Richmond County, North Carolina
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

See Also North Carolina Land Records, Marriage Records, Court, Tax & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

What follows is an outline of beginning dates of extant records of each county. The beginning dates do not imply that all records are extant since some of North Carolina's county records have been lost due to fire and other causes. Find out about the Richmond Courthouse Hours and Location

Richmond County Clerk of Superior Court has Court Records from 1772 and Probate Records from 1772 and is located at Courthouse, 114 E. Franklin St., Rockingham, NC 28379; (910) 997-9100, Fax (910) 997-9126.

The Clerk of the Superior Court holds probate records and court records if they have not been transferred to the state archives in Raleigh. Probate records include not only wills, but also loose estates records, most of which have not been microfilmed. Court records may include apprentice bonds, bastardy bonds, and officials' or constables' bonds in addition to dockets, fee and account books, and court minutes and orders. They also have Divorce Records.

Richmond County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1762 and Marriage Records from 1779 and is located at 114 E. Franklin St., #101, Rockingham NC 28379-3601; 910-997-8250, Fax: 910-997-8499, [EMAIL].

The register of deeds at the county seat holds land and vital records if they have not been transferred to the state archives in Raleigh. Land records may include deeds, grants, plats, and other miscellaneous items. Vital records include Birth and Marriage records.

North Carolina tax lists have survived better than those for many states. The lists date from the first decade of the eighteenth century to the present. Microfilmed copies are available at the North Carolina State Archives and FHL, the Many transcriptions are found in the pages of North Carolina's periodicals.

Below is a list of online resources for Richmond County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Richmond County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
• Richmond County, North Carolina Court Books at Amazon.com
• North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868
• North Carolina Marriage Collection, 1741-2000
• North Carolina Birth Index, 1800-2000
• North Carolina Will Abstracts, 1660-1790
• North Carolina Will Abstracts, 1760-1800
• North Carolina Wills and Inventories
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
• Search Land Patents at Gov-Records.com
• Search Property Records at Gov-Records.com

See Also Vital Records in North Carolina

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Do not contact North Carolina Vital Records or the North Carolina State Archives, as there are no birth records prior to 1913 in a state public office. For death certificates prior to 1930, contact the North Carolina State Archives. A few delayed death records may exist back to 1909. Prior to this, there are no death records of any sort other than wills and estate settlements in the North Carolina State Archives.

COUNTY: Birth and Marriage Recordes and avalible from the Richmond County Register of Deeds Office. Divorce Records are available from the Richmond County Clerk of Superior Court Office. Click Here To see a list of North Carolina County Health Departments

STATE: North Carolina Vital Records is located at 1903 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1903; (919) 733-3526 (This office does not accept FAX or e-mail orders). All Fees are listed below under "Cost". They have the following records:

• Birth Certificates: Birth records are available from 1913 to the present. For birth records prior to the dates listed above, contact the local Register of Deeds office in the county where the birth occurred. In order to process a request, Vital Records needs to know: Full Name on Certificate, Date of Birth, Mother's Full Maiden Name, Father's Full Name, Place (City or County) of Birth. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates.
• Death Certificates: Certified copies of death records are available from 1930 to the present. For death certificates prior to 1930, contact the North Carolina State Archives. A few delayed death records may exist back to 1909. Prior to this, there are no death records of any sort other than wills and estate settlements in the North Carolina State Archives. Vital Records needs to know: Full Name of Deceased, Date of Death, Place (City or County) of Death, Date of Birth. Fees are listed below. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. You can also Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• Marriage Certificates: Certified copies of Marriage records are available from 1962 to the present. Vital Records needs to know: Full Name of Groom, Full Name of Bride, Date of Marriage, Place (City or County) Where License Was Issued. You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates. Marriages prior to 1962 should be available from the County Register of Deeds office where the marriage was performed. Fees vary.
• Divorce Certificates: Certified copies of Divorce records are available from 1958 to the present. Vital Records needs to know: Full Name of Husband, Full Name of Wife, Date of Divorce, Place (City or County) of Divorce. You can download an application online for Divorce Certificates. If the records are not available at the North Carolina Vital Records office, they should be available from the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted. Fees vary.
• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

Cost: A fee of $15 is charged for each name searched in a five-year period, regardless of the search results as per G.S. 130A-93.1. If the record is located, one certified or uncertified copy of the record will be provided at no additional cost. Additional copies of the same record, when requested at the same time, are $5 each.
These fees are for a search, regardless of the results. Search fees are not refundable. Any additional request to search in 5-year increments for records outside of the original 5-year period will cost an additional $15 fee

How to Order: Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "North Carolina Vital Records". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to: North Carolina Vital Records, 1903 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1903. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering HERE.

In - Person Requests: Individuals may visit the office on the first floor of the Cooper Memorial Health Building at 225 N. McDowell Street, Raleigh, N.C. between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday, except on state government holidays. Parking is available on the north (Lane Street) side of the Cooper Building. Customers should bring a valid photo ID and non-refundable $15 search fee for each request. Copies of the same certificate are $5 if requested at the same time. You will be asked to fill out an application upon arrival or you may bring a completed one with you (see above for required forms). Walk-in requests for same day service are subject to an additional $15 expedited services fee and will usually be fulfilled in about one hour. Customers are encouraged to leave completed requests forms with us for a mailed response to avoid the extra fee for same day services.

Below is a list of online resources for Richmond County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Richmond County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• Vital Records from Archives.com: Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records
• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek’s order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical North Carolina newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868
• North Carolina Marriage Collection, 1741-2000
• North Carolina Birth Index, 1800-2000
• North Carolina Death Collection, 1908-1996
• Richmond County, North Carolina Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• North Carolina Vital Records: Marriages 1744 - 1900 (Select Counties & Years) (Win
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for North Carolina

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Richmond County, North Carolina are 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Richmond County, North Carolina are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.

Below is a list of online resources for Richmond County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Richmond County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Census Records at Archives.com
• Richmond County, North Carolina Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

See Also Research In State Map Collections

North Carolina Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for North Carolina and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for North Carolina showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Official NCDOT County Maintenance Maps are being generated into TIF and PDF. In each county, sheet number "1" always shows the entire county. Each supplemental sheet shows area insets, usually congested areas. A sheet key is shown for any county that requires more than 2 sheets.

Richmond County D.O.T. Maps [Thumbnail of Sheet Key]
TIFs [1] - [2] - [3]
PDFs [1] - [2] - [3]

Excellent maps, atlases, and gazetteers for North Carolina are readily available. The best gazetteer available for North Carolina is William Stevens Powell, The North Carolina Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places (Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1968). The Gazetteer includes historical definitions, derivations of place-names, and exact locations. It is cross-indexed well and gives references for the first use of place-names. An important historical publication is Richard Edwards, ed., Statistical gazetteer of the states of Virginia and North Carolina (Richmond, Va.: Published for the Proprietor, 1856). There are several excellent atlases and map guides available for North Carolina.

Below is a list of online resources for Richmond County Maps. Email us with websites containing Richmond County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Richmond County, North Carolina Map Books at Amazon.com
• Perry-Castañeda Library, Map Collection, North Carolina Maps
• North Carolina Colony and State Maps
• Historic county maps are now available (pdf only) for the following years.
  • 1930 County Maps__ ~ 8.9 Mb
  • 1936 County Maps__ ~ 9.5 Mb
  • 1944 County Maps__ ~ 21.4 Mb
  • 1949 County Maps__ ~ 24.0 Mb
  • 1953 County Maps__ ~ 23.1 Mb
  • 1957 County Maps__ ~ 22.1 Mb
  • 1962 County Maps__ ~ 43.4 Mb
  • 1968 County Maps__ ~ 48.6 Mb
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

See Also Military Records in North Carolina

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

There are a few online military record databases which include: North Carolina Volunteers, Spanish American War, North Carolina Revolutionary War Soldiers.

Below is a list of online resources for Richmond County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Richmond County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of North Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War from the State of North Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of North Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of North Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of North Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from North Carolina units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
• Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of North Carolina (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
• Richmond County, North Carolina Military Books at Amazon.com
• North Carolina Society, Daughters of the American Revolution
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

See Also Other North Carolina Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Richmond County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Richmond County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Richmond County Historical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 1763, Rockingham, NC 28380
• North Carolina Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 22, Greenville, NC 27835.
• North Carolina State Archives, Office of Archives and History—State Library Building
  Public Services Branch, Mail Service Center 4614, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-4614
  Phone: (919) 807-7310, Fax: (919) 733-1354, [EMAIL]
• State Library of North Carolina, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-2807; (919) 733-7222, (919) 733-3270
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
• North Carolina Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in North Carolina

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Richmond County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Richmond County Tombstone Transcription Project. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.

Early denominations present in North Carolina in fewer numbers include Baptist, Methodist, Lutherans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Congregationalists. While their respective repositories house historical records, the North Carolina State Archives has a good collection of church records on microfilm. Consult the holdings of other major genealogical libraries with southern collections for additional sources, including the FHL.

Below is a list of online resources for Richmond County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Richmond County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Cemetery Records at Archives.com
• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of North Carolina obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a North Carolina newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from North Carolina.
• Obituary Records at Archives.com
• America's Obituaries (1977 to current) at Genealogybank.com - Obituaries contain helpful information such as names, dates, places of birth, death, marriage and family information. Over 28 million obituaries make this the most complete collection from the 20th and 21st centuries - includes over 1,100 U.S. newspapers. New content added daily!
• Richmond County, North Carolina Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Richmond County, North Carolina Church Books at Amazon.com

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Richmond County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Richmond County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local North Carolina Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local North Carolina Researcher!
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Richmond County ] [ North Carolina ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• The North Carolina Family Group Sheet Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Richmond County, North Carolina Family Books at Amazon.com

Present-day Richmond County was first settled by Native Americans living along the Pee Dee River. Richmond was part of Anson County, which was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. The General Assembly formed Richmond County from Anson in October 1779. The citizens cited the hardship in crossing the Pee Dee River to go to the courthouse in Anson County, as their reason for wanting a separate county with the dividing line of the Pee Dee River.

Richmond County was named for Charles Lennox, the third Duke of Richmond, who criticized the policy of the British toward the American colonies. The county seat was known as Richmond Courthouse. Scotland County was formed from Richmond in 1899.

The first court in the new county was held in December 1779 at the old Presbyterian Meeting House in the Zion Community. About 1783, after raising money from taxes to pay for buying land and laying out a town, a new courthouse was built in what is today downtown Rockingham. In 1784 the name of the town was changed to Rockingham in honor of Charles Watson-Wentworth, second Marquis of Rockingham, and supporter of American independence.

Dockery Meeting House (which was the forerunner of Cartledge Creek Baptist Church) was chartered in 1774, Mt. Pleasant Methodist in 1780, First Methodist Church of Rockingham in 1786, Concord Methodist Church in 1787, and Zion Methodist Church in 1829. There was a Presbyterian Meeting House in Rockingham around 1788.

The County grew slowly as many families moved down from Maryland, Virginia, and up from South Carolina. The Dockery Brick house, built in 1830, and the Leak-Wall House, built in 1854, are both still standing. The County began to grow more as the economy diversified from agriculture to cotton mills. The Richmond Mill was chartered in 1833 and was the seventh cotton mill chartered in North Carolina. It operated until 1865 when it was burned by Sherman's troops. It was rebuilt in 1869 and renamed Great Falls Mill. It burned again in 1972, and the ruins are still standing. Other cotton mills sprang up in the county.

The first railroad line through Richmond County was begun in 1861, but stopped for the Civil War and then resumed in 1869. In 1872 a woolen mill was built, and the town around it was named Hamlet. The owner of the mill deeded land to the railroad. The first train to reach Hamlet was the Raleigh and Augusta Air Line on August 10, 1877. The Hamlet Railroad Depot was built in 1900 and is still standing today housing a railroad museum. The town of Hamlet grew and became a railroad center. The Hamlet Opera House was built around 1912 and was almost identical to the Bijou Theatre in Wilmington. The area became known for its culture. Today the building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and a group is attempting to restore the building.

The town of Ellerbe began as people came to the area for the mineral springs. A church, school, and post office were established and all went by the name of Ellerbe Springs, which was later shortened to Ellerbe. The hotel was built in 1906 and is still standing today -- Ellerbe Springs Bed and Breakfast.

Richmond Technical Institute was built in 1965, and today is a community college that offers degrees in various technical and vocational occupations, as well as academic classes that can be transferred to a four-year college.