Stafford County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
Stafford County is located in the northern area of the Commonwealth of Virginia and is included in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. Stafford was named after Staffordshire England.

County Courthouse
Stafford County Courthouse 1300 Courthouse Road PO Box 940 Stafford, VA 22555-0940 Phone: 540-658-8935 Stafford County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1854, divorce and court records from 1664, probate and land records from 1699

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
The county is named after the English county of Staffordshire.

The port of Falmouth, just opposite of Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock River, is situated in Stafford County.

Bible Records

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

Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Two iron making facilities operated in colonial Stafford County:
 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (Together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. . Includes sections on Falmouth and Stafford County silversmiths.
 * 1) Accokeek Furnace
 * 2) Rappahannock Forge

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Cemetery Database w/Transcriptions at Stafford County Cemetery Committee
 * Stafford County, Virginia Cemeteries &amp; Churches at VAGenWeb

Census Records
1785 Enumeration
 * Stafford County Heads of Families - 1785 at U.S. Census Bureau - free. County begins on page 107.

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

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Baptist

Early Baptist churches (with years constituted): Stafford County fell within the bounds of the Ketocton Association.
 * 1) Chappawamsick (1767) . Original records held at the Virginia Historical Society; digitized by - free. Church records from 1766 to 1844 were also published and indexed in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 27 (1989), which is available online at Ancestry ($). Edwards published a membership list dated 1766 in Materials Towards a History of the Baptists... (1772), 28.
 * 2) Hartwood (1771). Church records from 1771 to 1791 were published in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 28 (1990), which is available online at Ancestry ($).
 * 3) Horsepen (by 1771)
 * 4) Potowmack (by 1768) Edwards published a membership list dated 1771 in Materials Towards a History of the Baptists... (1772), 33.
 * 5) White Oak (1791)

Catholic
 * Downing, Margaret Brent. "The Old Catholic Chapel and Graveyard near Aquia, Stafford County, Va.," The Catholic Historical Review, Vol. 10, No. 4 (Jan. 1925):561-563. Available at JSTOR ($).

Church of England Visit the following Church of England parish pages to learn about resources available for Anglican residents of Stafford County: See also Brunswick Parish See also Chotank Parish  See also Hamilton Parish  See also Lower Parish  See also Overwharton Parish  See also Potomac Parish  See also St. Paul's Parish  See also Stafford Parish  See also Upper Parish

Quaker Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):
 * Stafford Monthly Meeting (1769-1807) aka Potomac Creek

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records In 2011, a transcript of missing Stafford County Order Book 1749-1755 was located. Read more at NJ.com.

General
 * Waterman, Thomas T. "The Old Court House Buildings, Stafford County, Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Apr. 1936):247. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Waterman, Thomas T. "The Old Buildings at Stafford Court House," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 16, No. 4 (Oct. 1936):587-588. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Happel, Ralph. "Stafford and King George Courthouses and the Fate of Marlborough, Port of Entry," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 66, No. 2 (Apr. 1958):183-194. Available at JSTOR ($).

Chancery Court
 * Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index can be used to search digital images of Stafford County chancery records for the years 1866-1912.

County Court
 * Court records, 1680 (contains wills, inventories, depositions, orders, judgments, powers of attorney, etc.; seems to have been transcribed in 1817 by the clerk of the Superior Court) FS Library Microfilm #33956 Court Records [Deeds, Invs., Etc.] 1680 c, 27(a) fo.
 * Court records, 1664-1668, 1689-1693 (seems to be two order books which were bound together). FS Library Microfilm #33947 Court Records [Orders], 1664 - 1668, c 94 p. and Court Records [Orders], 1689 - 1693, c 381 p. unpaged index.
 * Record Book, 1686-1693/4, 552 p., no index FS Library Microfilm #1445833
 * "Notes from the Records of Stafford County, Virginia, Order Books," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 44, No. 3 (Jul. 1936):191-206; Vol. 44, No. 4 (Oct. 1936):296-311; Vol. 45, No. 1 (Jan. 1937):11-28; Vol. 45, No. 2 (Apr. 1937):171-188; Vol. 45, No. 3 (Jul. 1937):243-259; Vol. 45, No. 4 (Oct. 1937):367-382; Vol. 46, No. 1 (Jan. 1938):20-33; Vol. 46, No. 2 (Apr. 1938):126-134; Vol. 46, No. 3 (Jul. 1938):222-230; Vol. 46, No. 4 (Oct. 1938):316-320; Vol. 47, No. 1 (Jan. 1939):22-26; Vol. 47, No. 2 (Apr. 1939):126-132; Vol. 47, No. 3 (Jul. 1939):248-252; Vol. 47, No. 4 (Oct. 1939):335-348. Available at JSTOR ($).

District Court of Fredericksburg The District Court of Fredericksburg and later the Superior Court of Chancery had jurisdiction over certain Stafford County court cases. An index has been compiled:
 * Indexes of Court Records in the Clerk's Office, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 1782-1904. Original records, Fredericksburg City Courthouse, Fredericksburg, Va., microfilmed reproduction: . Indexes the following records: District Court law book v. 8, 1782-1792; District Court law books 1790-1793, v. A-F 1789-1811; Superior Court of Law law order books v. G-H 1812-1831; Superior Court of Chancery chancery order books 1814-1831; Hustings Court orders v. A-O 1782-1871; Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery law order books v. A-E 1831-1875; Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery chancery order books v. A-D 1831-1872; Circuit Court chancery order books v. A2, B-C 1875-1904; Fredericksburg District Court (1789-1808) had jurisdiction over the following counties: Spotsylvania (including Fredericksburg), Caroline, King George, Stafford, Orange, and Culpeper; Superior Court of Chancery (1802-1831) had jurisdiction over the following localities: city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fairfax, Lancaster, Northumberland, Madison, King George, Orange, Prince William, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Essex, and Westmoreland.
 * See also Historic Court Records for indexes of Apprentice Records, Clerk's Order Books, Court Records, Free Negro / Slave records, Inquests, Marriage Records, Mayor's Court, Military Records &amp; Wills

Superior Court of Chancery

See District Court of Fredericksburg

Emigration and Immigration
Falmouth, along the Rappahannock River, has been a port since colonial times. No official passenger lists survive for the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries.
 * Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. ; digital version at Internet Archive. List of immigrants, 1707, sailed to Virginia under Capt. James Gaugh on the Ship Joseph and Thomas from Bristol, England, see p. 8.
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Includes wills of residents of Stafford County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 4 British aliens, some of whom had families, living in Falmouth.
 * O'Brien, Michael J. "Virginia, Stafford County, Overwharton Parish - Extracts from the Registers of the Protestant Episcopal Church of, from 1720 to 1758, Transcribed by Mr. Powhattan Moncure, Custodian of the Records," The Journal of the American Irish Historical Society, Vol. 12 (1913):156-161. - browse images. O'Brien attempts to identify Irish surnames in this Church of England parish register.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans
 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Stafford County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1813," Free African Americans.com. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
 * Fitzgerald, Ruth Coder.A Different Story: A Black History of Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spotsylvania, Virginia [Greensbobo, N.C.]: Unicorn, c1979. FS Library 975.536 F2f
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans of Stafford County.

Native Americans
 * Deyo, William L. A Brief Outline of Recorded History of the Patawomeck [Potomac] Tribe. Colonial Beach, Va.: DeJoux Publications, 2000.

Funeral Homes

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

Genealogies
Compiled Genealogies by Surname 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 Stafford County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of published books and articles, or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar.

Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Families
 * Eby, Jerrilynn. Laying the Hoe: A Century of Iron Manufacturing in Stafford County, Virginia: With Genealogical Notes on Over 300 Families. Westminster, Md.: Willow Bend Books, 2003.
 * Eby, Jerrilynn. Men of Mark in Stafford County, Virginia: A Listing of County Officials, 1664-1991, with Accompanying Biographical Annotations. Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 2001.
 * Yurechko, John Otto. Virginians Along and Near the Lower Rapphahannock River, 1607-1799. 2 vols. Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1997-1998. . Contents: v. 1. Blake, Brooks (Brook), Churchill, Cook (Cock), Daniel, Dixon, Gore, Kidd, Lewis, Martin, Montague, Taylor and Wood -- v. 2. Brown, Clark, Elliott, Fox (Fowkes, Vaulx), Harrison, McTyre, Moore, Pate, Rawlins (Rollins), Rhodes, Sanders (Saunders) and Williams.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records

Grants and Patents
 * Davey. 253 patents dated 1651-1911 in what is now Fairfax, Fauquier, Northumberland, Prince William, Stafford, and Westmoreland Counties, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper. 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, which is "Nova" in this instance); however, in order to view the maps, it is necessary to purchase Direct Line Software's DeedMapper product.
 * Gray, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants 1694-1742. Vol. I. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1987. ; digital version at Ancestry. [Includes Stafford County.]
 * 1742-1775 Gray, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775. Vol. II. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Nugent, Nell Marion. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1666. Vol. I (1934; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991). ; online at Hathitrust, Ancestry ($).

Local Histories
Historic Residences
 * Goolrick, John T. Old Homes and History Around Fredericksburg: The Northern Neck and the Southside, Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties and Battle Sketches. Richmond: Garrett &amp; Massie, c1929. ; digital versions at Ancestry ($), FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1977):49-53. ; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Stafford County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on p. 53.

Military Records
French and Indian War Revolutionary War
 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. . Online at: Ancestry ($). Identifies some Stafford County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.
 * Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. ; digital version at Internet Archive. Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch (French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War) with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Stafford County, see pp. 101-102.
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. ; digital book at Ancestry ($). Identifies some Stafford County militia officers; see place name index.
 * 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. Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Eastern District, Stafford County on page 133.
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.

Regiments. Service men in Stafford County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Stafford County supplied soldiers for the:
 * - 3rd Virginia Regiment
 * - 10th Virginia Regiment

Colonial Militia War of 1812
 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. . Online at: Ancestry ($). Identifies some Stafford County militia officers and/or soldiers; see place name index.
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. ; digital book at Ancestry ($). Identifies some Stafford County militia officers; see place name index.
 * 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 Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Stafford County, p. 105. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Regiments. Stafford County men served in the 45th Regiment. Civil War
 * 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)

Regiments. Civil War service men in Stafford 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:
 * - 9th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Stafford Rangers).
 * - 30th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company I.
 * - 47th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A and Company B.

Civil War Battle The following Civil War battle was fought in Stafford County.
 * May 29-June 1, 1861 - Aquia Creek


 * Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.

World War II
 * 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
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.
 * 2008-present Stafford County Sun at Genealogy Bank ($).

Other Records
Private Papers
 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * King, George Harrison Sanford. "Notes from the Journal of John Mercer, Esquire, (1704/5-1768) of Marlborough, Stafford County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1960):99-110; Vol. 4, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1960):153-162. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records Local Court
 * 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * Hopkins, William Lindsay. Some Wills from the Burned Counties of Virginia and Other Wills Not Listed in Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800. Richmond, Virginia: W.L. Hopkins, 1987. [Includes Stafford County.]
 * King, George Harrison Sanford. "Will of Andrew Edwards, Stafford County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 16, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1972):307-310. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Nicklen, John Bailey Calvert. "A Missing Will Book of Stafford County and Its Contents," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 57, No. 1 (Jan. 1949):67-75. Available at JSTOR ($).

London Courts
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Stafford County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
 * 1699-1709 Images of Wills at Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1729-1748 Images of Wills at Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1748-1763 Images of Wills at Virginia Pioneers ($)

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

 * 1723 Stafford County Rent Roll for the Year 1723; index online at RELIC - free.
 * 1723-1790 Vogt, John and T. William Kethley. Stafford County, Virginia Tithables: Quit Rent, Personal Property Taxes and Related Lists and Petitions, 1723-1790 in Two Volumes. 2 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1990.
 * 1724 Stafford County Tobacco Tenders 1724; index online at RELIC - free.
 * 1742  Vogt, John. "A Stafford County, Virginia Quit Roll, circa 1742," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 27, No. 4 (Nov. 1989):239-245. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1746-1749 A List of the Rents Belonging to the Estate of Capt. William Brent, Dece[ase]d Virginia, y[ea]rs 1746-1749, in Milnor Ljungstedt, "Some Stafford Records," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jul. 1922):183. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * 1758-1759, 1764 Reynolds, William W. "Rent Rolls of 1758-1759 and 1764, Stafford County," Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1981):137-139. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1768, 1773 Woodson, Robert F. and Isobel B. Woodson. Virginia Tithables from Burned Record Counties: Buckingham, 1773-1774; Gloucester, 1770-1771, 1774-1775; Hanover, 1763 and 1770; James City, 1768-1769; Stafford, 1768 and 1773. Richmond, Virginia: I.B. Woodson, 1970.
 * 1782-1813 Heinegg, Paul. "Stafford County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1813," Free African Americans.com.  Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
 * 1782-1925  Personal Property Tax Records. Available on microfilm at Library of Virginia.
 * 1783-1861 Personal property tax lists of Stafford County, 1783-1861. Online at: - images.
 * 1787 Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Stafford County is included in Vol. 2.
 * 1787 Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1977):49-53. ; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Stafford County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on p. 53.
 * 1815 Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. . The source for this publication is 1815 land tax. Stafford County is included in Vol. 4.

Vital Records

 * Boogher, William F. Old Stafford County, Virginia: Overwharton Parish Register, 1720 - 1760. Washington, D.C.: Saxton Printing Co., 1899. ; archive.org. Contains births, deaths and marriages 1720-1760.
 * [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also Overwharton Parish, Virginia
 * [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also Overwharton Parish, Virginia

Birth

 * 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1853-1896 Stafford County, Virginia Birth Records 1853-1896 at VAGenWeb
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index ($) — index $
 * 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1771-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1800-1920 Stafford County, Virginia Marriage Records 1800-1920 at VAGenWeb
 * 1851-1900 Virginia Marriages 1851-1900 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 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

Death

 * Deaths are online in the Library of Virginia's Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, sponsored by The Virginia Genealogical Society.
 * 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1853-1896 Stafford County, Virginia Death Records 1853-1896 at VAGenWeb
 * 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

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index & images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Culpeper Virginia FamilySearch Center
 * Fredericksburg Virginia FamilySearch Center
 * Woodbridge Virginia FamilySearch Center
 * Bull Run Regional Library-Ruth E Lloyd Information Center - an affiliate library
 * Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County 'AHHA' - an affiliate library

Libraries
Central Rappahannock Library 1201 Caroline Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-372-1144 or 540-371-9165
 * Stafford County collections are also held at the Library of Virginia and the Virginia Historical Society.

Websites

 * Stafford County, Virginia VAGenWeb
 * Fredericksburg FamilySearch Center
 * 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
Compiled genealogies are a good place to start research for this area, see Stafford County, Virginia Genealogy. If you are researching families who lived in Stafford County, Virginia between the 1660s and 1820s, the Sparacios' book indexes are a great time saver. The indexes are available for free online.


 * King, George H.S. "A Survey of Stafford County Records [1792]," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 53, No. 3 (Jul. 1945):215-218. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Stafford County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1979):55-57. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).