Vance County, North Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Vance County, North Carolina ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
Vance County is located in the North-Central portion of North Carolina and shares a border with Virginia. It was named for Zebulon Baird Vance, Governor of North Carolina and U.S. congressman and senator.

County Courthouse
Vance County Courthouse 122 Young St Suite F Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-438-4155 Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records Register of Deeds has marrriage and land

Register of Deeds 122 Young Street, Suite F Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-738-2110 Fax: 252-738-2117 Website

Clerk Superior Court 156 Church St Ste 101 Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: (252) 430-5100

History
The county was formed in 1881 from parts of Franklin County, Granville County, and Warren County. According to the 1955 book, Zeb's Black Baby, by Samuel Thomas Peace Sr., "The formation of Vance County was accomplished largely as a political expediency. It was in 1881 when Blacks in large numbers were voting solidly Republican. Granville and Franklin Counties were nip and tuck, Democratic or Republican. From the Democratic standpoint, Warren County was hopelessly Republican. But by taking from Granville, Franklin and Warren, those sections that were heavily Republican and out of these sections forming the new county of Vance, the Democratic party could lose Vance to the Republicans and save Granville and Franklin for the Democrats (see gerrymandering). [U.S.] Senator [Zebulon Baird] Vance was a Democrat. He took kindly to this move and thanked the [North Carolina] Legislature for honoring him with naming the new county after him. At the same time Vance showed his humor by always referring to Vance County as 'Zeb's Black Baby.' In the 1890 Census, Vance County was more than 63 percent African American.

Parent County
1881--Vance County was created from Granville, Warren, and Franklin Counties. County seat: Henderson

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating North Carolina county boundary changes "Rotating Formation North Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1664-1965) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places

 * History of Vance County Townships

Neighboring Counties

 * Franklin
 * Granville
 * Mecklenburg County, Virginia
 * Warren

Cemeteries

 * Vance County Cemeteries from Cemetery Census

Church of England

 * St. John's Parish, Williamsboro, N.C. Historical church building, established 1746, church building completed in 1773.

County Records

 * 1833-1970 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Court
Vance County's Court system is the District 9 jurisdiction. More information about their Court system can be found on their website. Vance County District Court 156 Church St., Suite 101 Henderson, NC 27536 252-738-9000

Land
The Vance County Register of Deeds maintains land records back to the formation of the County in 1881. You will want to contact them for more details on how to obtain copies of these records. Vance County Register of Deeds 122 Young Street, Suite F Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-738-2110

There is a searchable online database for land records dating back to 1881 available here:

Land Records

Local Histories

 * Historical Family Collections
 * Vance County from National Register of Historical Places
 * Faulkners of Sandy Creek
 * The Reavis Family of Vance County
 * Ealie Grissom Family of Kittrell

Maps

 * North Carolina Maps, collaborative digitization project by the North Carolina State Archives, the Outer Banks History Center, and the University Library at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Military

 * 1890 Vance County Veterans Schedule

Revolutionary War

 * 1779 - 1782 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and 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)
 * 1885 - 1953 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War I

 * 1917 - 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * World War II Vance County Casualties
 * 1940 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
The Daily Dispatch (Henderson, NC)

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1660 - 1790 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1663 - 1979 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1665 - 1998 - North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1735 - 1970 - at FamilySearch.org — images
 * 1760 - 1800 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry.com — index and images

Wills and Estate Records are maintained by the County Clerk of the Superior Court. Copies may be obtained by contacting their office at the following:

Vance County Clerk of the Court 156 Church St., Suite 101 Henderson, NC 27536 252-738-9000

The following online sites have indexed lists of the Will Books:


 * 1881 - 1916 - Index to Will Book A, 1881-1916
 * 1904 - 1916 - Index to Will Book B, 1904-1916

There are transcribed copies of Vance County Wills below:


 * Vance County Data Index


 * 1881 - 1916 - have been digitized by FamilySearch - free.

A free Master Index to All of the North Carolina Estate Files with direct links to the files can be accessed here:


 * North Carolina Loose Estates Records Index

Taxation

 * 1771 - Tax Lists, Vance County, 1771 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry ($)

Vital Records
Vance County has a number of marriage records missing, reason unknown. They have Marriage Registers that cover 1881-1962; Marriage Licenses for 1897, 1902, 1911-1968; there is an Index to the Marriage Register, 1963-1969.

North Carolina began requiring Birth and Death records in 1913; there are a number of Delayed Birth Certificates that were filed by those born prior to that date, and there are a few Death Certificates that go back as far as 1909.

Copies of Birth, Death and Marriage records can be obtained from the Register of Deeds office.


 * Vance County Register of Deeds 122 Young Street, Suite F Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-738-2110

Birth Records

 * 1800 - 2000 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1866 - 1964 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1881 - 1969 - Vance County Birth Index 1881-1969. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Death Records

 * 1898 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1906 - 1930 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1908 - 2004 - North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1909 - 1975 - North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1931 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce Records

 * 1926 - 1975 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1958 - 2004 - North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage Records

 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1759 - 1979 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1762 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1763 - 1868 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1900 - 1929 - Vance County Marriages 1900-1929 (currently A-K)
 * Vance County USGenWeb Archives-Marriages
 * Pre 1920   - Vance County Birth Index Prior to 1920  (currently A-G)
 * 1881 - 1898 - Vance County Marriage Register 1881-1898
 * 1881 - 1962 - Vance County Marriage Index 1881-1962 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Societies and Libraries
Vance County Historical Society PO Box 2284 Henderson 27536 Tar River Connections Genealogical Society 101 Wildwood Avenue Rocky Mount 27803 Website

H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * Vance County, NC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * Vance County, NCGenWeb
 * Vance County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Vance County Government
 * City of Henderson (Vance County seat of government)
 * City of Henderson (Vance County seat of government)

Yearbooks

 * Vance County Yearbooks