Washington County, Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Washington County, Virginia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Washington County lies in the southwest Appalachian area of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named in honor of General George Washington who was commander in chief of the American Revolutionary forces at the time.

County Courthouse
 Washington County Courthouse 191 East Main Street Abingdon, VA 24210 Phone: 276-676-6279 Washington County Website In 1974 nine square miles of Washington County were annexed to the City of Bristol, which is an independent city with its own clerks office and records. Circuit Court Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1777

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

History Timeline
The county was named after George Washington (1732-1799), who later became President.

Bible Records

 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Davis--Hatfield--Parkey Family Bible Records, 1779-1919. Kentucky Bible and Cemetery Records / Genealogical Records Committee, Kentucky Society D.A.R. leaves 255-260;.
 * Hunt Family Bible Records [1793-1906] of George Hunt. MSS. Copy:.

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * McConnell, Catherine S. High on a Windy Hill. 2 vols. Abingdon, Va.: Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia, 1968, 1995, 2000. ; Free Lookups Available!
 * Montgomery, Mary Alice Hurt. Cemetery Census for Hawkins County, Tennessee, Sullivan County, Tennessee and Washington County, Virginia. Kingsport, Tenn.: M.A.H. Montgomery, [2002?]..

Census Records
1840
 * Douthat, James L. 1840 Mountain Empire of Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2001. 975.5 X2d 1840. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. (Includes Washington County.)

1850 Barbe and Edwards annotated the 1850 census using county records, tombstone inscriptions, family Bibles, Jessee H. Miller's diary, and other censuses:
 * Barbe, Waverly W. and Shelby Ireson Edwards. 1850 Census of Washington County, Virginia, Annotated. Bristol, Tenn.: Holston Territory Genealogical Society, 2000.

1890 Union Veterans
 * "Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890." By Ronald Ray Turner.   Online at: Ancestry ($).

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Baptist Early Baptist churches (with years constituted): In 1810 Washington County fell within the bounds of the Holston and Mountain Associations. It later belonged to the Washington District Association.
 * 1) Mill Creek Valley (1799)
 * 2) North Fork of Holston (1783)
 * 3) Rich Valley (1802)
 * 4) South Fork of Holston or St. Clair's Bottom (1791), Cilhowie, Va. Membership lists (beginning in 1791) and a history were published in the Appalachian Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 4 (Dec. 2005). This area is now part of Smyth County, Virginia.
 * Sutherland, Elihu Jasper. Regular Primitive Baptist Washington District Association: Short History, Abstract of Principles, Preamble and Constitution, Rules of Decorum, Other Data. 1952. 1985 edition:.

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index can be used to search Washington County chancery records for the years 1849-1913. Records are available on microfilm and the Clerk's Office.

Emigration and Immigration
During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 3 British aliens, some of whom had families, living in Abingdon and Washington County. Early migration routes to and from Washington County for European settlers included:
 * Great Indian Warpath pre-historic
 * Old Cherokee Path pre-historic
 * Great Valley Road about 1744 (overlapped the Great Indian Warpath)
 * Wilderness Road 1775

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
 * See Virginia_Cohabitation_Records for links to online records.
 * 1865-1872 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Free black tithables, brief lists, 1804, 1806, Pastmaster Journal of the Mountain Empire. Bristol VA: Jan 2004.
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Washington County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List 1806-1819," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * Hockett, Jack. Washington County Virginia (WCV) Personal Property Tax List (PPTL): D.A.P. Campbell: 1862 Property End. Jno. Burwell (Upper District), available online, courtesy: New River Notes. [Includes a list of free negroes over the age of 12.]
 * Kegley, Mary B. Free People of Colour: Free Negroes, Indians, Portuguese and Freed Slaves. Wytheville, Va.: Kegley Books, 2003..
 * Lowrey, J.K. Washington County Virginia (WCV) 1852 Personal Property Tax List (PPTL): Upper District, available online, courtesy: New River Notes. [Includes a list of free negroes over the age of 12.]
 * Personal property tax list, 1845, coloreds, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Jun 2001. Vol. 19 Iss. 75.
 * Tax book, 1861, free negroes, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Jun 1990. Vol. 8 Iss. 31.
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans of Washington County.

Funeral Homes

 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Genealogies
Compiled Genealogies by Surname A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 * See Washington County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of published books and articles, or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar.

Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Families
 * An Index to Family Files at the Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia Library in Abingdon is available online.
 * Allison, Elizabeth Kelly. Early Southwest Virginia Families: Families of Kelly, Smyth, Buchanan, Clark and Related Families of Edmonson, Keys, Beattie, Ryburn, McDonald. Auburn, Ala., 1960.
 * Gordon Aronhime (1911-1983) collected information on hundreds of Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee pioneers. His note cards, which reference more than 4,000 early settlers of the Holston-Clinch River area and East Tennessee (1770s-1790s), are held at the Library of Virginia. The cards have been digitized and made available online.
 * Holston Territory Genealogical Society. Families of Washington County and Bristol, Virginia, 1776-1996. Bristol, Va.: Holston Territory Genealogical Society and Don Mills, 1996. 975.572 D2f
 * Blankenship, Gayle King. Some Families of Bedford & Washington Counties, Virginia and Orange County, North Carolina Bright, Buford, Cash, Crawford, Crews, Davis, Downs, Early, Foster, Franklin, Gray, Huddleston, Lawhorn, McGeorge, McNew, Parker, Perrott, Pendergrass, Poindexter, Powell, Quarles, St. Clair, Scoggins, Shrewsbury, Smith, Tyler, Warren, Watts, Wiggenton. Poquoson, Va.: G.K. Blankenship, 2000. ; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Local Histories

 * Publications of the Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia [Nos. 1-18]. Abingdon, Virginia, 1964.
 * History of Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870. 1903. By Lewis Preston Summers. J.L.Hill Print Co., 1903. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($). Index at EveryNameIndex.com.
 * Virginia Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
French and Indian War Revolutionary War War of 1812
 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. . Online at: Ancestry ($). Identifies some Washington County veterans; see place name index.
 * Kegley, Mary B. Revolutionary War Pension Applications of Southwest Virginia Soldiers. n.p.: M.B. Kegley, 1997. . Includes Washington County pensioners.
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: . See Virginia, Western District, Wythe County on page 136.
 * 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." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.
 * 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. ; digital versions at Internet Archive. See Vol. 5, Virginia, Washington County, p. 106-107. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Regiments. Washington County men served in the 70th and 105th Regiments. Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & 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)

Regiments. Civil War service men in Washington County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here:
 * - 1st Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate).
 * - 3rd Battalion, Kentucky Mounted Rifles (Confederate). Company F.
 * - 4th Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry and Infantry) (Confederate). Company I (2nd).
 * - 6th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate). Company K.
 * - 9th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate). Company K.
 * - 13th Battalion, Virginia Reserves (Confederate). Companies C, F, and I.
 * - 21st Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company C 2nd and Company F.
 * - 22nd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Bowen's Virginia Mounted Riflemen) (Confederate). Company A, Company C, and Company E.
 * - 30th Battalion, Virginia Sharpshooters (Clarke's) (Confederate). Company E.
 * - 37th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Goodson Rifle Guards), Company B (Virginia Mountain Boys), Company F (Glade Spring Rifles), Company H (King's Mountain Rifles), and Company K (Washington Dependents).
 * - 48th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Mountain Marksmen), Company F (Holston Foresters), and Company G (Campbell Greys).
 * - 50th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company G (1st) (Floyd Blues).
 * - 51st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company I.
 * - 63rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (McMahon's) (Confederate). Companies A, B, E, F, and I.

World War II
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1906-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers
Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette (1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburg website. 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.
 * 1868-1882 Bristol News at Chronicling America.

Periodicals
Bulletin of the Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin Genealogical articles with abstracts of Washington County, Virginia records have been published in the Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin (39+ vols., 1972-present), the journal of the Watauga Association of Genealogists. The organization has posted tables of contents for most volumes on their website. Back issues are available for purchase. The Family History Library has a complete collection, including Margaret W. Hougland and Betty Jane Hylton's Bulletin Subject Index: The First Thirty Years, 1972-2001 (Johnson City, Tenn.: Watauga Association of Genealogists, 2002).

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1633-1800 Wills and Estate Records Index at Library of Virginia.
 * 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry — index, incomplete ($)
 * Images of Wills, Estates, Deeds 1771 – 1791; 1791 – 1806; 1806 – 1812. Virginia Pioneers ($)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Tax Records

 * 1782  "Tithables in Washington County, Virginia, in 1782," Publications (The Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia). Series 2, No. 7 (Winter-Spring 1968-1969), No. 8 (Jul. 1970) and No. 9 (Jul. 1971). Available at.
 * 1782  Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. . Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, - images. 1782 personal property tax list of Washington County.
 * 1782  Personal Property Tax List, 1782, Tazewell County Historical Society Newsletter. Tazewell VA: Jun 1996. Vol. 9 Iss. 2.
 * 1782  Personal Property Tax List, 1782, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Jun 1992. Vol. 10 Iss. 39.
 * 1782  "Washington County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists - 1782," The Mountain Empire Genealogical Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Summer 1985):124-127. . [Abstracted from The Sutherland Collection.]
 * 1782 Weaver, Jeffrey C. The 1782 Washington County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List at New River Notes.
 * 1782-1850 Personal property tax lists of Washington County, 1782-1850 at, (another filming) - images. Note: The 1786 folder appears to be incorrectly labeled. The names and entries match those of 1782, but it is a more legible copy.
 * 1783  Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783; index online at Revolutionary War Service website - free.
 * 1784  Personal property tax list, 1784, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Dec 1992. Vol. 11 Iss. 41.
 * 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 . The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Washington County is included in Vol. 2.
 * 1791  Tax list, c. 1791, Hart County Historical Society Quarterly. Munfordville KY: Summer 2005.
 * 1797  Tithables, 1797, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Dec 1993. Vol. 12 Iss. 2; Mar 1994. Vol. 12 Iss. 3; Jun 1994. Vol. 12 Iss. 4; Sep 1994. Vol. 13 Iss. 1; Dec 1994. Vol. 13 Iss. 2; Mar 1995. Vol. 13 Iss. 50.
 * 1804, 1806  Free black tithables, brief lists, 1804, 1806, Pastmaster Journal of the Mountain Empire. Bristol VA: Jan 2004.
 * 1806 Weaver, Jeffrey C. The 1806 Washington County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List at New River Notes.
 * 1806-1819  Heinegg, Paul. "Washington County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List 1806-1819," at Free African Americans.com. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
 * 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. Washington County is included in Vol. 5.
 * 1815  Kegley, Mary B. Southwest Virginia Tax Assessments, 1815: Grayson, Lee, Scott, Russell, Washington, and Wythe Counties. Wytheville, Va.: Kegley Books, 1991. Original edition and 1992 supplement available at . The source for this publication is a private collection of 1815 tax assessment tickets for the First District of Virginia. The tickets includes landowners' names, number of acres or lots, number of buildings along with descriptions, and number of slaves. N.B. These are not the 1815 land tax books.
 * 1845  Personal property tax list, 1845, coloreds, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Jun 2001. Vol. 19 Iss. 75.
 * 1845  Personal property tax list, 1845, Upper District, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Mar 2001. Vol. 19 Iss. 3.
 * 1845  Personal property tax list, 1845, Ha-Wh, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Jun 2001. Vol. 19 Iss. 75.
 * 1852  Lowrey, J.K. Washington County Virginia (WCV) 1852 Personal Property Tax List (PPTL): Upper District at New River Notes. Includes a list of free negroes over the age of 12.
 * 1861  Tax book, 1861, free negroes, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Jun 1990. Vol. 8 Iss. 31.
 * 1862  Hockett, Jack. Washington County Virginia (WCV) Personal Property Tax List (PPTL) at New River Notes. Includes a list of free negroes over the age of 12.
 * 1868  Hockett, Jack. Washington County Virginia (WCV) Personal Property Tax List (PPTL) at New River Notes.
 * 1870  Supplement to Saltville District, 1870, labor and tax, 1872-1873, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Dec 2002. Vol. 21 Iss. 81.
 * 1870  Hockett, Jack. 1870 Personal Property Tax List (PPTL), Washington County Virginia at New River Notes.
 * 1871  Hockett, Jack. Washington County VA Personal Property Tax List, Saltville Township, 1871) at New River Notes.
 * 1872-1873  Hockett, Jack. A Supplement to the 1870 Census of Washington Co. VA, Saltville District at New River Notes.
 * 1883  Hockett, Jack. County, VA (WCV) Personal Property Tax List at New River Notes.
 * 1883  Hockett, Jack, 1883 Washington County, VA Personal Property Tax List at New River Notes.
 * 1887  Hockett, Jack. 1887 Washington County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List at New River Notes.
 * 1903-1906  Poll tax lists, 1903-6, Saltville dist., Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Sep 1998. Vol. 17 Iss. 1; Dec 1998. Vol. 17 Iss. 65; Mar 1999. Vol. 17 Iss. 3; Jun 1999. Vol. 17 Iss. 4; Sep 1999. Vol. 18 Iss. 1; Dec. 1999. Vol. 18 Iss. 2; Mar 2000. Vol. - Iss. 70.
 * 1906  Tax list, 1906, Ab-Sc, Holston Pastfinder. Bristol VA: Jun 1998. Vol. 16 Iss. 4.

Birth

 * 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1889-1896 Fridley, Beth, comp. Washington County, Virginia Births, 1889-96 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index, ($)
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1782-1820 Washington County Marriage Register, 1782-1820 at VAGenWeb. Also at: Ancestry ($).
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry — index ($), MyHeritage ($)
 * 1801-1820 Barbe, Waverly. "Washington County, Virginia, Mc Marriages, 1801-1820," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1976):130-132. Available at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)

Death

 * Deaths are online in the Library of Virginia's Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, sponsored by The Virginia Genealogical Society.
 * 1853-1861 Washington County, Virginia Deaths 1853-1861 at VAGenWeb
 * 1853-1885 Washington County, Virginia Deaths, 1853-85 at Ancestry ($).
 * 1853-1911 Virginia, U.S., Death Registers, 1853-1911 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection;  index & images
 * 1886-1896 Washington County, Virginia Deaths, 1886-96 at Ancestry ($).
 * 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index & images

Family History Centers

 * Bristol Virginia Family History Center
 * Kingsport Tennessee Family History Center
 * Washington County Public Library - Glade Spring Branch - an affiliate library
 * Washington County Public Library - Hayters Gap Branch - an affiliate library
 * Washington County Public Library - Main Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Bristol Genealogical Society

Websites

 * Washington County, Virginia USGENWEB
 * References for Southwest Virginia (Southwest Virginia Project)
 * Cyndi's List
 * RamblingRoots (Pioneer Families of Washington Co., Virginia)


 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Washington County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 24, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1980):58-60. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).