Charles City County, Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Charles City County, Virginia ancestry, family history and genealogy ,irth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, immigration records, and military records.

Virginia Online Genealogy Records

Description
Charles City County is located in the East-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for the English King's son, Charles, who later became King Charles I.

Charles City County Virginia Courthouse
Charles City County Courthouse P O Box 128 Charles City, Virginia 23030 Phone: 804-829-9211

Clerk Circuit Court has birth, marriage, death and probate and land records

Charles City County Virginia History


The county was named after King Charles I of England (1600-1649).

Parent County
1634--Charles City County was created in 1634 and was an original shire or county. County seat: Charles City

Record Loss
Charles City County has suffered heavy record loss, especially during the American Civil War, 1861-1865. Only a few pre-Civil War deed books, will books, minute books, or order books still exist.

Weisiger abstracted a valuable source that includes deed, will, and marriage information about residents:
 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890


 * Burned County Data 1809-1848 As Found in the Virginia Contested Election Files. 1986. By Benjamin B. Weisiger. Richmond, VA : n.p..

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:

Research Guides

 * A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Charles City County. By John Frederick Dorman. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun.1963):75-77. CD available at: American Ancestors ($).
 * Records of Tidewater Virginia Counties. By Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis. Tidewater Virginia Families: A Magazine of History and Genealogy, Vol. 1, No. 2 (May-June 1992):53-66. 975.51 D25t. For Charles City County, see pp. 55-56.

African American
Paul Heinegg has determined that in 1790, Charles City County, Virginia had the highest percentage of free African Americans in its population, per capita, where that statistic can be measured, of all Virginia counties (14.8% of the population or 363 free blacks).
 * 1793-1864 Free Negro and Mulatto Registrations, 1793-1864. Online at: Charles City County Government.
 * 1865-1872 Freedmen's Bureau
 * 1935-2009, index and images, incomplete
 * Charles City County Personal Property Tax List 1784-1814. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans
 * Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. c2005. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans; . Heinegg identifies the following free African American surnames in Charles City County before 1820: Ampey, Anderson, Atkins, Barham (see introduction), Bates, Bowman, Bowser, Bradby, Brown, Bragby, Carsey, Carter, Cary, Charity, Chavis, Colley, Corney, Cumbo, Elliott, Evans, Fields, Gibson, Goeing, Gowen, Grantum, Green, Griffin, Hamlin, Harris, Hill, Homes, Hood, Humbles, Hunt, Jasper, Lewis, Kecatan, King, Lucie, Marshall, Miles, Morris, Moss, Redcross, Reed, Rosarran, Scott, Seldon, Smith, Stewart, Stringer, Sweat, Thomas, Toney, Valentine, Wallace, Willis, and Young.
 * Slave Ancestor File at Charles City County government website. Details of 700+ slaves.
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans in Charles City County.

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 -
 * Old Tombstones in Charles City County. By Lyon G. Tyler. The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Oct. 1895):122-125; Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jan. 1896):143-150. Online at: JSTOR ($).
 * 80% Heaven Bound: Deaths Burials in Charles City County, Virginia. 2000. By Sherry Brown Tyler, Charles City County Historical Society. Virginia : The Society.

Census
1890 Union Veterans


 * Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. c1994. By Ronald Ray Turner. Online at: Prince William County Virginia, ;.

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Charles City (1776)

Charles City County fell within the bounds of the Dover Association.


 * History of Elam Baptist Church [1810-1910], Charles City Co., VA. Reformer Electric Print, 1910.
 * History of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Charles City County, Virginia. 1976. By L. McCarthy Downs.

Church of England
See also Bristol Parish See also Charles City Parish  See also Chickahominy Parish  See also Jordan's Journey Parish  See also Martin's Brandon Parish  See also Smith's Hundred Parish  See also Southampton Parish  See also Wallingford Parish  See also West and Shirley Parish  See also Westover Parish  See also Weyanoke Parish  See also Wilmington Parish

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


 * Colonial Churches of Tidewater Virginia. 1945. By George Carrington Mason. Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, County.]
 * The Colonial Churches of Charles City County, Virginia. The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr. 1942):114-135. Available at JSTOR ($).

Methodist

 * In This Place I Delivered My Soul: The Methodists of Charles City, Virginia. 1995. By Judith F. Ledbetter. Charles City, Virginia : Memorial United Methodist Church.

Presbyterian

 * A History of Bethany Presbyterian Church, Charles City County, Virginia. 1990. By Louise Adams Walls, William Elmer Cropper, and Robert Lee Marston. n.p.: Commit tee for the Preparation of a Church History.

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):


 * Weyanoke Monthly Meeting (1699-1841) aka James Howard's aka Old Man's Neck


 * A religious petition (1793) from Quaker residents of Charles City County, Virginia is available online in Early Virginia Religious Petitions, courtesy: The Library of Congress: American Memory.


 * Excerpts from the Charles City County Records (1665-1666). The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Oct. 1934):341-344; Vol. 43, No. 2 (Apr. 1935):144-149; Vol. 43, No. 4 (Oct. 1935):347-354. Available at: JSTOR ($).
 * Quaker Records of Henrico Monthly Meeting and Other Church Records of Henrico, New Kent and Charles City Counties, Virginia. 2002. By F. Edward Wright. Lewes, Delaware : Colonial Roots.

Court
General


 * Cope, Robert S. "The Court of Charles City County, Virginia, 1688-1695," Thesis/dissertation, Ohio State University, 1947.

County Court

Record Book
 * 1650; 1672-1673; 1677-1679; 1685; 1687-1695 Orders Virginia Pioneers ($).
 * 1655-1658 Charles City County Court Orders, 1655-1658. 1961. By Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Company., online at: Ancestry ($).
 * 1658-1661 Charles City County Court Orders, 1658-1661. 1961. By Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Company., online at: Ancestry ($).
 * 1661-1664 Charles City County Court Orders, 1661-1664. 1961. By Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Company., online at: Ancestry ($).
 * 1664-1665 Charles City County Court Orders, 1664-1665: Fragments, 1650-1696. 1961. By Beverley Fleet. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Company., online at: Ancestry ($).
 * 1676-1679 Charles City County, Virginia, Order Book 1676-1679. 1968. By Margaret McNeill Ayres. Memphis, Tennessee : n.p. Online at: Internet Archive.
 * 1680, 1687-1695 Excerpts from Charles City County, Virginia, Court Orders, 1687-1695: With a Fragment of a Court Order Book for the Year 1680. By Benjamin B. Weisiger. Online at Earlham College Libraries.
 * 1689-1690, 1737-1761 Charles City County, Virginia, Records, 1737-1774. 1986. By Benjamin B. Weisiger. Includes Court Order Books 1737-1761; 1689-1690 Genealogy Resources. Free surname index.
 * 1725-1731 Charles City County, Virginia, 1725-1731. 1984. By Benjamin B. Weisiger. Online at: Genealogy Resources. Free surname index.
 * 1762-1764 Charles City County Court Record, 1762-1764, Wills, Deed and Bond. By Russell H. Anderson. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Jan. 1951):103-107. Available at JSTOR ($). Copy of lost records found in the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio.
 * 1784, 1799-1800 Charles City County, Virginia, Reports of the County Clerk to the Auditor, 1784, 1799-1800. By Robert Y. Clay. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):83-88. Available at American Ancestors ($).
 * 1789-1808 Inventories and Guardian Accounts
 * Charles City County, Virginia, Miscellaneous Records. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1970):178-184. Available at American Ancestors ($). Includes remnants of court, guardianship, land, and probate found in the Earl Gregg Swem Library of the College of William and Mary.


 * Excerpts from the Charles City County Records (1665-1666). The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Oct. 1935):347-354. Available at JSTOR ($)

Chancery Court


 * Library of Virginia's Chancery Record Index includes digital images of Charles City County's chancery records for the years 1758-1912.

Funeral Homes

 * 1935-2009, index and images, incomplete

Genealogy
Compiled Genealogies by Surname
 * See Charles City County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of 500+ published books and articles, or jump to the surname by 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
 * Boddie, John Bennett. Southside Virginia Families. 2 vols. 1955-1956; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1976..
 * Davis, Virginia Lee Hutcheson. Tidewater Virginia Families: A Magazine of History and Genealogy. 12 vols. Urbanna, Virginia: V.L.H. Davis, 1992-2004.
 * Foley, Louise Pledge Heath. Early Virginia Families Along the James River, Their Deep Roots and Tangled Branches. 3 vols. Richmond, Va.: L.P.H. Foley, 1974-1990. . Volume 2 includes Charles City County families (see also Vol. 1).
 * Harrison, Francis Burton and Fairfax Harrison. Aris Sonis Focisque; Being a Memoir of an American Family, the Harrisons of Skimino: and Particularly of Jesse Burton Harrison and Burton Norvell Harrison. New York: De Vinne Press, 1910. Digital version at Internet Archives. Discusses the Harrisons, Jordans, Bates, Burtons, Hudsons, Whitlockes and Bacons were landowners in the adjoining counties of York, James City and Charles City and across the James River in Nansemond, from the middle of seventeenth century, and later in Henrico and all were of purely English stock.
 * Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. 2005-present. - free online book. Heinegg identifies the following free African American surnames in Charles City County before 1820: Ampey, Anderson, Atkins, Barham (see introduction), Bates, Bowman, Bowser, Bradby, Brown, Bragby, Carsey, Carter, Cary, Charity, Chavis, Colley, Corney, Cumbo, Elliott, Evans, Fields, Gibson, Goeing, Gowen, Grantum, Green, Griffin, Hamlin, Harris, Hill, Homes, Hood, Humbles, Hunt, Jasper, Lewis, Kecatan, King, Lucie, Marshall, Miles, Morris, Moss, Redcross, Reed, Rosarran, Scott, Seldon, Smith, Stewart, Stringer, Sweat, Thomas, Toney, Valentine, Wallace, Willis, and Young.
 * Lawrence-Dow, Elizabeth. Autographs of 65 Gentlemen Justices, Militia Officers and Members of the Grand Jury from Charles City/Prince George and Surry counties Who Signed an Oath of Loyalty to Protestant King William III of England in March 1701/2. Richmond, Va.: Dietz Press, 1976. . [Includes biographies of Charles City County men.]
 * McCartney, Martha W. Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 2007. ; purchase at Genealogical Publishing Company.
 * 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 Charles City County, see discussion of cited sources.] . Purchase at Virginians.com.


 * Virginia Cousins : A Study of the Ancestry and Posterity of John Goode of Whitby (A Virginia Colonist of the Seventeenth Century, with Notes upon Related Families, a Key to Southern Genealogy and a History of the English Surname Gode, Goad, Goode or Good from 1148 to 1887). 1887. By G. Brown Goode. Richmond, VA : J. W. Randolph & English. Online at: Hathitrust.

Historic Residences

 * Berkeley : A James River Plantation, Ancestral Home of a Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Two United States Presidents, Charles City County, Virginia. Berkeley Plantation
 * Berkeley Plantation Journal and Account Book, 1839-1877, Charles City County, Virginia, accession number 11260. 2001. Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America. At University of Virginia Library.
 * Berkeley Plantation, 1726, Charles City County, Virginia. 1989. By Patrick Wade McClane, K. Edward Lay, University of Virginia. School of Architecture. Charlottesville, Virginia : School of Architecture, University of Virginia.
 * Charles City Houses. The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Jan. 1937):90. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Historic Charles City County : Many of More Famous Homes Found Too, in this One of Eight Original Shrines. 1942. By Elwood Street. Richmond, Virginia : Richmond Times-Dispatch.
 * Kittiewan Plantation (44CC0404), Charles City County, Virginia. By Patrick L. O'Neill. Quarterly Bulletin, Vol. 63, No. 2 (June 2008):81-107.
 * Old Houses in Charles City, New Kent, Warwick, and Elizabeth City Counties. The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 18, No. 2 (Apr. 1938). Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Shirley Plantation Collection, 1650-1888, Charles City County, Virginia, also Maryland. 1993. Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America. At Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Library.
 * The Origins of Milton Plantation, Charles City County, Virginia. 1994. By Charles M. Downing, Donald W. Linebaugh, Dennis B. Blanton, Harrison Tyler, William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research. Williamsburg, Virginia : William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research.
 * The Origins of Sherwood Forest, Charles City County, Virginia. 1992. By Charles M. Downing, Donald W. Linebaugh, Dennis B. Blanton, Harrison Tyler, William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research. Williamsburg, Virginia : William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research.

Immigration

 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Charles City County, St. Martin Brandon [Martin's Brandon Parish], and West and Shirley Hundred proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]


 * [http://www.pricegen.com/immigrantservants/search/advancedResults.php?surname=&givenName=&varientSurnameSpellings=&gender=&dateOfBirthDay=&dateOfBirthMonth=&dateOfBirthQuantifier=&dateOfBirthYear=&placeOfBirthParish=&placeOfBirthTown=&placeOfBirthCity=&placeOfBirthCounty=&placeOfBirthColony=&placeOfBirthNation=&occupations=&religions=&orphan=&familyPosition=&immigrationYearQualifier=&immigrationYear=&portOfDepartureTown=&portOfDepartureCity=&portOfDepartureCounty=&portOfDepartureNation=&placeOfArrivalTown=&placeOfArrivalCounty=&placeOfArrivalColony=&shipName=&convict=&yearOfIndentureQualifier=&yearOfIndenture=&lengthOfIndentureYears=&lengthOfIndentureMonths=&yearOfFreedomQualifier=&yearOfFreedom=&placeOfIndentureTown=&placeOfIndentureCity=&placeOfIndentureCounty=Charles+City&placeOfIndentureColony=Virginia&agentSurname=&agentGivenName=&agentTitle=&masterSurname=&masterGivenName=&masterTitle=&residenceParish=&residenceTown=&residenceCity=&residenceCounty=&residenceColony=&residenceNation=&landowner=&literate=&spouseSurname=&spouseGivenName=&spouseMarriageDateDay=&spouseMarriageDateMonth=&spouseMarriageDateQualifier=&spouseMarriageDateYear=&spouseMarriageLocationParish=&spouseMarriageLocationCounty=&spouseMarriageLocationColony=&spouseMarriageLocationNation=&deathDateDay=&deathDateMonth=&deathDateQualifier=&deathDateYear=&deathLocality=&deathCounty=&deathColony=&deathState=&testate=&proofServantStatus=&proofConvictStatus=&headright=&preServitudeSources=&postServitudeSources=&comments=&family=&sourceCitations=&interestedResearchers= List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe] who served labor terms in Colonial Charles City County, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.
 * Parkers of Browsholme, Yorkshire, England, The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 5, No. 4 (Apr. 1898):442-444. Available at JSTOR ($). See also Three Richard Parkers of Va. : Dr. Richard Parker of Charles City Co. & Henrico Co., Va., Aug. 1656 md. Mary Perkins, wid./Nicholas; Richard Parker of Nansemund Co., Va.; Richard Parker of Surry, md. Judith Hunt, wid./Wm. Hunt. Available at:.

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

Land and Property
Deeds


 * 1763-1774 Charles City County, Virginia, Records, 1737-1774. 1986. By Benjamin B. Weisiger. Includes deeds 1763-1774 Genealogy Resources. Free surname index.
 * Articles of Agreement Between William Byrd, Esq. of Charles City and John Caldwell of Brunswick County, Virginia [17 Jan 1743], MSS., Carmen Finley Papers, available at Sonoma State University.
 * Charles City County Court Record, 1762-4, Wills, Deed and Bond. By Russell H. Anderson. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Jan. 1951):103-107. CD available at JSTOR ($). Copy of lost records found in the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio.
 * Charles City County, Virginia, Miscellaneous Records. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1970):178-184. Available at American Ancestors ($). Includes remnants of court, guardianship, land, and probate found in the Earl Gregg Swem Library of the College of William and Mary.
 * Deeds, Wills and Bonds: From Charles City County (Va.), 1724/5-1731, 1762-1769, MSS., available at University of Virginia Library.

Grants and Patents


 * Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1666. 1934. By Nell Marion Nugent. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991. Vol I. Available at, online at: Ancestry ($). Includes Charles City County. N.B. If Ancestry's search engine fails, try checking the printed index at the end of the book.


 * Land Grants - 1667 Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * Quit Rent Rolls - 1704 Virginia Pioneers ($)

Local Histories

 * An Historical Analysis of Charles City County, Va. 1979. By Mark A. Dreyer, Judith R. Ragsdale, Edward R. Walker, Elaine V. Walker, College of William and Mary. Dept. of Religion. Available at the College of William and Mary.


 * Virginiana in the Printed Book Collections of the Virginia State Library. 1975. Edited by Donald Haynes. Richmond, VA : Virginia State Library. Vol 2. Online at: Hathitrust

Colonial Militia

 * Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. 1954. By William Armstrong Crozier. Baltimore : Southern Book Co. Online at: Internet Archive, Hathitrust, Ancestry ($);.
 * Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. 1988. By Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co..

French and Indian War

 * Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. 1988. By Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co..

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


 * - 6th Virginia Regiment

Additional resources:


 * Charles City County, Virginia During the Period of the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. 1976. By D. Gardner Tyler, Charles City County Historical Bicentennial Committee.
 * Revolutionary War Roster at Charles City County government website. 250+ soldiers, sailors, and patriots.

War of 1812
Charles City County men served in the 52nd 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... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Charles City County, p. 67.]

Civil War

 * - 3rd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company D (Charles City Troop or Light Dragoons).

Records and histories are available, including:


 * 1861-1865 Virginia, Civil War Service
 * 1861-1865 Virginia, Civil War Service
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry ($)
 * Addresses Delivered at the Unveiling of the Monument to Confederate Soldiers of Charles City County, Virginia, at Charles City Courthouse, November 21, 1900. 1901. Richmond, Virginia : Whittet and Shepperson, Printers.
 * Confederate History of Charles City County, Virginia. 1957. By Mary Ruffin Copland. Richmond, VA : n.p. United Daughters of the Confederacy. Virginia Division. Harrison-Harwood Chapter, Charles City.
 * The Virginia Campaign of '64 and '65 : The Army of the Potomac and the Army of the James. 1883. By Andrew A. Humphreys. New York, NY : Charles Scribner's Sons. Online at: Hathitrust.

Civil War Battles
The following Civil War battles were fought in Charles City County.


 * May 24, 1864 Wilson's Wharf, also known as Fort Pocahontas
 * June 24, 1864 Saint Mary's Church, also known as Nance's Shop


 * Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

World War I

 * World War I Database at Charles City County government website. 966 registrations.

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Native Americans
The Men Heyricks Tribe, Nottoways Tribe, and Appamattox Tribe lived in the area in the late 1600s.


 * Excerpts from the Charles City County Records (1665-1666). The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Oct. 1935):347-354. Available at JSTOR ($).

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.

Private Papers

 * Berkeley Plantation Journal and Account Book, 1839-1877, Charles City County, Virginia, accession number 11260. Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, 2001. Housed at University of Virginia Library.
 * Byrd - Virginia Historical Society. MSS1B9963b, Byrd Family Papers, 1757-1860, Charles City County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1995.
 * Byrd - Virginia Historical Society. MSS1B9963c, Byrd Family Papers, 1791-1867, Charles City County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1995.
 * Douthat - Virginia Historical Society. MSS1D7495a, Douthat Family Papers, 1795-1922, Charles City County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1995.
 * Jerdone - College of William and Mary, Swem Library. Jerdone Family Papers, 1623-1957, Charles City, Hanover, Louisa, New Kent, and York Counties, Virginia, also Great Britain. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1994.
 * Selden - Selden Family, John Armistead Selden. Papers, 1811-1868, of the Selden Family of Charles City County, Va., MSS., available at the Virginia Historical Society Library.
 * Selden - Virginia Historical Society. Mss1Se487a, Selden Family Papers, 1811-1868, Charles City and Charlotte Counties, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1995.
 * Shirley Plantation Collection, 1650-1888, Charles City County, Virginia, also Maryland. Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, 1993. Housed at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library.
 * Willcox - Willcox, James M. and Duke University. Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library. James M. Willcox Papers, 1831-1871, Buckland, Charles City County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 2001.
 * Wills - Wills, Henry, Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:3W6857, Henry Wills Account Book, 1782-1795, Charles City County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1995.

Petitions
Petitions are valuable to genealogical research because they were often signed by residents of the locality and provide researchers with a glimpse of who lived in the area at the time. Some lists include hundreds of names.


 * A religious petition (1793) from Quaker residents of Charles City County, Virginia is available online in Early Virginia Religious Petitions, courtesy The Library of Virginia : American Memory.
 * Charles City County Grievances 1676. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Oct. 1895):132-160. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Petition of Inhabitants of Charles City County 16 November 1710. By Eric Grundset. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol.47, No.3 (Aug. 2009):213-214.

Private Papers
Virginia,

Probate Records
Remnants of Charles City County, Virginia Court


 * 1665-1666 Excerpts from the Charles City County Records (1665-1666). The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Apr. 1935):144-149. Available at JSTOR ($). Probate Inventory of Captain Richard Tye, Deceased, 1663.
 * 1724-1731, 1762-1769 Deeds, Wills and Bonds: From Charles City County (Va.), 1724/5-1731, 1762-1769, MSS., available at University of Virginia Library.
 * 1762-1764 Charles City County Court Record, 1762-4, Wills, Deed and Bond. By Russell H. Anderson. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Jan. 1951):103-107. Available at JSTOR ($). Copy of lost records found in the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio.
 * 1763-1774 Charles City County, Virginia, Records, 1737-1774. 1986. By Benjamin B. Weisiger. Includes deeds 1763-1774 Genealogy Resources. Free surname index.
 * Charles City County, Virginia Miscellaneous Records. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1970):178-184. Available at American Ancestors ($). Includes remnants of court, guardianship, land, and probate found in the Earl Gregg Swem Library of the College of William and Mary.

Original Wills


 * 1655-56; 1689-1690; 1724-1731; 1765-1791; 1766-1774; 1789-1808; 1791-1805;1808-1824 Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories etc. Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1789-1808 Index to Charles City County Inventories and Guardians Accounts Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1808-1824 Index to Charles City County Wills and Inventories Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * Berkeley, Charles City County, Virginia, Will: 1780 January 3 [Will of Benjamin Harrison], MSS., available at Library of Virginia.
 * Charles City County, Virginia Will: 1772 December 12 [Will of Ellyson Crew], MSS., available at Library of Virginia.
 * Some Wills from the Burned Counties of Virginia and Other Wills Not Listed in Virginia Wills and [Administrations 1632-1800. 1987. By William Lindsay Hopkins. Richmond, Virginia : W.L. Hopkins. Available at.

London Courts


 * 1611-1857 North American Wills Registered in London. 2007. By Coldham, Peter Wilson. Baltimore, Maryland : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Includes wills of residents of Charles City County, St. Martin Brandon [Martins Brandon Parish], and West and Shirley Hundred proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.

Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry ($) — index to transcribed records incomplete.

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * 1704 Virginia Quit Rent Rolls, 1704. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography (VMHB), Vol. 28 (1920):207-218, 328-339; Vol. 29 (1921):18-28, 337-343, 402-412; Vol. 30 (1922):21-30, 280-285, 341-347; Vol. 31 (1923):70-75, 153-163, 215-231, 314-318; Vol. 32 (1924):69-75, 144-158, 281-287, 338-343; Vol. 33 (1925):47-50, 359-370; Vol. 34 (1926):113-119, 252-258, 313, 321. Available at ; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at ; digital version of VMHB at JSTOR ($). Charles City County appears in 31:314-318.
 * 1782-1822 Charles City County Personal Property Tax Lists 1782-1822 (images); digital version in Tax List Club at Binns Genealogy ($).
 * 1782-1824 Charles City County Land Tax Lists 1782-1824 (images); digital version in Tax List Club at Binns Genealogy ($).
 * 1783 Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940. By Augusta B. Fothergill and John Mark Naugle. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Online at FamilySearch - free; . 1783 personal property tax list of Charles City County.
 * 1784-1814 Charles City County Personal Property Tax List 1784-1814. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
 * 1787 - The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. By Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florene Speakman Love. c1987. Springfield, Virginia : Genealogical Books in Print. Available at ; . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Charles City County is included in Vol. 2.
 * 1790, 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Charles City County, Virginia 1790 and 1800. Indexed images of the Binns Genealogy.
 * 1800 Charles City County, Virginia, 1800 Tax List. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 15, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar.1971):42-47. Available at The American Ancestors ($).
 * 1815 - 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). By Roger D. Ward. c1997. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co. Available at ; . The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Charles City County is included in Vol. 1.

Birth

 * 1853-1866 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1865-1896 - Charles City County Marriage Index 1865-1896. Batch
 * 1912-1913 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage
Though the records of Charles City County, Virginia were largely destroyed, Mr. James A. Leachy found a number of marriage bonds in loose papers in the Charles City Clerk's Office covering a range of years (1762-1849). They are abstracted in Marriage Bonds in Charles City County. The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jan. 1900):193-196. Available at JSTOR. Republished by Crozier and online:


 * 1762-1954 - Charles City County Marriages Database.
 * 1660, 1760s-1840s - Crozier, William Armstrong. Early Virginia Marriages. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1953. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library-Pt 1. Includes Charles City County marriages 1660, 1760s-1840s.

Additional online resources:


 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 (Ancestry ($).
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry ($).
 * 1762-1931 Charles City County Marriage Index 1762-1931. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry.com ($) — index
 * 1853-1935 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Charles City County, VA : Marriages and Deaths. Virginia Tidewater Genealogy, Vol.39, No.2 (June 2008):34-38.

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1865-1896 - Charles City County Death Index 1865-1896. Batch at FamilySearch.
 * 1912-1987 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 80% Heaven Bound: Deaths & Burials in Charles City County, Virginia. 2000. By Sherry Brown Tyler and Charles City County Historical Society. Virginia : The Society.
 * Charles City County, VA : Marriages & Deaths, Virginia Tidewater Genealogy, Vol. 39, No.2 (June 2008):34-38.

Charles City County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * Tidewater Genealogical Society

Family History Centers
To locate the closest family history center or affiliate library, use the link listed above.

Charles City County Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Charles City County Virginia USGENWEB
 * Cyndi's List
 * Virginia Pioneers Virginia Pioneers
 * Virginia Pioneers Virginia Pioneers