Cumberland County, Virginia Genealogy

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Guide to Cumberland County, Virginia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Cumberland
Organized: 20 May 1749[1]
Parent County(s): Goochland
Neighboring Counties
AmeliaBuckinghamFluvannaGoochlandPowhatanPrince Edward
See County Maps
Courthouse
VirginiaCumberlandCourthouse.jpg
Location Map
Location of Cumberland County, Virginia.png

County Information

Description

Cumberland County is located in the central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, second son of King George II of Great Britain.[2]

County Courthouse

Cumberland County Courthouse
1 Courthouse Circle
Cumberland, VA 23040-0008
Phone: 804-492-4442
Cumberland County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1749, birth and death records 1853-1870.[3]

Cumberland County, Virginia Record Dates

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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1853 1749 1853 1749 1749 1749 1810
* Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1912.
General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

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

  • Lost census: 1790, 1800, 1890

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

Boundary Changes

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:[6]

Towns
Unincorporated communities


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

For databases and indexes, see Virginia Bible Records.

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Cumberland County, Virginia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Virginia Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records

For databases, indexes, and information online, see Virginia Census.

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 8,153
1800 9,839 20.7%
1810 9,992 1.6%
1820 11,023 10.3%
1830 11,690 6.1%
1840 10,399 −11.0%
1850 9,751 −6.2%
1860 9,961 2.2%
1870 8,142 −18.3%
1880 10,540 29.5%
1890 9,482 −10.0%
1900 8,996 −5.1%
1910 9,195 2.2%
1920 9,111 −0.9%
1930 7,535 −17.3%
1940 7,505 −0.4%
1950 7,252 −3.4%
1960 6,360 −12.3%
1970 6,179 −2.8%
1980 7,881 27.5%
1990 7,825 −0.7%
2000 9,017 15.2%
2010 10,052 11.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1782 Enumeration

1784 Enumeration

1890 Union Veterans

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Baptist

  • 1776 Petition of Baptists (10,000 names!) and sympathizers from all over Virginia, dated 16 October 1776, asking for an end to persecution of Baptists by the established church. After locating your ancestor, view the digital copies.
    – Digital copies at Library of Congress; also at Library of Virginia
    – Hall, Jean Pickett. "Legislative Petitions: the 10,000 name petition" transcription in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vols. 35-38, with annotations in Vol. 39, (Richmond, Virginia: Virginia Genealogical Society, 1983-) online at Ancestry ($) and in book form at various libraries.

Church of England

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):

  • Fine Creek Monthly Meeting (1756-1775)[8]

Presbyterian

Court Records

Online Court Indexes and Records
Indexed images of Cumberland County, Virginia Chancery Records 1750-1912 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.[9]

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

For databases and immigrant groups, see Virginia Emigration and Immigration

  • Items from Southern Records. By Milnor Ljungstedt. The American Genealogist, Vol. 15 (1938):95-104. Online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). Showing Family and Trade Connections with Northern Colonies and the Home Countries. Cumberland Co., VA surname: Thompson
  • List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe who served labor terms in Colonial Virginia are online at: Immigrant Servants Database.

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 3 British aliens, some of whom had families, living in Cartersville and Cumberland County.[10]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African American

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Compiled Genealogies by Surname
More than 150 genealogies have been published about Cumberland County families. *See Cumberland County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of 150+ Published books and articles, or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Compiled Genealogies for multiple Families

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

For land indexes, records, and databases, see Virginia Land and Property, including Colonial and State Land Grants.

Online Land Indexes and Records


Grants and Patents
Land patents (pre-1779), land grants (after 1779) and surveys are available online at the Library of Virginia website. For step-by-step instructions on retrieving these records, read the Virginia Land and Property article.


Local Histories

  • The Story of Cumberland County, Virginia. 1942. By Garland Evans Hopkins. Winchester, VA : Garland Evans Hopkins. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

County and state maps, historical and more current, are valuable research tools. For map collections, online and in libraries, see Virginia Maps.

Fluvanna CountyGoochland CountyPowhatan CountyAmelia CountyPrince Edward CountyBuckingham CountyVA CUMBERLAND.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

  • Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790. By Robert Y. Clay. The Virginia Genealogist. Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):199-208; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Online at: FS Library, American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Cumberland County's 1788 Delinquent List appears on 20:34; 1789 Delinquent List appears on 21:168.

Military Records

French and Indian War

  • Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. By William F. Boogher. 2007. Baltimore : Genealogical Pub. Co. Online at: Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat). Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch (French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War) with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Cumberland County, see p. 70.
  • 1651-1776 Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at FS Library US/CAN Book 975.5 M2c; digital book at Ancestry ($). Identifies some County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.
  • Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. By Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck. 1988. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. FS Library US/CAN Book 975.5 M2bL. Online at: Ancestry ($).

Revolutionary War

  • A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection. See Virginia, Eastern District, Cumberland County on page 130.
  • Proceedings of the Committees of Safety of Cumberland and Isle of Wight Counties, Virginia, 1775-1776. 1919. By H.R. McIlwaine. Richmond, VA : D. Bottom, Superintendent of Public Printing. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($)
  • Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FS Library Book 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.
  • Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War: McAllister's Data. c1913. By J. T. McAllister. Hot Springs, Virginia : McAllister Pub. Co. Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).

Regiments. Service men in Cumberland County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Cumberland County supplied soldiers for the:

- 7th Virginia Regiment
- 10th Virginia Regiment

War of 1812
Cumberland County men served in the 17th Regiment.[11]

  • 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... 1883. Washington, D.C : Government Printing Office. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Cumberland County, p. 69.
  • Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. By James L. Douthat. 2007. Signal Mountain, Tenn : Mountain Press. Free online surname index at Mountain Press; At various libraries (WorldCat).

Civil War

Regiments. Civil War service men in Cumberland County 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 here:

- 3rd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company G (Cumberland Light Dragoons).[12]
- 18th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Black Eagle Rifles) and Company F (Farmville Guard).[13]
- 21st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company D (Cumberland Greys).[14]
- 44th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company G (Randolph Guard).[15]

Records and histories are available, including:

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battles were fought in Cumberland County.[16]

  • April 7, 1865 - Cumberland Church, also known as Farmville.
  • April 6-7, 1865 - High Bridge.
  • Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers

For online newspaper resources, see the Virginia Newspapers page.

Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette (1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburg website. In addition, Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in this source and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia. These newspapers are valuable resources for all regions of Virginia.

Obituaries

Other Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

For statewide probate records, indexes, and databases, see Virginia Probate Records.

Online Probate Indexes and Records


School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

For additional online collections and the value and use of Virginia's tax lists in your research, see Virginia Taxation.

Online Tax Indexes and Records

  • 1759 Cumberland County, Virginia Tithable Lists for 1759. 2007. By Patti Sue McCrary. Westminster, Maryland : Heritage Books. Available at FS Library.
  • 1764-1792 Personal Property Tax Lists of Buckingham County Virginia, Vol. 1, 1764-1792. 2017. By Randy F. McNew Crouse. FS Catalog book 975.5623 R4c.At various libraries (WorldCat). In 1778, a small triangular area of Buckingham county bordering the James River was given to Cumberland county. Buckingham residents living there then, and following the division of the county, became residents of Cumberland county. In addition, owing to the proximity of the two counties, many families that lived in Buckingham also owned property and/or had relatives in Cumberland and vice-versa, or they were former residents of the other. This book is a transcription of all extant tithe and personal property tax lists (over 12,000 records) for Buckingham County, Virginia from its formation in 1761 through 1792. Includes 1764, 1773-4, 1782-1792.
  • 1782-1815 Tax Digests available at Virginia Pioneers ($)
  • 1782-1816 Cumberland County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1816. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans
  • 1782-1844 Personal property tax lists, 1782-1844. FS films 2024521-2024523 - images.
  • 1783 Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783. Online at: Revolutionary War Service.
  • 1787 The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. c1987. By Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florene Speakman Love. Springfield, Virginia : Genealogical Books in Print. At various libraries (WorldCat). FS Library. The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Cumberland County is included in Vol. 1.
  • 1788-1789 Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790. By Robert Y. Clay. The Virginia Genealogist. Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):199-208; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at FS Library; online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Cumberland County's 1788 Delinquent List appears on 20:34; 1789 Delinquent List appears on 21:168.
  • 1800 Cumberland County, Virginia, 1800 Tax List. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1973):197-200; Vol. 17, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1973):249-252. Available at FS Library; online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
  • 1804 Cumberland County Poll List 1804, excerpted from Cumberland County Records. 1983. By W.S. Morton. William and Mary College Quarterly, 2nd Series, Vol. 22 (1942):61-64. Available at FS Library; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. which is also available at FS Library; digital version at JSTOR ($).
  • 1815 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 1997-2000. By Roger D. Ward. Athens, Georgia : Iberian Pub. Co. 6 vols. Available at FS Library. The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Cumberland County is included in Vol. 1.

Vital Records

For additional indexes, databases, and details, see Virginia Vital Records.

Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Cumberland County. For state-wide facilities, see Virginia Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Cumberland County. For state-wide library facilities, see Virginia Archives and Libraries.

Museums

Societies

Listed below are societies in Cumberland County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Virginia Societies.

Websites

  • 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

  • A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Cumberland County. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1964):122-124. Available at FS Library; online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).

References

  1. Newberry
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_County,_Virginia
  3. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Cumberland County, Virginia. Page 712 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Iowa.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. Newberry
  6. Wikipedia contributors, "Culpeper_ County,_Virginia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culpeper_County,_Virginia#Communities accessed 10 January 2020.
  7. 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.
  8. Jay Worrall, The Friendly Virginians: America's First Quakers (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Publishing Company, 1994), 537-539. FS Library Book 975.5 K2wj.
  9. "Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index Availability," Library of Virginia (accessed 26 January 2010).
  10. Kenneth Scott, British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812 (Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979), 320-333. FS Library Book 973 W4s; digital version at Ancestry ($).
  11. Stuart Lee Butler, A Guide to Virginia Militia Units in the War of 1812 (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 1988), 73. FS Library Book 975.5 M2bs.
  12. Thomas P. Nanzig, 3rd Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, c1989). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 61.
  13. James I. Robertson, 18th Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1984). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 12.
  14. Susan A. Riggs, 21st Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, c1991). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 72.
  15. Kevin C. Ruffner, 44th Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1987). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 39.
  16. National Park Service, Civil War Battles. Filter by state or battle name.