Scotland County, North Carolina Genealogy
Guide to Scotland County, North Carolina ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Tax Records
- 2.27 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Scotland County is located in the south-central portion of North Carolina and shares a border with South Carolina. It was named for the ancestral home of many of its inhabitants.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Scotland County Courthouse
212 Biggs Street
Laurinburg, NC 28352
Phone: 910-277-2577
Scotland County Website
Register of Deeds has birth records from 1913, marriage, death and burial records from 1899, and land records.
Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1899.[3]
Scotland County, North Carolina Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1913 | 1889 | 1899 | 1899 | 1900 | 1899 | 1784 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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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. |
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:[6]
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| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
The earliest settlers in what is now Scotland County were composed largely of Highland Scots. It is fairly well established by several writers of Scottish history that there were Highlanders living in this area as early as 1729, when North Carolina became a royal colony. However, much of the Scot settlement came in the next quarter century. It was during this period that many Scots pushed up the Cape Fear River into the area surrounding their Cross Creek settlement, later Campbellton, now Fayetteville, and consequently, into the area that is now Scotland County.
Through the ensuing years, other groups and individuals have come to the county, bringing their own heritage to mingle with that of the Scots, Scotch-Irish, English, Welsh, and African. Some of our present-day citizens can even link their heritage to that of the first Americans -- the Native Americans. So although the name of the county is Scotland and the Scottish influence is quite strong, the Scots have no monopoly on the county or its history.
The political beginning for Scotland County came when the legislature of North Carolina, on February 20, 1899, created the new county. The county was formed entirely from Richmond County. The entire area had been a part of Anson County and, before that, a part of Bladen.
The main reason given for the movement to break away from Richmond County was that the county seat, Rockingham, being some twenty to thirty miles away, was too far from the eastern part of the county. Any business in the county seat required an all-day trip and sometimes an overnight stay on the part of many citizens. However, there seem to have been other factors at work, including a strong red shirt movement and much dissatisfaction with the county government at Rockingham. There were charges and counter-charges and strong feeling displayed by both proponents and opponents of the new county. A petition opposing the formation of the new county was circulated in the legislature of 1895 by Richmond County opponents of the separation, and in the petition attention was called to the small number of Populists and Republicans who voted in Laurinburg. The accusation was that the number was so small because of intimidation in the heavily Democratic town. One sentence read: Laurinburg, in politics, ought to be called Rottenburg.
Mr. Maxey John wrote the act which created the county. He had written similar acts twice before. In 1893, the act failed to pass the General Assembly, and in 1895, the act passed, but with a provision for an election in all Richmond County to approve or disapprove the new county. The election failed to approve the new county, and no serious attempt was made in the 1897 session of the General Assembly, which was Republican-Fusionist controlled. However, in 1899, another attempt was made. The act was introduced in the General Assembly by Mr. Hector McLean, who is sometimes called the Father of Scotland County.
In the act establishing the county, the legislature designated Laurinburg as the county seat and required that the county commissioners select a site for a jail within a mile of the center of town. The county began to function in December 1900, and the wills and deeds books begin in that month.[7]
Additional Information[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1900 | 12,553 | — |
| 1910 | 15,363 | 22.4% |
| 1920 | 15,600 | 1.5% |
| 1930 | 20,174 | 29.3% |
| 1940 | 23,232 | 15.2% |
| 1950 | 26,336 | 13.4% |
| 1960 | 25,183 | −4.4% |
| 1970 | 26,929 | 6.9% |
| 1980 | 32,273 | 19.8% |
| 1990 | 33,754 | 4.6% |
| 2000 | 35,998 | 6.6% |
| 2010 | 36,157 | 0.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1700-1970 - North Carolina, Church Records, 1700-1970 at FamilySearch — index
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
The Clerk of Superior Court is elected for four years and must be a resident of the county in which he or she is elected. Unlike clerks of court in other states, the Clerk of Superior Court in North Carolina has numerous judicial functions.
As judge of probate, the Clerk has exclusive original jurisdiction over matters relating to the probate of wills, and the administration of estates, including appointing personal representatives, auditing their accounting, and removing them from office if necessary. The Clerk also presides over many other legal matters including adoptions, incompetency proceedings, condemnation of private lands for public use, and foreclosures. The Clerk is responsible for all clerical and record-keeping functions of the district and superior court. In addition, the Clerk receives and disburses money collected each year from court fees and fines.
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
- The Currie Family of North Carolina
- The Leroy Farmer Family
- The Lewis Jernigan Family
- The Jeremiah Norton Family
- The Malcolm Bethune Stewart Family
- The Isaac Williamson Family
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Records can also be obtained through the North Carolina State Archives:
- North Carolina State Archives
109 E. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Mailing Address: 4614 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4614
Phone: 919-807-7310
Check their Manuscript and Archives Reference System Online Catalog for land records processed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- 1908 Scotland County - from the NC State Archives Digital Collection
- Laurinburg, NC, 1885
- Gibson, Scotland County, 1902
- Scarborough's Map of North & South Carolina, 1900-1906
- Scotland County Postal Map, 1910
- Scotland County Road Survey, 1930
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War
Civil War
- 1861-1865 North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch
- 1861-1865 North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch
- 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 North Carolina, Confederate Soldiers and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1953 at FamilySearch
World War I
World War II
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
- Historical Photos of Laurinburg, North Carolina, by Bill Meacham
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
- 1663-1979 North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979 at FamilySearch
- 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
- 1735-1970 North Carolina Probate Records 1735-1970 at FamilySearch
- 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
School Records[edit | edit source]
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
- 1800-2000 - North Carolina, Department of Archives and History, Index to Vital Records, 1800-2000 at FamilySearch — index and images
- North Carolina State Archives, has death records prior to 1930. Check their Manuscript and Archives Reference System Online Catalog.
- North Carolina Vital Records: Births (1913-Present); Deaths (1930-Present); Marriages (1962-Present); Divorces (1958-Present)
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1800-2000 North Carolina Birth Index 1800-2000 at FamilySearch
- 1866-1964 North Carolina Births and Christenings 1866-1964 at FamilySearch
- 1913-1922 North Carolina, Center for Health Statistics, Vital Records Unit, County Birth Records, 1913-1922 at FamilySearch — index and images
- Delayed Births Index (USGenWeb)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
- 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
- 1759-1979 North Carolina Marriages 1759-1979 at FamilySearch
- 1762-1979 North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 at FamilySearch
- 1763-1868 North Carolina, Civil Marriages, 1763-1868 at FamilySearch
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1898-1994 North Carolina Deaths and Burials, 1898-1994 at FamilySearch
- 1906-1930 North Carolina Deaths 1906-1930 at FamilySearch
- 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
- 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
- 1931-1994 North Carolina Deaths 1931-1994 at FamilySearch
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1926-1975 North Carolina, County Divorce Records, 1926-1975 at FamilySearch
- 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
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 Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
- Scotland County Genealogical Society
PO Box 496
Laurel Hill, NC 28351
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- NCGenWeb Scotland County
- USGenWeb Project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- USGenWeb Archives-Scotland County
- FamilySearch Catalog – 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[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ https://www.ncpedia.org/geography/Scotland
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Scotland County, North Carolina. Page 506-514 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), 505-509.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Scotland County, North Carolina," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_County,_North_Carolina, accessed 25 February 2020.
- ↑ By Betty P. Myers, 1975, revised 1977, 1994 Scotland History (NCGenWeb
