Vance County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Vance County was formed in 1881 from parts of Franklin County, Granville County, and Warren County. The county was named after the U.S. Senator Zebulon Baird Vance.

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

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:

Biographies

 * Historical Family Collections

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * Vance County Cemeteries from Cemetery Census

Church Records

 * 1700-1970 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church of England List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * St. John's Parish, Williamsboro, N.C. Historical church building, established 1746, church building completed in 1773.
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Vance County's Court system is in the District 9 jurisdiction.
 * Vance County District Court 156 Church Street, Suite 101 Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-738-9000

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1862-1870   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1863-1872   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Genealogies

 * Faulkners of Sandy Creek
 * The Reavis Family of Vance County

Land and Property Records
The Vance County Register of Deeds maintains land records back to the formation of the County in 1881. To obtain copies of these records:
 * Vance County Register of Deeds 122 Young Street, Suite F Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-738-2110


 * Land Records, searchable online database for land records dating back to 1881.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1890 Vance County Veterans Schedule

Revolutionary War 
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1885-1953  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War I 
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II 
 * World War II Vance County Casualties
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * The Daily Dispatch (Henderson, NC)
 * North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC

Other Records
Voter Registration
 * 1868-1898 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images


 * Vance County from National Register of Historical Places

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
 * 1720-1960 - at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
 * 1881-1916 Index to Will Book A, 1881-1916
 * 1881-1916  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1904-1916 Index to Will Book B, 1904-1916
 * Vance County Data Index
 * North Carolina Loose Estates Records Index, free Master Index to all of the North Carolina Estate Files with direct links to the files

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 Street, Suite 101 Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-738-9000

School Records
Yearbooks 
 * Vance County Yearbooks

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 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

 * 1771 Tax Lists, Vance County, 1771 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2 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:
 * Vance County Register of Deeds 122 Young Street, Suite F Henderson, NC 27536 Phone: 252-738-2110

Online Records
 * 1800-2000 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch  How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1969 Vance County Birth Index 1881-1969. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1885-1920 Vance County Birth Index Prior to 1920 (currently A-G)
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
 * 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1759-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1881-1898 Vance County Marriage Register 1881-1898
 * 1881-1962 Vance County Marriage Index 1881-1962 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1900-1929 Vance County Marriages 1900-1929 (currently A-K)
 * Vance County USGenWeb Archives, Marriages

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Libraries

 * Perry Memorial Library 205 Breckenridge Street Henderson, NC 27536 Website

Societies

 * Vance County Historical Society PO Box 2284 Henderson, NC 27536

Websites

 * Vance County, NCGenWeb
 * Vance County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Vance County Government
 * City of Henderson (Vance County seat of government)
 * – 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.