituaries, Brunswick County, Virginia USGenWeb Archives - free.
 * 1853-1855 - Brunswick County Death Index 1853-1855. Batch (broken link) at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1912-1987 - at FamilySearch  index and images

Brunswick County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * Brunswick County Museum
 * Meherrin Regional Library

Brunswick County Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Brunswick County, Virginia (Brunswick County site)
 * Brunswick County, Virginia (RootsWeb)
 * Brunswick County, Virginia Genealogy (GenealogyLinks.net)
 * Brunswick County, Virginia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Brunswick County, Virginia Genealogy and History (Virginia Genealogy Trails)
 * Virginia Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Brunswick County, Virginia GenWeb (VAGenWeb)
 * Brunswick County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * Brunswick County, Virginia USGenWeb Archives (USGenWeb)
 * Fort Christanna (Historical Marker Database)
 * Fort Christanna (Wikipedia)
 * History of the Town of Lawrenceville
 * Profile for Brunswick County, Virginia (ePodunk)
 * Cyndi's List
 * Virginia Pioneers Virginia Pioneers 
 * Virginia Pioneers Virginia Pioneers 