North Carolina, County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
These records cover the years 1793 to 1968.

Record Description
The collection includes the following various county records:


 * Coroner's Inquests (1793-1905)
 * Voter Registration Books (1888-1896)
 * Wills (1821-1968)
 * Guardianships (1849-1967)
 * Estates (1854-1968)

Most of the records are either handwritten or handwritten on preprinted forms.

Record Content
The records generally include the following information:


 * Date of the event, transaction, or recording with the county
 * Names of individual, witnesses, family members, sometimes neighbors
 * Ages
 * Relationships
 * Residences
 * Occupations
 * Signature or mark
 * Amount of any money exchanged

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The type of event
 * The approximate date the event occurred
 * The name of the individual or individuals, such as the bride and groom, infant, or deceased

Identify the record to be searched

From the Record Description list, identify the kind of record you would like to search (voter registration, wills, guardianship, etc.) and click on the title link to select it.

Find the image

Start searching individual images or pages that you have listed. Compare the information in the records to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

Using the Information

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the names, ages and residence church and census records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Tips to Keep in Mind


 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Record History
Soon after they were formed, counties began recording vital records, court records, and land transactions. The records are generally well preserved.

Why the Record Was Created
The records were made to establish legal rights and to help track the population for health and taxation purposes.

Record Reliability
The information is generally reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant. Some transcription errors may have occurred.

Related Websites

 * North Carolina Free Public Records Directory
 * North Carolina Genealogy Search Engines

Related Wiki Articles
North Carolina

North Carolina History

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Example of a Source Citation for a Record Found in This Collection
"North Carolina, County Records, 1833-1970,"; 'FamilySearch' (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 23 June 2011). entry for R; Sloan Dixon, estate probated January 28, 1929; citing County Records, Gaston, Estates, vol. 39, 1909-1962, Dixon, P.M. - Dyson, Elnora Goins, Image 26; Gaston County Courthouse, Gastonia, North Carolina, United States.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

“North Carolina County Records, 1833-1970,” database, "FamilySearch" (FamilySearch.org); from various county offices throughout North Carolina. FHL digital images, Family History Library Salt Lake City, Utah.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.