Charles City County, Virginia Genealogy

United States &gt; Virginia &gt; Charles City County

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

Neighboring Counties

 * Chesterfield
 * Henrico
 * James City
 * New Kent
 * Prince George
 * Surry

Cemeteries

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

Church
Baptist


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

Church of England


 * "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 ($).
 * "Wilmington Parish, James City and Charles City Counties, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 37, No. 2 (Apr. 1929):97-100. Available at JSTOR ($).

Methodist


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

Presbyterian


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

Quaker


 * "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.
 * Wright, F. Edward. Quaker Records of Henrico Monthly Meeting and Other Church Records of Henrico, New Kent and Charles City Counties, Virginia. Lewes, Deleware: Colonial Roots, 2002.
 * 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.

Court
General


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

County Court


 * Fleet, Beverley. Charles City County Court Orders, 1655-1658. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1961. Digital book available at Ancestry ($).
 * Fleet, Beverley. Charles City County Court Orders, 1658-1661. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1961. Digital book available at Ancestry ($).
 * Fleet, Beverley. Charles City County Court Orders, 1661-1664. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1961. Digital book available at Ancestry ($).
 * Fleet, Beverley. Charles City County Court Orders, 1664-1665: Fragments, 1650-1696. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1961. Digital book available at Ancestry ($).
 * Anderson, Russell H. "Charles City County Court Record, 1762-4, Wills, Deed and Bond," 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.]

Record Book


 * "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 ($).

Family Histories
Bibliography


 * [Bird] Stewart, Robert Armistead. “The First William Bird of Charles City County, Virginia,” The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 41, No. 3 (July 1933):189-195; Vol. 41, No. 4 (October 1933):323-329; Vol. 42, No. 1 (January 1934):41-46; Vol. 42, No. 2 (April 1934):123-128; Vol. 42, No. 3 (July 1934):247-251. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Bradford] Bradford, David Thomas. The Bradfords of Charles City County, Virginia, and Some of their Descendants, 1653-1993. Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, 1994. Available at FHL.
 * [Bradford] Sandlund, Peter G. The Bradford Family of Charles City County, Virginia, 1651-1729. 2 vols. Alexandria, Virginia: P.G. Sandlund, 1996?. Available at FHL; digital book at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Bradley] Bradley, Frank Eugene. Descendants of Joseph Bradley (abt. 1636-1662) of Charles City County, Virginia. F.E. Bradley, 1995.
 * [Brown] Dance, Daryl Cumber. The Lineage of Abraham: The Biography of a Free Black Family in Charles City, VA. D.C. Dance, 1998.
 * [Brown] Brown, Jefferson. From Indian Fields to Ruthville: A Brown Family History of Charles City County, Va., 1760 to the Present: A Book. 1999.
 * [Byrd] Tinling, Marion, ed., The Correspondence of the Three William Byrds of Westover, Virginia, 1684-1776. 2 vols. Charlottesville, Virginia: Published for the Virginia Historical Society by the University Press of Virginia, 1977.
 * [Charity] Lucas, Edna Charity. The Descendants of James and Keziah Charity of Charles City County, Virginia. E.C. Lucas, 1991.
 * [Christian] Lamb, James Christian. Christian Family of Virginia: A Brief Outline of the Early History of the Family in the Counties of Charles City and New Kent, and an Attempt to Trace the Descendents of William Christian... S.B. Adkins, 1921.
 * [Fontaine] Ragland, Charles J. Ancestors and Descendants of the Reverend Peter Fontaine (1691-1759) of Westover Parish, Charles City County, Virginia. 2 vols. Winston-Salem, North Carolina: C.J. Ragland Jr., 1997?. Available at FHL.
 * [Fontaine] Ragland, Charles J. The "Fontainebleau Fontaines": Biographical Sketches of the Ancestors and One Branch of the Descendants of the Reverend Peter Fontaine (1691-1759) of Westover Parish, Charles City County, Virginia. 1998.
 * [Freeman] Hopkins, Garland Evans. Freeman Forbears: Being the History, Genealogy, Heraldy [sic], Homes and Traditions of the Family of Freeman and Related Families Originating in the Original Shires of James City and Charles River in Virginia. Virginia: G.E. Hopkins, 1942. Available at FHL.
 * [Green] Staubach, Emilee Mills. The Lewis Green, Senior Family of Southside, Virginia: Notes; Some Descendants of Lewis Green of Charles City Co., Va. Houston, Texas: E.M. Staubach, 1976.
 * [Green] Greene, Gerald Fletcher. The Green Family of Charles City County, Virginia. G.F. Greene, 2005.
 * [Grey] "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 ($).
 * [Hardaway] Davenport, James F., Judith Hardaway Devenport, and Laurence B. Gardiner, Descendants of James Hardaway, Charles City County, Virginia, 1650-1800. J.F. Davenport, 1992.
 * [Hellier] The Vain Prodigal Life, and Tragical Penitent Death of Thomas Hellier, Born at Whitchurch near Lyme in Dorset-shire: Who for Murdering his Master, Mistress, and a Maid, was Executed According to Law at Westover in Charles City in the Country of Virginia, Neer the Plantation Called Hard Labour ... Sam. Crouch, 1680.
 * [Ivey] Ivey, Robert A. A History of the Adam Ivey Family of Charles City (Now Prince George) County, Virginia. Gaffney, South Carolina: R.A. Ivey, 1993.
 * [Justice] Justice, O. Neil. The Justice Family in Virginia, 1650-1800: John Justice of Charles City County.
 * [King] Galau, Jeane Austin King. Henry King, 1657/8-1743 of Surry, Isle of Wight, Charles City, Prince George &amp; Brunswick Counties, Virginia, His Mother Juliana King, Statlin, Waikley, other Kings Who Could Have Been Henry King's Gather. J.K. Galau, 1988.
 * [Ladd] Ladd, Warren. The Ladd Family: A Genealogical and Biographical Memoir of the Descendants of Daniel Ladd of Haverhill, Mass.; Joseph Ladd of Portsmouth, R.I.; John Ladd of Burlington, N.J.; John Ladd of Charles City Co., Va. New Bedford, Massachusetts: W. Ladd, 1890. Available at FHL.
 * [Land] Pickard, Frank C. Some Descendants of Curtis Land of Charles City County, Virginia. Wyomissing, Pennsylvania: F.C. Pickard, 1995. Available at FHL.
 * [New] Manahan, John E. "New Light on Old Charles City County," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 64, No. 4 (Oct., 1956):458-473. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Nicolson] Holmes, Janice N. Nicolson History, 1655-1985: Nine Generations of Direct Descendants of the Robert Nicolson Who Patented 500 Acres in Charles City County in the Virginia Colony on January 3, 1655/56. Fort Worth, Texas: J.N. Holmes, 1985. Available at FHL.
 * [Parker] Powell, Waunita. A Parker Collection, Especially of Dr. Richard Parker of Browlsholme, England &amp; Charles City Co., Va. &amp; Henrico Co., VA.: and Descendants in Kentucky, Indiana to Edgar Co., Illinois. Paris, Illinois: W. Powell, 1988. Available at FHL.
 * [Parker] Powell, Waunita. Three Richard Parkers of Va.: Dr. Richard Parker of Charles City Co. &amp; Henrico Co., Va., Aug. 1656 md. Mary Perkins, Wid./Nicholas; Richard Parker of Nansemond Co., Va.; Richard Parker of Surry, md. Judith Hunt, Wid./Wm. Hunt. Paris, Illinois: W. Powell, 1992. Available at FHL.
 * [Perkins] Hall, William K. The Perkins Family of Virginia: Descendants of Nicholas Perkins Who Died ca. 1654 in Charles City County. Alabama: n.p., 1953. Available at FHL.
 * [Read] Read, William T. Our Read Family: This Book is for the Most Part about Peter Read of Charles City County, VA and His Descendants as They Migrate to North Carolina, Mississippi and Finally to North Eastern Texas. Plant City, Florida: W.T. Read, 2007. Available at FHL; digital book at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Southall] Southall, James P.C. "Concerning the Southall's of Charles City County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr. 1940):306-313; Vol. 20, No. 3 (Jul. 1940):397-403. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Taylor] Lemmond, Cheri Hager. The Taylor Family of Old Charles City County, Virginia and their Haymore Connections. Corpus Christi, Texas: C.H. Lemmond, 1987. Available at FHL.

Historic Buildings

 * Berkeley--1619, 1726: A James River Plantation, Ancestral Home of a Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Two United States Presidents, Charles City County, Virginia. 197-?.
 * "Charles City Houses," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Jan. 1937):90. Available at JSTOR.
 * Downing, Charles M., Donald W. Linebaugh, Dennis B. Blanton, Harrison Tyler, William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research. The Origins of Milton Plantation, Charles City County, Virginia. Williamsburg, Virginia: William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research, 1994.
 * Downing, Charles M., Donald W. Linebaugh, Dennis B. Blanton, Harrison Tyler, William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research. The Origins of Sherwood Forest, Charles City County, Virginia. Williamsburg, Virginia: William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research, 1992.
 * McClane, Patrick Wade, K Edward Lay, University of Virginia. School of Architecture. Berkeley Plantation, 1726, Charles City County, Virginia. Charlottesville, Va.: School of Architecture, University of Virginia, 1989.
 * O'Neill, Patrick L. "Kittiewan Plantation (44CC0404), Charles City County, Virginia," 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.
 * Street, Elwood. Historic Charles City County: Many of More Famous Homes Found Too, in this One of Eight Original Shrines. Richmond, Virginia: Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1942.

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 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=Charles&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 Sally Moore Koestler, "Dr. Richard Parker of Charles City," accessed 1 February 2010.

Land

 * Anderson, Russell H. "Charles City County Court Record, 1762-4, Wills, Deed and Bond," 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.]
 * Deeds, Wills and Bonds: From Charles City County (Va.), 1724/5-1731, 1762-1769, MSS., available at University of Virginia Library.
 * 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.

Local Histories

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

Military
Revolutionary War


 * Tyler, D. Gardner and Charles City County Historical Bicentennial Committee. Charles City County, Virginia During the Period of the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. 1976.

Civil War


 * Charles City County (Va.). Monument to Confederate Soldiers. Addresses Delivered at the Unveiling of the Monument to Confederate Soldiers of Charles City County, Virginia, at Charles City Courthouse, November 21, 1900. Richmond, Virginia: Whittet &amp; Shepperson, Printers, 1901.
 * Copland, Mary Ruffin, United Daughters of the Confederacy. Virginia Division. Harrison-Harwood Chapter, Charles City. Confederate History of Charles City County, Virginia. Richmond?, 1957.

Minorities
Native Americans


 * "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 ($).

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.

Personal Papers

 * University of Virginia, Library. Berkeley Plantation Journal and Account Book, 1839-1877, Charles City County, Virginia, accession number 11260. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 2001.
 * Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Library. Shirley Plantation Collection, 1650-1888, Charles City County, Virginia, also Maryland. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1993.
 * [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.
 * [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.


 * "Charles City County Grievances 1676," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Oct. 1895):132-160. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Grundset, Eric. "Petition of Inhabitants of Charles City County 16 November 1710," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol.47, No.3 (Aug. 2009):213-214.
 * 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.

Probate
Remnants of Charles City County, Virginia Court


 * "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 ($). [Probate Inventory of Captain Richard Tye, Deceased, 1663.]
 * Anderson, Russell H. "Charles City County Court Record, 1762-4, Wills, Deed and Bond," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Jan. 1951):103-107. Available at JSTOR ($). [Copy of lost records found in the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio.]
 * Deeds, Wills and Bonds: From Charles City County (Va.), 1724/5-1731, 1762-1769, MSS., available at University of Virginia Library.

Original Wills


 * Charles City County, Virginia Will: 1772 December 12 [Will of Ellyson Crew], MSS., available at Library of Virginia.
 * Berkeley, Charles City County, Virginia, Will: 1780 January 3 [Will of Benjamin Harrison], MSS., available at Library of Virginia.

London Courts


 * 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 proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

Taxation

 * Indexed images of the 1790 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Charles City County, Virginia are available online at Binns Genealogy.
 * Indexed images of the 1790 and 1800 Land Tax Lists of Charles City County, Virginia are available online at Binns Genealogy.

Vital Records
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 ($).


 * "Charles City County, VA: Marriages &amp; Deaths," Virginia Tidewater Genealogy, Vol.39, No.2 (June 2008):34-38.

Death


 * Tyler, Sherry Brown and Charles City County Historical Society. 80% Heaven Bound: Deaths &amp; Burials in Charles City County, Virginia. Virginia: The Society, 2000.
 * "Charles City County, VA: Marriages &amp; Deaths," Virginia Tidewater Genealogy, Vol.39, No.2 (June 2008):34-38.

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Family History Library Catalog