New Kent County, Virginia Genealogy

Guide to New Kent County Virginia ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth, marriage, death, and census records, family histories, immigration records, and military records. This article is about a county in the state of Virginia. For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation).''

Description
New Kent County is located in the Eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Named for Kent in England, the County was formed in 1654, by the House of Burgesses when it was carved from what was then York County. New Kent is the County seat.

New Kent County, Virginia Courthouse


New Kent County Courthouse P.O. Box 98 12001 Courthouse Circle New Kent, VA 23124-0098 Phone: 804-966-9520

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate, Court, and land records from 1808

New Kent County, Virginia History


The county is named after the English County of Kent, England. There was a Quaker settlement in Colonial New Kent County.

Parent County
1654--New Kent County was created 20 November 1654 from York and James City Counties. County seat: New Kent

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Virginia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Virginia County Boundary Maps" (1617-1995) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1787, 1862, and 1865 New Kent County has suffered heavy record loss. Fire destroyed most colonial records on 15 July 1787. During the Civil War some records were destroyed in 1862. The surviving records were moved to Richmond for safekeeping, but were destroyed by the fire of 3 April 1865.


 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

Weisiger abstracted a valuable source that includes deed, will, and marriage information about residents:


 * Weisiger, Benjamin B. Burned County Data 1809-1848 As Found in the Virginia Contested Election Files. Richmond, Va., 1986..

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 New Kent County, see p. 62]

African American

 * Virginia, Freedmen's Bureau Letters or Correspondence, 1865-18721


 * Heinegg, Paul. "New Kent County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1820," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]

Bible Records

 * Bible Records [1822-1860] of John H. Christian of New Kent County, Son of Gideon and Lucy Christian. Transcript, 1977. 1036555 Item 40
 * Chapman Bible Records [ca. 1809-1926], New Kent County. Transcript, microfilmed 1977. 1036555 Item 40
 * Smithie, Hannah More Moore and Martha Dandridge Woman's Club (New Kent County, Virginia). Bible Records Collected by the Martha Dandridge Woman's Club, New Kent County, Virginia. Typescript, microfilmed 1977. 1036555 Item 40
 * Taylor Bible Records [1802-1912], New Kent Co. Transcript, microfilmed 1977. 1036555 Item 40
 * Turner, Bell Woodward. John Ratcliffe's Bible [Records, ca. 1814-1841], New Kent County, Va. Transcript, microfilmed 1977. 1036555 Item 40

Cemeteries

 * Tyler, Lyon G. "Old Tombstones in New Kent County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Oct. 1896):77-81. Digital version at JSTOR - free.

Census
1782 Enumeration


 * New Kent County Heads of Families - 1782 at U.S. Census Bureau - free. County begins on page 36.

1785 Enumeration


 * New Kent County Heads of Families - 1785 at U.S. Census Bureau - free. County begins on page 92.

1890 Union Veterans


 * "Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890." Prince William County Virginia, by Ronald Ray Turner.    Includes residents of this county.

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Black Creek (1777)

New Kent County fell within the bounds of the Dover Association.

Church of England
See also Blisland Parish See also St. John's Parish  See also St. Paul's Parish  See also St. Peter's Parish  See also St. Stephen's Parish  See also Stratton Major Parish

Presbyterian
Providence Forge Church (originally met at St. Peter's, later called Olivet Church) was organized around 1750. Records have been microfilmed.

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):


 * Black Creek Monthly Meeting (1691-1805)

Court
Chancery Court


 * Indexed images to New Kent County, Virginia Chancery Records 1848-1956 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

Genealogy
More than 450 genealogies have been published about New Kent County families. To view a list, visit New Kent County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies.

Immigration

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

Land and Property

 * 1704 Quit Rents at Virginia Pioneers ($).

Grants and Patents


 * Hudgins. 54 patents dated 1647-1694 in New Kent County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2012. [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.]


 * Nugent, Nell Marion. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1666. Vol. I (1934; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991). Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes New Kent County. N.B. If Ancestry's search engine fails, try checking the printed index at the end of the book.]

Local Histories

 * Harris, Malcolm Hart. Old New Kent County, Some Account of the Planters, Plantations, and Places in ... 2 vols. West Point, Va.: M.H. Harris, 1977. 975.5 H2har v. 1

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1978):121-130. Available at ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. New Kent County's 1789 Delinquent List appears on 22:121.]

Colonial Militia

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some New Kent County militia officers and/or soldiers; 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 ; 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 New Kent County, see p. 96.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at ; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some New Kent County militia officers; see place name index.]

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some New Kent County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at ; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some New Kent County militia officers; see place name index.]

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


 * - 6th Virginia Regiment

Additional resources:


 * 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, New Kent County on page 132.]

War of 1812
New Kent 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, New Kent County, p. 92. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in New Kent County.


 * May 7, 1862 = Eltham’s Landing, also known as Barhamsville or West Point


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


 * - 3rd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company F (New Kent Cavalry or Light Dragoons).

Records and histories are available, including:


 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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)

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Native American
The Pamunkeys Tribe, Chickahominies Tribe, Mattaponeys Tribe, Rappahannocks Tribe, and Totas-Chees Tribe lived in the area in the late 1600s.

Naturalization

 * Virginia

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
Providence Forge was constructed in the 1760s.

Private Papers
Virginia,.

Probate Records
Local Court

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. [Includes New Kent County.]

London Courts

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

County Court


 * Digital Images of New Kent County Wills 1864-1887. See Names of Testators. Virginia Pioneers
 * Digital Images of New Kent County Wills 1880-1938. See Names of Testators. Virginia Pioneers

'Online Probate Links
 * 1639 – 1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry.com — index to transcribed records, incomplete, $
 * 1864 - 1887 Images of Wills, Inventories, Appraisements at Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1880 - 1891 Images of Wills, Inventories, Appraisements at Virginia Pioneers ($)

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1704] "Virginia Quit Rent Rolls, 1704," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, 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: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at ; digital version of VMHB at JSTOR ($). [New Kent County appears in 31:215-235.]
 * [1782-1850] New Kent County Personal Property Tax Lists 1782-1850 (images); digital version in Tax List Club at Binns Genealogy ($).
 * [1782-1816] New Kent County Land Tax Lists 1782-1816 (images); digital version in Tax List Club at Binns Genealogy ($).
 * [1782] New Kent Co. Land Tax - 1782 (VAGenWeb) - free.
 * [1782] New Kent County, Virginia 1782 Land (Binns Genealogy) - free.
 * [1782] Smith, Paulette. New Kent County, Virginia Land Tax Records, 1782 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * [1782] Land Tax Records, 1782, Tidewater Virginia Families, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Aug. 1993); Vol. 2, No. 3 (Nov. 1993). Available at.
 * [1782-1820] Heinegg, Paul. "New Kent County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1820," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [1784] New Kent County, Virginia 1784 Personal Property (Binns Genealogy) - free.
 * [1788] 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 . [The source of this publication is the 1788 personal property tax list. New Kent County is included in Vol. 2.]
 * [1789] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1978):121-130. Available at ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. New Kent County's 1789 Delinquent List appears on 22:121.]
 * [1790, 1800] Indexed images of the 1790 and 1800 Land Tax Lists of New Kent County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1791, 1800] Indexed images of the 1791 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of New Kent County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Jan. 2000); Vol. 44, No. 2 (Apr. 2000).
 * [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. New Kent County is included in Vol. 1.]

Birth

 * 1912-1913 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 - Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1660-1959 - Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1936-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1912-1987 - at FamilySearch — index and images

New Kent County, Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * Tidewater Genealogical Society

New Kent County, Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * New Kent County, Virginia USGENWEB
 * New Kent County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * Cyndi's List
 * Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * Virginia Pioneers ($)