Hanover County, Virginia Genealogy

United States   Virginia    Hanover County





History


The county is named after the Electorate of Hanover in what is today Germany, as King George I of Great Britain (1660-1727) held the title Elector of Hanover at the time of the county's organization.

Parent County
1720--Hanover County was created 2 November 1720 from New Kent County. County seat: Hanover

Variant Spellings

 * Hannover

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

Writing in 1912, we learn: "There are only two old books in the Clerk's Office of Hanover county, Va. The oldest, designated the 'Small Book' in these notes, covers the years 1734 and 1735, and contains orders, wills, deeds, etc. The other, 'The Larger Book' of these notes, is a deed book for 1780-1790," according to "Records of Hanover County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jul., 1912):47. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).

In 1916, Morgan P. Robinson, the Virginia State Archivist, had this to say about "the destruction of most of the records of Hanover, which occurred on April 3, 1865:

Richmond, Va., Dec. 24th, 1915 "Mr. Morgan P. Robinson, State Library Bldg., CITY. Dear Sir:- Your letter of December 23rd, Just received, I note that you ask me to give my recollection or knowledge of the destruction of our Court records during the War between the States, Responding to your inquiry, I have to say that I was raised in Hanover County, about eight miles east of Hanover C. H., but was rarely at Hanover C. H. until after the close of the war. The lower part of Hanover, reaching within a few miles of Hanover C. H, was occupied by the armies of McClellan and Grant, and was the subject of frequent cavalry raids, which took in Hanover C. H., and the Clerk of the County Court of Hanover County as a precaution against the destruction of the records of that Court removed them to Richmond and they were deposited in the Court Bldg., which then stood on the Capitol Square Just in front of the Franklin Street entrance from the east, Just about where the fountain now stands, which building was destroyed, and so far as I know no papers of value were taken or [saved, in conse]quence all of the records of the County Court of Hanover County were burned. The records of the Circuit Court (which Court then had its own clerk in the same building with the County Court Clerk) were allowed to remain in the Clerk's Office at Hanover C. H. and though that section was several times ralded and the Clerk's Office opened, and some few papers probably lost, I do not think any of the record books were destroyed, and, so far as I know, no papers of value were taken or destroyed. Among the records thus preserved two old books bound in raw hide dated about 1730, remained in the office and were not hurt. I do not know if this answers fully your inquiry, but if you desire any further information and I can obtain lt for you will be very glad to answer any inquiry you may make. Yours very truly, GEO. P. HAW."

(Source: Cocke, William Ronald. Hanover County Chancery Wills and Notes. A Compendium of Genealogical, Biographical and Historical Material as Contained in Cases of the Chancery Suits of Hanover County, Virginia. Columbia, Va.: W.R. Cocke, 1940. Available at FHL; digital version at BYU Family History Archives. Reviewed by John M. Jennings in The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct., 1940):575-576. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). Reviewed by R.A. Stewart in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Jul., 1940):284. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).)

In 1950, Leon M. Bazile had this to say about the destruction of Hanover County's original will books and where copies that have survived may be found: "During the War of Secession the records of Hanover County were taken to Richmond for safekeeping and stored in the building owned by Thomas Randolph Price on Main Street. When the city was burned in April 1865, the Hanover records, including the Deed and Will Books, were destroyed. Many families had procured certified copies of the wills affecting them; copies of such wills were also obtained for exhibits in suits, the papers of which are still in existence. Through such sources many wills which were believed to have been wholly lost are now coming to light," see: Leon M. Bazile, "The Wills of the Reverend Patrick Henry [dated and proved in 1777] and Walter Coles [dated and proved in 1815] of Hanover County, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 58, No. 1 (Jan., 1950):120-130. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). [Source: certified copies of original wills.]

Research Guides

 * Davis, Virginia Lee Hutcheson. "Records of Tidewater Virginia Counties," Tidewater Virginia Families: A Magazine of History and Genealogy, Vol. 1, No. 2 (May-June 1992):53-66. 975.51 D25t [For Hanover County, see p. 58]

African American

 * Heinegg, Paul. "Hanover County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1815," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]

Census
1890 Union Veterans


 * Turner, Ronald Ray. Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. Available online, courtesy: Prince William County Virginia website. [Includes residents of this county.]

Church
Church of England


 * Chamberlayne, C.G. The Vestry Book of St. Paul's Parish, Hanover County, Virginia, 1706-1786. Richmond: The Library Board, 1940. Original edition available at FHL US/CAN Book 975.5462 K2c and US/CAN Film 982197 Item 1; 1973 reprint available at FHL US/CAN Book 975.5462 K2c 1973; and FHL US/CAN Fiche 6088291 digital versions of the original edition at Ancestry ($), BYU Family History Archives, and Google Books (full-view), and World Vital Records ($).
 * Mason, George Carrington. "The Colonial Churches of New Kent and Hanover Counties, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 53, No. 4 (Oct., 1945):243-264. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).

Presbyterian


 * Rachael, William M.E. "Early Minutes of Hanover Presbytery," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 63, No. 1 (Jan., 1955):53-75; Vol. 63, No. 2 (Apr. 1955):161-185. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). [The Hanover Presbytery covered Virginia.]

Quaker


 * Bell, James Pinkney Pleasant. Our Quaker Friends of Ye Olden Time: Being in Part a Transcript of the Minute Books of Cedar Creek Meeting, Hanover County, and the South River Meeting, Campbell County, Va. Lynchburg, Va.: J.P. Bell Company, 1905. Available at FHL; digital version at Google Books (full-view).
 * Meyer, Harold I. "Cedar Creek Meeting House, Hanover County, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 64, No. 4 (Oct., 1956):454-457. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).

Court
Chancery Court


 * Indexes and images to Hanover County, Virginia Chancery Records 1831-1913 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.
 * Cocke, William Ronald. Hanover County Chancery Wills and Notes. A Compendium of Genealogical, Biographical and Historical Material as Contained in Cases of the Chancery Suits of Hanover County, Virginia. Columbia, Va.: W.R. Cocke, 1940. Available at FHL; digital version at BYU Family History Archives. Reviewed by John M. Jennings in The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct., 1940):575-576. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). Reviewed by R.A. Stewart in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Jul., 1940):284. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).

County Court


 * "Records of Hanover County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jul., 1912):47-63; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jan., 1913):143-162; Vol. 22, No. 2 (Oct. 1913):114-130; Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jan. 1914):169-174; Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jul. 1914):21-30; Vol. 23, No. 2 (Oct. 1914):117-126. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). ["There are only two old books in the Clerk's Office of Hanover county, Va. The oldest, designated the 'Small Book' in these notes, covers the years 1734 and 1735, and contains orders, wills, deeds, etc. The other, 'The Larger Book' of these notes, is a deed book for 1780-1790." (21:47)]

Genealogy
More than 25 genealogies have been published about Hanover County families. To view a list, visit Hanover County, Virginia Genealogy.

Immigration

 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of York River and Hanover County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
 * [http://www.immigrantservants.com/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=Hanover&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 Hanover County, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.

Land
Deeds


 * "Records of Hanover County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jul., 1912):47-63; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jan., 1913):143-162; Vol. 22, No. 2 (Oct. 1913):114-130; Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jan. 1914):169-174; Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jul. 1914):21-30; Vol. 23, No. 2 (Oct. 1914):117-126. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). ["There are only two old books in the Clerk's Office of Hanover county, Va. The oldest, designated the 'Small Book' in these notes, covers the years 1734 and 1735, and contains orders, wills, deeds, etc. The other, 'The Larger Book' of these notes, is a deed book for 1780-1790." (21:47)]

Grants and Patents


 * Sullivan and Hudgins. 451 patents dated 1653-1819 in what is now Hanover County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2008. [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

 * Lancaster, Robert Bolling. A Sketch of the Early History of Hanover County, Virginia, and Its Large and Important Contributions to the American Revolution. Richmond, Va.: Whittet and Shepperson for the Bicentennial Committee for Hanover County, 1976. Reviewed by W. Alexander Mabry in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 85, No. 1 (Jan., 1977):110-111. Review available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1977):287-292. Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Hanover County's 1788-1789 Delinquent Lists appear on pp. 290-291.]
 * Glazebrook, Eugenia G. and Preston G. Glazebrook. Virginia Migrations. Hanover Co. Vol. I. 1723-1850. Wills, Deeds, Depositions, Invoices, Letters and other Documents. Richmond, Va. Reviewed by Beverley Fleet in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 52, No. 2 (Apr., 1944):161-162. Review available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FHL. [Identifies some Hanover 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. Available at FHL; digital version at Google Books. [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 Hanover County, see pp. 86-87, 111.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at FHL; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Hanover County militia officers; see place name index.]

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, Hanover County on page 131.]
 * 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." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

War of 1812

 * 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 Hanover 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, Hanover County, p. 83. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Newspapers
Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette(1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburgwebsite. 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.

Occupations

 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at FHL. [Includes a section on Hanover silversmiths.]

Probate
Local Court


 * "Records of Hanover County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jul., 1912):47-63; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jan., 1913):143-162; Vol. 22, No. 2 (Oct. 1913):114-130; Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jan. 1914):169-174; Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jul. 1914):21-30; Vol. 23, No. 2 (Oct. 1914):117-126. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). ["There are only two old books in the Clerk's Office of Hanover county, Va. The oldest, designated the 'Small Book' in these notes, covers the years 1734 and 1735, and contains orders, wills, deeds, etc. The other, 'The Larger Book' of these notes, is a deed book for 1780-1790." (21:47)]

London Courts


 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of York River and Hanover County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

Original Wills


 * Bazile, Leon M. "The Wills of the Reverend Patrick Henry [dated and proved in 1777] and Walter Coles [dated and proved in 1815] of Hanover County, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 58, No. 1 (Jan., 1950):120-130. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). [Source: certified copies of original wills.]
 * Cocke, William Ronald. Hanover County Chancery Wills and Notes. A Compendium of Genealogical, Biographical and Historical Material as Contained in Cases of the Chancery Suits of Hanover County, Virginia. Columbia, Va.: W.R. Cocke, 1940. Available at FHL; digital version at BYU Family History Archives; and World Vital Records ($). Reviewed by John M. Jennings in The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct., 1940):575-576. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). Reviewed by R.A. Stewart in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Jul., 1940):284. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Cole, Robert F. and Marguerite S. Parrish. "Will of William Fleming Sheriff of Hanover County, Virginia, 1727-1728," [dated 1742, proved 1744] The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Oct., 1935):424-427. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). [Found in Louisa Co., Va. Chancery Suit "McAllister versus Bibb, May, 1770," found in loose papers at the Louisa County Courthouse.]
 * Hopkins, William Lindsay. Some Wills from the Burned Counties of Virginia and Other Wills Not Listed in Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800. Richmond, Virginia: W.L. Hopkins, 1987. Available at FHL. [Includes Hanover County.]
 * King, George H.S. "Will of George Hudson of Hanover County, Virginia," [dated 1770, proved 1773] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 66, No. 1 (Jan., 1958):85-87. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). [King found this will among the Henry Clay Papers at the Library of Congress. Clay was Hudson's grandson.]

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1753-1763] Coldham, Peter Wilson. "Rent Roll of Hanover County, Virginia, 1753-1763," The Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Spring 2000):71-80. [Discovered at The National Archives, Kew, England, Reference AO 13/30/110-129.]
 * [1763, 1770] 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. Available at FHL.
 * [1782-1815] Heinegg, Paul. "Hanover County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1815," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [1782-1815] Cocke, William Ronald, III. Hanover County Taxpayers Saint Paul's Parish 1782-1815: A Register of Taxpayers, with Legends, Together with Individual Lists and Descriptions of Their Assessable Personal Property. 1956; reprint, Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000. Original edition available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). Reviewed by Malcolm H. Harris in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 65, No. 1 (Jan., 1957):117-118. Review available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [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. Available at FHL. [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Hanover County is included in Vol. 2.]
 * [1788-1789] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1977):287-292. Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Hanover County's 1788-1789 Delinquent Lists appear on pp. 290-291.]
 * [1789, 1799] Indexed images of the 1789 and 1799 Personal Property Tax Lists of Hanover County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1789, 1800] Indexed images of the 1789 and 1800 Land Tax Lists of Hanover County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, Saint Martin's Parish, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Jul. 1962). Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors ($).
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Jan. 1985); Vol. 29, No. 2 (Apr. 1985). Available at FHL.
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at FHL. [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Hanover County is included in Vol. 1.]

Vital Records
Birth


 * Fridley, Beth, comp. Hanover County Virginia Birth Records, 1853-1896 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001. Available at Ancestry ($).

Marriage


 * Ljundstedt, Milnor. "Hanover County, Virginia Marriage Licenses," [1780-1781] The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jan. 1926):78. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Hanover County, Virginia Tax Records 1790, 1800
 * Family History Library Catalog