Giles County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
Giles County is located in the southwest portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia sharing a border with West Virginia. The county was named for William Branch Giles, United States Senator from Virginia at that time.

County Courthouse
Giles County Courthouse 501 Wenonah Avenue Pearisburg, VA 24134 Phone: 540-921-1722 Giles County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1806, birth and death records, divorce, probate court and land records.

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 was named after Virginia Senator William B. Giles (1762-1830), who later served as the Virginia's Governor.

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
1810
 * Schreiner-Yantis, Netti. 1810 Census of Giles County, Virginia. Springfield, Va.: N. Schreiner-Yantis, 1970. Available at.
 * 1810 Census of Giles County, Virginia. Beverly, W. Va.: Crickard, 1979. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

1840
 * Douthat, James L. 1840 Mountain Empire of Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2001. 975.5 X2d 1840. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. [Includes Giles County.]

1860
 * Davis, Charley L. Giles County, Virginia 1860 Census Annotated: Family Histories - Births - Marriages - Deaths. Virginia?: C.L. Davis, 1991. Available at.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Baptist Early Baptist churches (with years constituted): Giles County fell within the bounds of the New River Association and the Greenbrier Association.
 * 1) Blue Stone (1804)
 * 2) Sinking Creek (1796)

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records

Chancery Court Indexes (1807-1936) and images (1807-1929) to Giles County, Virginia Chancery Records are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

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
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Giles County Register of Free Negroes, 1816-1864," Free African Americans.com, available online.
 * Kegley, Mary B. Free People of Colour: Free Negroes, Indians, Portuguese and Freed Slaves. Wytheville, Virginia: Kegley Books, 2003..
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized images of African Americans of Giles County.

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 Giles 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
 * Burton, Charles T. Botetourt County, Virginia, Early Settlers from the Earliest Times through 1795, in the Area that was Botetourt County in 1782. Ft. Wayne, Indiana: Allen County Public Library, 1990. Available at . [Includes area that later became Giles County.]
 * Heavener, Ulysses S.A. German New River Settlement: Virginia. 1929; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1976..
 * Research Committee, Giles County Historical Society. Giles County, Virginia, History - Families. n.p.: Giles County Historical Society, 1982. Available at Virginia Historical Society;.

Local Histories

 * Friend, Robert C. Giles County, 1806-1956: A History. Pearisburg, Va.: Giles County Chamber of Commerce, 1956?. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Johnston, David E. A History of Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1988. Available at.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
Revolutionary War
 * Kegley, Mary B. Revolutionary War Pension Applications of Southwest Virginia Soldiers. n.p.: M.B. Kegley, 1997. Available at . [Includes Giles County pensioners.]
 * 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 version at Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Western District, Giles County on page 134.]
 * 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.

War of 1812 Giles County men served in the 86th 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, Giles County, p. 81. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

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 Giles 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:
 * - 7th Battalion, Virginia Infantry, Local Defense (1st Nitre Battalion) (Confederate). Company D (The Mountain Boomers).
 * - 23rd Battalion, Virginia Infantry Reserves (Confederate). Company G.
 * - 24th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (New River Rifles).
 * - 32nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies A, B, G, and K.
 * - 34th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Witcher's Battalion, Virginia Mounted Rifles) (Confederate). Company K.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1906-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Other Records
Private Papers
 * French, David. Day Book, v. 2, 1835-1837. Original records, Giles County Courthouse, Pearisburg, Va.; also available on microfilm at . [Book seems to be an account or ledger book for a private business or store. David French may have been the secretary or owner. Name and location of store or business was not given.]

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1805 to 1829 Indexes to Wills, Estates, Deeds, Bonds, Guardianships Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1806 to 1829 Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories, Bonds, Deeds Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1829 to 1847 Wills, Estates, Deeds, Bonds, Guardianships Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1829 to 1847 Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories, Bonds, Deeds 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
 * 1806 The 1806 Giles County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List; index online at New River Notes - free.
 * 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. Giles County is included in Vol. 5.]
 * 1815 Schreiner-Yantis, Netti. 1815 Tax List of Giles County, Virginia: Abstracts of 300 Deeds and Surveys, 1806-1830; Detailed Map of Area Covered by Tax Collector. Springfield, Va.: N. Schreiner-Yantis, 1971. Available at.

Birth

 * 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1855-1896 - Giles County Birth Index 1855-1896. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1855-1896 Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index, ($) — index $
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1771-1943 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index ; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1813-1859 Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * 1871-1913 Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Death

 * 1853-1911 Virginia, U.S., Death Registers, 1853-1911 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection;  index & images
 * 1855-1896 Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index & images

Family History Centers

 * Pembroke Virginia Family History Center
 * Roanoke Virginia Family History Center
 * Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library - Blacksburg - an affiliate library
 * Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library - Christiansburg - an affiliate library

Websites

 * VA GenWeb Giles County.
 * 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.