Charlotte County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Charlotte County Virginia Courthouse
Charlotte County Courthouse 125 David Bruce Avenue P.O. Box 38 Charlotte Court House, VA 23923-0038

County Clerk has birth and death records 1853-1870 Marriage, probate court and land records from 1765 and divorce records

Charlotte County Virginia History


The county was named after Queen Charlotte (1744-1818), queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom (1738-1820).

Parent County
1764--Charlotte County was created 26 May 1764 from Lunenburg County. County seat: Charlotte

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.


 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

African American

 * Freedmen's Bureau Letters or Correspondence, 1865-18721


 * Heinegg, Paul. "Charlotte County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1813," Free African Americans.com, available online. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]

Bible Records

 * [Williams] Southerland, Henry deLeon. "Williams Family Bible, Charlotte and Mecklenburg Counties, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1974):311-312. ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

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

The following is a list of cemeteries in Charlotte County:

Census
1782 Enumeration


 * Bureau of the Census, Heads of Families at the first Census of the United States taken in the Year 1790. Viewable online as a .pdf. Because the 1790 census had been destroyed, the Census Bureau created the Virginia report from census substitutes from similar time periods. This document contains a list for Charlotte County in the year 1782. Begins on page 13.

1850

Census takers uncharacteristically recorded the birth town or county of residents this census year.

1860

Census takers uncharacteristically recorded the birth town or county of residents this census year.

1890 Union Veterans


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

Church Records

 * Hamner, Sharon B. "Baptisms and Burials, Church of Our Saviour Parish Register, Charlottesville, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 23, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1979):83-87; Vol. 23, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1979):175-177. ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Ash Camp (1803). Church minutes (1813-1870) have been filmed: . (487+ graves).
 * 2) Cubb Creek aka Cub Creek (1771) . A history was published in 1967: Virginia Baptist Register, Issue 6 (1967).
 * 3) Midway. Meeting minutes and membership lists (1833-1867) have been filmed:.
 * 4) Mossingford (1785)
 * 5) Sandy Creek (1785)
 * 6) Staunton River (1804)

Charlotte County fell within the bounds of the Appomattox Association, the Meherrin Association, and the Roanoke Association.

Church of England
See also Cornwall Parish

Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Charlotte County is available online.

Chancery Court

 * Library of Virginia, Chancery Records Index (and images). Fully indexed. Allows searching by county, plaintiff, defendant, and surname. Search is exact spelling only. The Chancery Court records for Charlotte County have been scanned and are viewable as .pdf files.

County Court

 * 1786-1809 - Charlotte County Virginia Order Book Extracts Books 7 to 16 (VAGenWeb)

Genealogy
More than 125 genealogies have been published about Charlotte County families. To view a list, visit Charlotte County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies.

Historic Residences

 * Eggleston, J. D. Distinguished Descendants of Colonel Clement Read and Bushy Forest and Other Charlotte County Homes of the Early Reads: Two Addresses. unknown: unknown, 1932. Collection with index and images at Ancestry ($).

Immigration
During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 1 British alien living in Charlotte County.

Land and Property
Grants and Patents


 * Hudgins. 528 patents dated 1731-1835 in what is now Charlotte County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2010. [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

 * Carrington, John Cullen. Charlotte County, Virginia: Historical, Statistical, and Present Attractions. Hermitage Press, 1907. Available at ; digital version at Google Books (full-view).

Maps


Detail View of Charlotte County

The Library of Congress, American Memory website contains two beautifully detailed maps of Charlotte County from the 1860's. Both show rivers, creeks, and some landowners names. Viewable online or downloadable in jpeg2000 format.


 * Hotchkiss map collection No. 289: Map of Charlotte County, Virginia / by Jed. Hotchkiss, Top. Eng.
 * Gilmer map collection: Map of Charlotte County, Va. Made under the direction of Maj. A.H. Campbell Chief Topl. Departm't. by Lieut. C.E. Cassell C.S. Engineers. Sept. 15, 1864.

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):199-208; Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):113-118. ; digital version at American Ancestors ($). [These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Charlotte County's 1787-1788 Delinquent Lists appear on 20:31-34; the 1789 Delinquent List appears on 21:118.]
 * Elliott, Katherine B. Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 2 vols. South Hill, Virginia: K.B. Elliott, 1966. Vol. 1 of original edition: ; 1983 reprint: ; 1990-1992 reprints: . [Includes individuals who migrated out of Charlotte County to other parts of the country.]

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Charlotte County veterans; see place name index.]

Colonial Militia

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Charlotte County militia officers 1767-1774; see place name index.]

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


 * - 4th Virginia Regiment
 * - 14th Virginia Regiment (10th Company)

Additional resources:

Charlotte residents recommended for military commissions during the Revolutionary War.


 * 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, Charlotte 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
Charlotte County men served in the 26th Regiment.


 * 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 Charlotte 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, Charlotte County, p. 67.]

Civil War
Regiments. Charlotte County men most often served in regiments (and companies) from their home county. At times, however, individuals and small groups can be found serving in regiment from neighboring counties. Later in the war, Confederate units often reorganized.

Men from Charlotte County can be found in the following regiments:


 * - 1st Regiment, Virginia Infantry Reserves (Confederate). Company B (Home Guard)
 * - 2nd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company K (Albemarle Light Horse)
 * - 14th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company B (Charlotte Cavalry).
 * - 18th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company K (Charlotte Rifles).
 * - 21st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Red House Volunteers).
 * - 22nd Battalion, Virginia Infantry (Confederate)
 * - 23rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company K (Keysville Guards).
 * - 44th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company G (Randolph Guard) - Page 227 of  only casually mentions this regiment. Therefore, it is possible that only its commander was from Charlotte County.
 * - 56th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies G (Charlotte Defenders) and I (Charlotte Grays).
 * - Staunton Hill, Virginia Artillery (Confederate), was formed, equipped and initially commanded by Captain Charles Bruce and later commanded by Captain A. B. Paris. This company is reported as having been composed of three sections, 1st, 2nd, 3rd with the 3rd section serving in North Carolina while the other two served in Savannah, Georgia. Further into the war, possibly became Co. B, 2nd Regiment, Virginia Artillery and much later possibly Company B, 22nd Battalion Virginia Infantry.


 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Artillery 10th Regiment Volunteers-1st Artillery, Company C


 * Information about the history of the companies from Charlotte County can be found in:


 * -Charlotte County, Rich Indeed, pp. 222-249 and muster rolls on pp. 476-484
 * - Muster roll for Charlotte County on microfilm
 * -A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations 1861-1865,

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)

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Charlotte County.


 * June 25, 1864 = Staunton River Bridge, also known as Blacks and Whites or Old Men and Young Boys


 * Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861, 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 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.

Probate Records

 * Digital Images of Charlotte county Wills 1765-1791; 1791-1805. See names of testators. Virginia Pioneers

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Charlotte County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1963):115-117. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * 1782-1813 - Heinegg, Paul. "Charlotte County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1813," Free African Americans.com, available online. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
 * 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. Charlotte County is included in Vol. 1.
 * 1787-1789 - Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):199-208; Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):113-118. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Charlotte County's 1787-1788 Delinquent Lists appear on 20:31-34; the 1789 Delinquent List appears on 21:118.
 * 1790, 1800 - Indexed images of the 1790 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Charlotte County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * 1800 - "Charlotte County, Virginia, 1800 Tax List," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1971):110-116; Vol. 15, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1971):166-173. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).
 * 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. Charlotte County is included in Vol. 2.

Birth
Beth Fridley has published birth records through the following Ancestry index collections ($):


 * 1860-1874 - Charlotte County, Virginia Births, 1860-74
 * 1875-1878 - Charlotte County, Virginia Births, 1875-78
 * 1879-1882 - Charlotte County, Virginia Births, 1879-82
 * 1883-1896 - Charlotte County, Virginia Births, 1883-96


 * 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) ($).
 * 1782-1900 - Charlotte County Marriage Index 1782-1900. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1936-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * Macdonald, Margaret T. "Beware of the Charlotte County, Virginia, Marriage Bonds: The Featherston Family," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1979):3-7. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1912-1987 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Charlotte County Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Charlotte Co., VAGenWeb. Part of the USGenWeb Project. Maps, name indexes, history.
 * Cyndi's List
 * Virginia Pioneers Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * Virginia Pioneers Virginia Pioneers ($)