Cumberland County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
Cumberland County is located in the central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, second son of King George II of Great Britain.

County Courthouse
Cumberland County Courthouse 1 Courthouse Circle Cumberland, VA 23040-0008 Phone: 804-492-4442 Cumberland County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1749, birth and death records 1853-1870.

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

Census Records
1782 Enumeration
 * Cumberland County Heads of Families - 1782 at U.S. Census Bureau. County begins on page 15.

1784 Enumeration
 * Cumberland County Heads of Families - 1784 at U.S. Census Bureau. County begins on page 67.

1890 Union Veterans
 * Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890.   Online at: Ancestry ($);.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Baptist

Church of England See also King William Parish See also Littleton Parish  See also St. James Southam Parish Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Cumberland County is available online.

Quaker Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):
 * Fine Creek Monthly Meeting (1756-1775)

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

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records Indexed images of Cumberland County, Virginia Chancery Records 1750-1912 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

Emigration and Immigration

 * Items from Southern Records. By Milnor Ljungstedt. The American Genealogist, Vol. 15 (1938):95-104. Online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). Showing Family and Trade Connections with Northern Colonies and the Home Countries. Cumberland Co., VA surname: Thompson

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 3 British aliens, some of whom had families, living in Cartersville and Cumberland County.

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
 * Cumberland County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1816.By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized images of African Americans of Cumberland County.

Funeral Homes

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

Genealogies
Compiled Genealogies by Surname More than 150 genealogies have been published about Cumberland County families. *See Cumberland County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of 150+ Published books and articles, or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar. 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

Compiled Genealogies for multiple Families
 * Cumberland County Historical Society. Cumberland County, Virginia, and Its People. Multi-vol. Cumberland, Va.: Cumberland County Historical Society, 1983-1999. and supplements.
 * Pritchett, John W. Southside Virginia Genealogies. CD-ROM. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Free online index, courtesy: Virginians - The Family History of John W. Pritchett. [Includes a great deal of information about residents of Cumberland County, see discussion of cited sources.] CD-ROM no. 3887.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records

Grants and Patents


 * Bannister. 405 patents dated 1714-1835 in what is now Cumberland County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2004. 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

 * The Story of Cumberland County, Virginia. 1942. By Garland Evans Hopkins. Winchester, VA : Garland Evans Hopkins. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Migration

 * Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790. By Robert Y. Clay. The Virginia Genealogist. Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):199-208; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Online at:, American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Cumberland County's 1788 Delinquent List appears on 20:34; 1789 Delinquent List appears on 21:168.

Military Records
French and Indian War
 * Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. By William F. Boogher. 2007. Baltimore : Genealogical Pub. Co. Online 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 Cumberland County, see p. 70.
 * 1651-1776 Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at ; digital book at Ancestry ($). Identifies some County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.
 * Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. By Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck. 1988. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. . Online at: Ancestry ($).

Revolutionary War
 * 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 ($). 1967 reprint: . See Virginia, Eastern District, Cumberland County on page 130.
 * Proceedings of the Committees of Safety of Cumberland and Isle of Wight Counties, Virginia, 1775-1776. 1919. By H.R. McIlwaine. Richmond, VA : D. Bottom, Superintendent of Public Printing. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($)
 * 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.
 * Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War: McAllister's Data. c1913. By J. T. McAllister. Hot Springs, Virginia : McAllister Pub. Co. Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.

Regiments. Service men in Cumberland County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Cumberland County supplied soldiers for the:
 * - 7th Virginia Regiment
 * - 10th Virginia Regiment

War of 1812 Cumberland County men served in the 17th Regiment.
 * 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... 1883. Washington, D.C : Government Printing Office. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Cumberland County, p. 69.
 * Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. By James L. Douthat. 2007. Signal Mountain, Tenn : Mountain Press. Free online surname index at Mountain Press;.

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 Cumberland 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:
 * - 3rd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company G (Cumberland Light Dragoons).
 * - 18th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Black Eagle Rifles) and Company F (Farmville Guard).
 * - 21st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company D (Cumberland Greys).
 * - 44th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company G (Randolph Guard).

Records and histories are available, including:

Civil War Battle The following Civil War battles were fought in Cumberland County.
 * April 7, 1865 Cumberland Church, also known as Farmville
 * April 6-7, 1865 High Bridge
 * Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861 and 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

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.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry — index, incomplete ($)
 * 1759-1769; 1769-1792 Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories etc. Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1749-1769; 1769-1792 Images of Wills. Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * Cumberland Co., Virginia, Marriages and Wills Abstracted, 1749-1799. n.p. : n.p. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Online Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories, etc. 1792-1810; 1810-1814; 1814-1817 Virginia Pioneers ($)

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

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1759 Cumberland County, Virginia Tithable Lists for 1759. 2007. By Patti Sue McCrary. Westminster, Maryland : Heritage Books. Available at.
 * 1764-1792 Personal Property Tax Lists of Buckingham County Virginia, Vol. 1, 1764-1792. 2017. By Randy F. McNew Crouse. .. In 1778, a small triangular area of Buckingham county bordering the James River was given to Cumberland county. Buckingham residents living there then, and following the division of the county, became residents of Cumberland county. In addition, owing to the proximity of the two counties, many families that lived in Buckingham also owned property and/or had relatives in Cumberland and vice-versa, or they were former residents of the other. This book is a transcription of all extant tithe and personal property tax lists (over 12,000 records) for Buckingham County, Virginia from its formation in 1761 through 1792. Includes 1764, 1773-4, 1782-1792.
 * 1782-1816 Cumberland County Personal Property Tax Lists 1782-1816 (images). Online at: Binns Genealogy ($).
 * 1782-1815 Tax Digests available at Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1782-1816 Cumberland County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1816. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans
 * 1783 Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783. Online at: Revolutionary War Service.
 * 1787 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 & Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. c1987. By Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florene Speakman Love. Springfield, Virginia : Genealogical Books in Print. . . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Cumberland County is included in Vol. 1.
 * 1788-1789 Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790. By Robert Y. Clay. The Virginia Genealogist. Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):199-208; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at ; online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Cumberland County's 1788 Delinquent List appears on 20:34; 1789 Delinquent List appears on 21:168.
 * 1791, 1800 Indexed images of the 1791 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Cumberland County, Virginia Binns Genealogy ($).
 * 1800 Cumberland County, Virginia, 1800 Tax List. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1973):197-200; Vol. 17, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1973):249-252. Available at ; online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * 1804 Cumberland County Poll List 1804, excerpted from Cumberland County Records. 1983. By W.S. Morton. William and Mary College Quarterly, 2nd Series, Vol. 22 (1942):61-64. Available at ; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. which is also available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * 1815 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 1997-2000. By Roger D. Ward. Athens, Georgia : Iberian Pub. Co. 6 vols. Available at . The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Cumberland County is included in Vol. 1.

Birth

 * 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1749-1791 Cumberland Marriages (VAGenWeb)
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index ; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Cumberland Co., Virginia, Marriages and Wills Abstracted, 1749-1799. n.p. : n.p. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Marriage Records, 1749-1840, Cumberland County, Virginia. 1969. By Katherine B. Elliott. South Hill, VA : n.p.

Death

 * 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection;  index & images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index & images

Family History Centers

 * Buckingham Virginia Family History Center
 * Lynchburg Virginia Family History Center
 * Richmond Virginia Midlothian Family History Center
 * Greenwood Library - Longwood University - an affiliate library
 * Jefferson Madison Regional Library - Scottsville Branch - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * The Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia

Websites

 * Cumberland Co., VAGenWeb. Part of the USGenWeb Project. Maps, name indexes, history.
 * 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: Cumberland County. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1964):122-124. Available at ; online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).