Halifax County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Halifax County Courthouse King Street Box 67 Halifax, NC 27839 Phone: 252-583-2101 Registerof Deeds has birth and death records from 1913 marriage records from 1867

divorce, probate records from1868, court records from 1893 land records from 1729 &amp; mililitary discharge records from 1918

Register of Deeds P.O. Box 67 Halifax, NC 27839 Phone: 252-583-2101 Fax: 252-583-1273 Website

Clerk Superior Court P.O. Box 66 Halifax, NC 27839 Work Phone: (252) 593-3000

History
In 1758 the residents of Edgecombe County petitioned the Governor and the Colonial Assembly requesting that the parish of Halifax be granted the status of an individual county - having functioned along with St. Mary’s Parish as the two original Edgecombe County parishes since its creation in 1741 from the southwestern section of Bertie County. Bertie County was formed from the western extension of Chowan Precinct (west of the Chowan River) in the year 1722, and was even earlier, an undefined part of the now extinct original Albemarle County 1664-1668. All territory within the boundaries of Edgecombe County north of the Fishing Creek and Rainbow Banks on the Roanoke River - approximately 711 square miles - was officially designated as Halifax County on January 1, 1759. Halifax County is located in the northeastern area of North Carolina and is bordered on all sides by seven neighboring NC counties. As suggested by Governor Author Dobbs, Halifax was named for George Montague II, Earl of Halifax, first Lord of the Board of Trade and Plantations. The county seat, also named Halifax (town) had been established in 1757 on the Roanoke River. Located on the fall line of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, the county has an interesting mixture of flat and hilly terrain and an excellent climate for agricultural pursuits. The original residents of this area along the southern banks of the Moratuck [Roanoke] River and Quankie Creek were the Tuscarora Indians. In 1917 Milton Whitney, Chief of Bureau, U. S. Department of Agriculture submitted an official report to the US Government in which he stated that the early settlers of the Halifax County area came mainly from the British Isles. Many of them settled first in New Jersey and other northern States and then migrated to this county. Others came directly to Halifax County. The first settlements in Halifax County were apparently made near the watercourses. The first crops grown were corn, peas, potatoes, flax, and various vegetables. Live stock was brought in at an early date, and gradually increased in number. Flax was spun and woven into garments for home use. Considerable wool was produced and made into clothing at home. Tanneries were in operation at an early date, and furnished leather for making shoes. Nearly every settler grew tobacco for domestic use. Cotton was grown in small patches and made into homespun garments, the lint being separated from the seed by hand.

In 1774, the southeastern part of Halifax County was combined with part of Tyrrell County to form Martin County. Today Halifax County is comprised of twelve townships with a total population of 57,370 people (2000 Census). The Townships are: Brinkleyville, Butterwood, Conoconnara, Enfield, Faucett, Halifax, Littleton, Palmyra, Roanoke Rapids, Roseneath, Scotland Neck, and Weldon.

Land records of Edgecombe County, and Bertie District, are included in the record of deed series.

Parent County
1758--Halifax County was officially established in 1759 from Edgecombe County. County seat: Halifax

An Act for dividing Edgecomb County.

I. Whereas divers inconveniences attend the Inhabitants of Edgecomb County, by reason of the large extent thereof, and the great Distance that many of them live from the Court House, and other Places usually appointed for Public Meetings;

II. Be it therefore Enacted, by the Governor, Council, and Assembly, and by the Authority of the same, That from and immediately after the First Day of January next ensueing, the said County of Edgecomb be divided, by the dividing Line between the Parish of Edgecomb and the Parish of St. Mary; and that that Part of the said County which is now the Parish of St. Mary, remain, be called, and known by the Name of Edgecomb County; and that that Part of the said County which is now the Parish of Edgecomb, be thence forth erected into one distinct County, and called and known by the Name of Halifax.

III. And for the due Administration of Justice, Be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That after the said first Day of January, a Court for the said County of Edgecomb be constantly held, by the Justices thereof, at Redman's Oldfield, on Tyoncoca, upon the Days and Times by Law appointed for that purpose; and also that a Court for the said County of Halifax be constantly held, by the Justices thereof, at Enfield, upon the first Tuesdays in March, June, September, and December, in every Year, as by the Laws of this Province is Provided, and shall be, by Commission to the Justices of the said Counties, respectively, directed.

IV. And be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to debar the Sheriff of the said County of Edgecomb, as the same stands now undivided, to make Distress for any Levies, Fees, or other Dues, that shall be due from the Inhabitants of the said County on the said First Day of January, in the same Manner as by Law the said Sheriff could or might have done if the said County had remained undivided; and the said Levies, Fees, and other Dues, shall be collected and accounted for in the same Manner as if this Act had never been made; any Thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

V. Be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That after the said First Day of January, the said County of Halifax shall be, continue, and remain part of the District Supreme Court of Justice, Oyer and Terminer, and General Gaol Delivery, usually held for the Counties of Northampton, Edgecomb, and Granville; and the Sheriff or Collector of the said County of Halifax shall, from Time to Time account for and pay to the Public Treasurer of the Northern District of this Province for the Time being, all Public Levies by him Collected, or wherewith he shall stand Chargeable, in the same Manner, and under the like Pains and Penalties, as other Sheriffs.

VI. Provided always, That nothing herein contained shall be construed, deemed or taken, to alter or derogate from the Rights and Royal Prerogative of his Majesty, his heirs or Successors of granting Letters of Incorporation to the said Counties, and of ordering, appointing, and directing the Election of a Member or Members to represent them in Assembly, and of granting Markets and Fairs to be kept and held in them respectively; but that the said Right and Prerogative shall and may, at all Times hereafter, be exercised therein by his said Majesty, his Heirs or Successors, in as full and ample manner, to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever, as if this Act had never been made.

(The Laws of North Carolina 1758, Pg. 496-497, Chapter XIII)

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
Many court records are missing. Many of the early marriage records are also missing.

Neighboring Counties

 * Bertie
 * Edgecombe
 * Franklin
 * Martin
 * Nash
 * Northampton
 * Warren

Baptist

 * Davis's Meeting House, aka Concinnary. Established by 1783.
 * Kehukee. Church built 1742. Also spelled Quehuky. Edwards published a membership list dated 1742 in Materials Towards a History of the Baptists... (1772), 129.
 * Lawrence's, aka New Meeting House, aka Fishing Creek; near Scotland Neck, N.C. Established by 1779.
 * Lower Fishing Creek. Church built 1757. Edwards published a list of early members in Materials Towards a History of the Baptists... (1772), 133-134.
 * Rocky Swamp, near Enfield, N.C. Established by 1773.
 * Quankey, near Halifax, N.C. Established by 1799.

Church of England

 * Trinity Parish, near Scotland Neck, N.C. Established about 1732. A history was published in 1955.

Methodist

 * Eden, near Enfield, N.C. Established by 1789.

Court
Following sites contain transcribed Court records:


 * Halifax County Court Minutes 1832-1846, Part 1
 * Halifax County Apprenticeships &amp; Other Records 1847-1865
 * Free People of Color Register 1847-1865

Land
The Halifax County Register of Deeds has copies of land records starting from 1732. Marriage records are available since 1825. Birth &amp; Death records are available since October 1913. Generally, it is more cost effective to obtain documents from the County offices for non-certified copies rather than the State Archives, so contact the Registry for availability &amp; pricing.

The North Carolina State Archives has copies of most records prior to about 1930. For a listing of available Halifax County records at the Archives, click onto our Guide. It is generally more cost effective to order directly from the County offices, so check the local offices first for document availability. Before ordering anything from the Archives, please read our Contacting the State Archives page.

Halifax County Register of Deeds Court Services Building P. O. Box 67 357 Ferrell Lane Halifax, NC 27839 Telephone: 259-583-2101 Access the Property Index Search on their website

The following pages contain transcriptions of deeds:


 * W. W. Carter, Sheriff to John Justiss, 1813
 * James Carstarphen Records 1777-1785
 * Thomas Curlin to John Taylor, 1818
 * Thomas Curlin to Richard Bailey, 1818
 * Thomas Curlin to John Lee, 1819
 * Thomas Curlin to Thomas Carlisle, 1845
 * Edmund Daniel to Cory Cox, 1783
 * Zachariah Harman to Drewry Harrington, 1787
 * Milly Hyde to John Hyde, 1794
 * Henry &amp; Ann Long to Joel Walker, 1784
 * John Long to Joel Walker, 1775
 * John Peebles to John Curlin, 1810
 * Jesse Read Deeds
 * Mary Read to Aaron Pendry, 1769
 * Mary Read to Lydia Read, 1769
 * Mary Read to Moses R. Pendry, 1769
 * Matthew &amp; Sarah Roburn to John Long, 1778
 * John Taylor to Thomas Curlin, 1799
 * George Washington to John Cooper, 1791
 * Thomas Willie to Thomas Curlin, 1817

Local Histories

 * Halifax County History Index
 * Sally M. Stanton Letter
 * History and Pioneers of Halifax County
 * Historical Family Collections
 * Richard Thompson Family Letters
 * Those Kitchin Girls
 * William Hodges Kitchin Family
 * Sally's Family Place
 * Mingia Family History Pages
 * Bacon, Grady, Kitchin, Satterfield, Stack, &amp; Travis Families
 * Descendants of Hezakiah Morris
 * Descendants of James Gill
 * The Little Legend
 * The Stiths Family
 * The Descendants of Richard Jordan I
 * Guide to the Robert Lynch Papers
 * The Haliwa-Saponi (from Wikipedia)
 * Sale of the Slaves of Cary Whitaker of Halifax
 * Biography of James Edward O'Hara
 * Halifax County 1860 Largest Slaveholders &amp; 1870 Surnames Match
 * Slaves named in Halifax Co. Wills, 1758-1854
 * Joseph Baysmore, a Historical Sketch of 1st Colored Baptist Church

Maps

 * Halifax County Maps page

Revolutionary War

 * 1779 - 1782 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Transcribed copies of Military Records can be found:


 * The Halifax Resolves
 * Cato Copeland Revolutionary War Pension
 * James Carter Revolutionary War Pension
 * Benjamin Richardson Revolutionary War Pension
 * Elijah Bass Revolutionary War Pension
 * Moses Read Revolutionary War Pension
 * Shadrick Lassiter, Revolutionary Soldier
 * Joel Etheridge Revolutionary War Pension
 * Willie Jones of Halifax County
 * John Toney Revolutionary War Pension
 * William Carter Revolutionary War Pension
 * Isham Scott Revolutionary War Pension
 * The Patriot Resource - lists Revolutionary War battles with descriptions
 * The 2nd North Carolina Regiment in the Continental Army - resources &amp; histories
 * Africans in America: The Revolutionary War

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 — images


 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 12th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company G
 * - 12th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company I
 * - 14th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, formerly the 4th Volunteers, Company A
 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company K
 * - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry,usually known as the Bethel Regiment, Company I
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Artillery, Company F
 * - 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company K
 * - 41st Regiment Volunteers - 3rd Cavalry, Company G

Transcribed copies of Military Records can be found at the following sites:


 * 1861 - 1865 - Halifax County Civil War Confederate Enlistments 1861-1865
 * List of Soldiers in Halifax Confederate Burial Ground
 * Halifax County Civil War Page
 * Halifax County U.S. Colored Troops

World War I

 * 1917 - 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * 1940 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Roanoke Daily Herald
 * Warren Record
 * Littleton News
 * The Lake Gaston Observer

Probate
The Clerk of the Superior Court for Halifax County has copies of court, wills and estate records starting from 1759 if they have not been transferred to the State Archives.

The North Carolina State Archives has copies of most records prior to about 1930. For a listing of available Halifax County records at the Archives, click onto our Guide. It is generally more cost effective to order directly from the County offices, so check the local offices first for document availability.

Online Probate Records


 * 1660 - 1790 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1663 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — 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
 * 1755 - 1961 - have been digitized by FamilySearch - free.
 * 1760 - 1800 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry.com — index and images
 * Pre - 1790 - Pre-1790 Wills stored at the North Carolina State Archives are online - free. Website tips
 * Wills & Estates 1758-1774; 1781-1824 North Carolina Pioneers ($).

Halifax County Courthouse Clerk of the Superior Court 357 Ferrell Lane Halifax, NC 27839 (252) 583-5061

Mailing Address: P. O. Box 66 Halifax, NC 27839

North Carolina State Archives 109 E. Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601 Mail: 4614 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-4614 Telephone: 919-807-7310

Following are links to pages with transcribed Wills or Estate Records:


 * Mariah Evans, 1881
 * Benjamin Richardson, 1809
 * William Richardson, 1798
 * Alfred Richardson, 1874
 * Lucy (Williams) Manley, 1930
 * Presley Williams, 1879
 * Julius Zollicoffer, 1853
 * Sallie (Holly) Richardson, 1928
 * Gideon Richardson, 1880
 * Eliza Louisa Richardson, 1908
 * William Hattaway/Hadaway, 1795
 * Joseph John Alston, 1780
 * W.F.S. Alston, 1854
 * William Andrew, 1761
 * Simmons J. Baker, 1853
 * William Bishop, 1782
 * Jeremiah Brinkley, 1838
 * Brinkley Family Estate Record
 * William Bryant, 1762
 * Sarah Elizabeth Bunn, 1877
 * Joseph Burt, 1788
 * Richard Burt, 1805
 * Stephen Burt, 1793
 * Richard Carney, 1793
 * John Cooper, 1794
 * Thomas Cooper, 1794
 * Henry Cotton, 1785
 * Joseph Cotton, 1794
 * David Crawley, 1773
 * Matilda Daniel, 1842
 * William Daniel, 1800
 * Thomas Davis, 1764
 * Rosanna Conner Faulcon, 1844
 * William Fluellen, 1784
 * Ambrose Foster, 1802
 * Thomas Gardner, 1777
 * William Green, 1760
 * Robert Hall, 1796
 * William Herbert, 1820
 * John Knight, 1833
 * Alexander McCulloch, 1798
 * Barnaby McKinnie, 1761
 * Barnaby McKinnie Jr., 1761
 * Henry Medford, 1773
 * Josiah Mohoon, 1772
 * Hezekiah Morris, 1799
 * Bethel Pair, 1804
 * Harmon Read, 1767
 * Read Wills Addendums
 * Jesse Read, 1820
 * Mary Read, 1781
 * Rhesa Read, 1823
 * James Sikes, 1779
 * Lacy Simmons, 1789
 * Joseph Wheeles (Whelas) 1761
 * Joseph Wheeless, 1786
 * Jacob Wyatt, 1761
 * See All additional wills

Taxation

 * Halifax County 1784 Taxables

Vital Records
The Halifax County Register of Deeds has copies of land records starting from 1732. Marriage records are available since 1825. Birth &amp; Death records are available since October 1913. Generally, it is more cost effective to obtain documents from the County offices for non-certified copies rather than the State Archives, so contact the Registry for availability &amp; pricing.

Halifax County Register of Deeds Court Services Building P. O. Box 67 357 Ferrell Lane Halifax, NC 27839 Telephone: 259-583-2101 Access the Property Index Search on their website

Birth

 * 1800 - 2000 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1866 - 1964 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * Trinity Parish Register - contains marriages, baptisms, deaths starting from 1831

Death

 * 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
 * Trinity Parish Register - contains marriages, baptisms, deaths starting from 1831
 * Halifax County Obituaries Index

Divorce

 * '''1958 - 2004 - North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage

 * 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
 * Some Halifax County Marriage Licenses
 * Cato Copeland/Nancy Mitchell Marriage Bond, 1778
 * Halifax County Marriages 1867-1872
 * Benjamin Richardson/Mary Bass Marriage Bond, 1783
 * Elijah Bass/Mary Bass Marriage Bond, 1777
 * Marriages from Halifax County NCGenWeb Archives
 * Trinity Parish Register - contains marriages, baptisms, deaths starting from 1831
 * 1851 - 1953 - Halifax County Marriage Books 1-13 Index 1851-1953 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Societies and Libraries
Halifax County Genealogical Society PO Box 447 Halifax, NC 27839

North Carolina Genealogical Society PO Box 22 Greenville, NC 27835 Website

Edgecombe County Genealogical Society PO Box 656 Pinetops, North Carolina 27864 Website

Tar River Connections Genealogical Society PO Box 8764 Rocky Mount, N.C. 27804 Website

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Roanoke Rapids North Carolina Family History Center

Websites

 * Halifax County, NC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * USGenWeb Project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Halifax County NCGenWeb Project
 * Halifax County USGenWeb Archives