Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy

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Guide to Rappahannock County Virginia ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, immigration records, and military records. This article is about a Virginia county formed in 1833. For other uses, see Rappahannock.

Rappahannock County, Virginia
Map
Boundary map of Rappahannock County, Virginia
Map of Virginia highlighting Rappahannock County
Location in the state of Virginia
Map of the U.S. highlighting Virginia
Location of Virginia in the U.S.
Facts
Founded 1833
County Seat Washington
Courthouse
VirginiaRappahannockCourthouse.jpg


County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Rappahannock County is located in the Piedmont Region of the Commonwealth of Virginia and named for the Rappahannock River[1].

Rappahannock County, Virginia Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Rappahannock County, Virginia
238 Gay Street
P O Box 116
Washington, Virginia 22747
Phone: 540-675-3621

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate
and court records from 1833, land records from 1838
and some personal property records from 1834[2]

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1853 1833 1853 1833 1838 1833 1810
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1912.
General compliance year is unknown.

Rappahannock County, Virginia History[edit | edit source]

Rappahannock River

Parent County[edit | edit source]

1833--Rappahannock County was created 8 February 1833 from Culpeper County.
County seat: Washington [4]

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

  • Lost census: 1890

Rappahannock County, Virginia Places/Localities[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

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:[5]

Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places


Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

African American[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Images of the Virginia Historical Society's family Bible collection have been digitized:


Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Tombstone Transcriptions Online Tombstone Transcriptions in Print List of Cemeteries in the county
Findagrave.com Family History Library Findagrave.com
VAGenWeb WorldCat Billion Graves
VAGenWeb Archives
Tombstone Project
Virginia Gravestones
Billion Graves
See Virginia Cemeteries for more information.

Census[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1840 9,257 —
1850 9,782 5.7%
1860 8,850 −9.5%
1870 8,261 −6.7%
1880 9,291 12.5%
1890 8,678 −6.6%
1900 8,843 1.9%
1910 8,044 −9.0%
1920 8,070 0.3%
1930 7,717 −4.4%
1940 7,208 −6.6%
1950 6,112 −15.2%
1960 5,368 −12.2%
1970 5,199 −3.1%
1980 6,093 17.2%
1990 6,622 8.7%
2000 6,983 5.5%
2010 7,373 5.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1890 Union Veterans

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Baptist[edit | edit source]
Church of England[edit | edit source]

Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Rappahannock County is available online.[6]

Quaker[edit | edit source]

Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):

  • Culpeper Monthly Meeting (1777-1797)[7]

Court[edit | edit source]

Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index can be used to search Rappahannock County chancery court records for the years 1833-1940. Records are located on microfilm at at the clerk's office.

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

Compiled Genealogies by Surname

Land and Property[edit | edit source]

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps[edit | edit source]

Page CountyWarren CountyFauquier CountyCulpeper CountyMadison CountyVA RAPPAHANNOCK.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Military[edit | edit source]

Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
  • 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 version at [1]Google Books. 1967 reprint: FHL Collection 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Rappahannock County on page 133.]
War of 1812[edit | edit source]
  • 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. FHL Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Rappahannock County, p. 100. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]
Civil War[edit | edit source]

Regiments. Service men in Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy 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 in Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy:

- 6th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company B (Rappahannock Cavalry) and Company C (Rockingham Cavalry, River Rangers).[8]
- 7th Battalion, Virginia Infantry, Local Defense (1st Nitre Battalion) (Confederate). Company B (Rappahannock Guard) and Company G (Sperryville Sharpshooters).[9]
- 12th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company G.[10]
- 49th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company D (Sperryville Sharpshooters) and Company I (Rappahannock Rifles).[11]

Records and histories are available, including:

World War II[edit | edit source]

Miscellaneous Records[edit | edit source]

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

The Virginia Newspapers Project identifies local Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy newspapers.


Private Papers[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

  Will Book A, 1833-1842 (digital images) Virginia Pioneers ($)

  Will Book B, 1842-1849 (digital images) Virginia Pioneers ($)

  Will Book C, 1849-1855 (digital images) Virginia Pioneers ($)

  Will Book D, 1855-1866 (digital images) Virginia Pioneers ($)

Online Probate Records

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

  • "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Rappahannock County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):220-222. Available at FHL; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

Taxation[edit | edit source]

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Indexes to Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy births, marriages, and deaths are available online. These collections are incomplete, but are easy to search. Most records can also be ordered electronically online as well. Courtesy: FamilySearch. See also How to order Virginia Vital Records

Birth[edit | edit source]
Marriage[edit | edit source]
  • 1854-1869 - Rappahannock County Marriage Index 1854-1869. Batch M868653 at FamilySearch - free.
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Death[edit | edit source]
Vital Record Substitutes[edit | edit source]
Tip
 For birth, marriage, and death record substitutes, see Bible Records, Cemeteries, Church History and Records, Newspapers, and Probate Records.

Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]

Rappahannock Historical Society[edit | edit source]

The Rappahannock Historical Society is located at 328 Gay Street in Washington, VA 22747.

It can be reached at telephone number 540-675-1163 or by email at rapphistsoc@comcast.net

It is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.(Open on most Monday holidays).

It offers genealogical research, property history searches, and general historical searches.

Fees for research by its staff are $15 per hour. For a more complete listing of their services and resources visit their resource page

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy Websites[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ https://www.rappahannock.com/about-rappahannock-county
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Rappahannock County, Virginia. Page 720 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Rappahannock County, Virginia . Page 710-723 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 715-720.
  4. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
  5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Rappahannock County,_Virginia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rappahannock_County,_Virginia#Communities accessed 25 February 2020.
  6. ↑ William Meade, Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia, 2 vols. (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott and Co., 1861). Digital versions at Internet Archive: Vol. I and Vol. II.
  7. ↑ Jay Worrall, The Friendly Virginians: America's First Quakers (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Publishing Company, 1994), 537-539. FHL Book 975.5 K2wj.
  8. ↑ Michael P. Musick, 6th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, c1990). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 66.
  9. ↑ David F. Riggs, 7th Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1982). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 3.
  10. ↑ Dennis E. Frye, 12th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, c1988). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 42.
  11. ↑ Richard B. Kleese, 49th Virginia Infantry (Appomattox, Va.: H.E. Howard, 2002). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 138.
  12. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/3/37/Igivirginia.pdf.
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Migration
Routes
Routes:  Chesapeake Bay • James River • Potomac River • Rappahannock River • York River • Chesapeake and Ohio Canal • Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad • Fall Line Road (or Southern Road) • Great Indian Warpath • Great Trading Path • Great Valley Road • Kanawha Trail • King's Highway • National Road (Cumberland Road) • New River and Southern Trail • Occaneechi Path • Old Cherokee Path • Old Northwestern Turnpike • Pamunkey-New River Trail • Pioneer Road • Richmond Road • Richmond-Williamsburg Road • Saura-Saponi Trail • Secondary Coast Road • Upper Road • Wilderness Road • Wilmington, Highpoint, and Northern Trail •   Ports:  Atlantic Coast Ports • Accomack  • Alexandria  • Belvoir Plantation  • Bermuda Hundred  • Dumfries  • Falmouth  • Fredericksburg  • Hampton  • Jamestown  • Leedstown  • Norfolk  • Port Royal  • Portsmouth  • South Quay  • Suffolk  • Tappahannock (aka Hobb's Hole)  • Urbanna  • Williamsburg  • Yorktown



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