Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy
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 | |
![]() Location in the state of Virginia, United States Genealogy | |
![]() Location of Virginia in the U.S. | |
Facts | |
Founded | 1833 |
---|---|
County Seat | Washington |
Courthouse | |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Rappahannock County, Virginia History
- 3 Rappahannock County, Virginia Places/Localities
- 4 Resources
- 4.1 African American
- 4.2 Bible Records
- 4.3 Cemeteries
- 4.4 Census
- 4.5 Church Records
- 4.6 Court
- 4.7 Funeral Homes
- 4.8 Genealogy
- 4.9 Land and Property
- 4.10 Local Histories
- 4.11 Maps
- 4.12 Military
- 4.13 Miscellaneous Records
- 4.14 Newspapers
- 4.15 Private Papers
- 4.16 Probate Records
- 4.17 Research Guides
- 4.18 Taxation
- 4.19 Vital Records
- 5 Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries
- 6 Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy Websites
- 7 References
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]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1853 | 1833 | 1853 | 1833 | 1838 | 1833 | 1810 |
General compliance year is unknown. |
Rappahannock County, Virginia History[edit | edit source]
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]
- 1865-1872 Freedmen's Bureau Letters or Correspondence, 1865-1872
- 1935-2009 Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009, index and images, incomplete
- Rappahannock County, Virginia Colored Marriage Register - free.
- Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans of Rappahannock County.
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. |
- 1800-1986 - Virginia, Jewish Cemetery Records Index, ca. 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — index
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
- "Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890." Prince William County Virginia, by Ronald Ray Turner. FHL Collection Includes residents of this county.
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]
- 1935-2009 Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009, index and images, incomplete
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
Compiled Genealogies by Surname
- See Rappahannock County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of 12+ published books and articles.
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps[edit | edit source]
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:
- 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 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)
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1940-1945 - Virginia, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images
Miscellaneous Records[edit | edit source]
- 1607-2007 - Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
The Virginia Newspapers Project identifies local Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy newspapers.
Private Papers[edit | edit source]
- Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007
- [Gibson] Davis, Bruce G. "Gibson Family Bible, Rappahannock County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1970):163-164. Available at FHL; digital version at American Ancestors ($).
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Will Book A, 1833-1842 (digital images) Virginia Pioneers ($)
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 ($)
Online Probate Records
- 1833-1842 Images of Wills and Estates Book A Virginia Pioneers ($)
- 1842-1849 Images of Wills and Estates Book B Virginia Pioneers ($)
- 1849-1855 Images of Wills and Estates Book C Virginia Pioneers ($)
- 1855-1866 Images of Wills and Estates Book D Virginia Pioneers ($)
- Indexes to Wills, Estates, Settlements, Deeds - 1656-1664; 1662-1672; 1662-1668; 1663-1682. Virginia Pioneers.net ($)
- Images of Wills, Settlements, Estates 1656-1664; 1663-1668. Virginia Pioneers.net ($)
- General Index to Wills and Deeds 1654-1691; Deed Books 7 and 8, 1684-1691. Virginia Pioneers.net ($)
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]
- 1853-1870 - Rappahannock County Birth Index 1853-1870. Batch C868653 at FamilySearch - free.[12]
- 1853-1866 - Virginia, Slave Birth Index, 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1912-1913 - Virginia, Birth Certificates, 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — index and images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1660-1959 - Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).
- 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry.com ($) — index
- 1833-1869 - Rappahannock County Marriage Index 1833-1869. Batch M868652 at FamilySearch - free.
- 1853-1935 - Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, County Marriage Registers, 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1854-1869 - Rappahannock County Marriage Index 1854-1869. Batch M868653 at FamilySearch - free.
- 1854-1930 - Rappahannock County, Virginia, Marriages 1854-1930 - free.
- 1936-1988 - Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1918-1988 - Virginia, Divorce Records, 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1912-1987 - Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — index and images
Vital Record Substitutes[edit | edit source]
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 $15 per hour. For a more complete listing of their services and resources visit their resource page
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Rappahannock County, Virginia Genealogy Websites[edit | edit source]
- Rappahannock County, Virginia USGenWeb project
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Rappahannock County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
- Virginia Pioneers Virginia Pioneers ($)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ https://www.rappahannock.com/about-rappahannock-county
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Rappahannock County,_Virginia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rappahannock_County,_Virginia#Communities accessed 25 February 2020.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Jay Worrall, The Friendly Virginians: America's First Quakers (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Publishing Company, 1994), 537-539. FHL Book 975.5 K2wj.
- ↑ Michael P. Musick, 6th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, c1990). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 66.
- ↑ David F. Riggs, 7th Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1982). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 3.
- ↑ Dennis E. Frye, 12th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, c1988). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 42.
- ↑ Richard B. Kleese, 49th Virginia Infantry (Appomattox, Va.: H.E. Howard, 2002). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 138.
- ↑ 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.