Goochland County, Virginia Genealogy

United States

Virginia

Goochland County

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

Virginia Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Goochland Organized: 01 May 1728 Parent County(s): Henrico Neighboring Counties Chesterfield • Cumberland • Fluvanna • Hanover • Henrico • Louisa • Powhatan See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Goochland County is located in the central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia, just west of the state capital, Richmond. Goochland was named for Colonial Governor William Gooch.

County Courthouse

Goochland County Courthouse
2938 River Road West
P.O. Box 196
Goochland, VA 23063
Phone: 804-556-5353
Goochland County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage and probate records from 1730, divorce and court records from 1800 and land records records from 1862

Goochland 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
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1853	1730	1853	1800	1862	1728	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 censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890 For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

Parent County: Created from Henrico County, 01 May, 1728. County seat: Goochland Virginia Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Virginia Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Virginia county 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:

Unincorporated communities
Cedar Point Childress Crozier Fife	Hadensville Maidens Manakin-Sabot	Oilville Pemberton Sandy Hook
Census-designated places
Goochland

History Timeline

The county is named after Sir William Gooch, 1st Baronet, Royal Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (1681-1751), who was in office at the time of Goochland County's formation.

Many French Huguenot families lived in Goochland County during the eighteenth century.

Resources

Bible Records

For databases and indexes, see Virginia Bible Records.

• 1607-2007 Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

• Randolph, Isham. "Brick-Making in Goochland," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Oct. 1896):109-110. Available at FS Library; digital version at JSTOR - free.
• Randolph, Isham. "Shoemaking in Goochland," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Oct. 1896):109-110. Available at FS Library; digital version at JSTOR - free.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Goochland County, Virginia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find a Grave VAGenWeb USGenWeb Archives VA Tombstone Transcription Project Virginia Gravestones BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find a Grave FamilySearch Places
See Virginia Cemeteries for more information.

• 1800-1986 Virginia, Jewish Cemetery Records Index, ca. 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Census Records

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

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	9,053	—
1800	9,696	7.1%
1810	10,203	5.2%
1820	10,007	−1.9%
1830	10,369	3.6%
1840	9,760	−5.9%
1850	10,352	6.1%
1860	10,656	2.9%
1870	10,313	−3.2%
1880	10,292	−0.2%
1890	9,958	−3.2%
1900	9,519	−4.4%
1910	9,237	−3.0%
1920	8,863	−4.0%
1930	7,953	−10.3%
1940	8,454	6.3%
1950	8,934	5.7%
1960	9,206	3.0%
1970	10,069	9.4%
1980	11,761	16.8%
1990	14,163	20.4%
2000	16,863	19.1%
2010	21,717	28.8%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1782

• Little, Barbara Vines. "1782 State Census, Goochland County," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol.47, No.4 (Nov. 2009):265-266.

1890 Union Veterans

• Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. FS Library Collection. Online at: Ancestry ($). Includes residents of this county.

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

The Goochland County Historical Society prepared a list of Historic Churches in Goochland County, Virginia (free PDF file). It identifies pre-1900 churches by name, address, and year established.

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.
  

Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):

1. Dover (1773)
2. Goochland (1771). Edwards published a membership list dated 1771 in Materials Towards a History of the Baptists... (1772), 85.
3. Licking Hole (1776)
4. Williams's

Goochland County fell within the bounds of the Goshen Association and the Dover Association.

• Baptist Association in the District of Goshen (Va.). Minutes of the Baptist Association in the District of Goshen: Held at Licking-Hole Meeting-House, Goochland, Beginning the Third Saturday in October, 1803. Fredericksburg, Virginia: Printed by James Walker, 1803.
• Baptist Association in the District of Goshen (Va.). Minutes of the Baptist Association in the District of Goshen: Held at Williams's Meeting-House, Goochland, Beginning Third Saturday in October, 1808. Fredericksburg, Virginia: n.p., 1808.
• Goshen Baptist Association. Minutes of the Goshen Baptist Association: Held at Liberty M.H., Goochland County, Va., on the 6th, 7th, and 8th Days of September, 1843. Richmond: Printed at the Office of the Religious Herald, 1843.
• Dover Baptist Association (Va.). Minutes of the LXXXVII Annual Session of the Dover Baptist Association ... Goochland Church ... July 19-21, 1870. Richmond, Virginia: Dispatch Steam Power Presses, 1870.
• History of Goochland Baptist Church, 1771-1971, 200th Anniversary. 1971.
• Richardson, Hazel Martin. Mount Gilead Baptist Church, Goochland County, Virginia, 1831-1981. Charlottesville, Virginia: King Lindsay Print. Corp., 1981?.

Church of England

• See also King William Parish
• See also St. James Northam Parish
• See also St. James Southam Parish
• See also St. James's Parish
• Carrington, William T. A History of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Dover Parish, Goochland County, Virginia, 1877-1977. Richmond, Virginia: William Byrd Press, 1978.
• Hopkins, William Lindsay. St. James Northam Parish Vestry Book, 1744-1850, Goochland County, Virginia. Richmond, VA: Self-published, 1987. (Note: "Abstracted from a photocopy in the Virginia State Library.")
• "Beaver Dam Episcopal Church: New Research Reveals its True Location ...Whereon the Church Stood," Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 39 (2007):10-77.
• Price, Douglas. "A Sequel to the History of Beaver Dam Church," Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol.40 (2008):32-34.

Methodist

• Duke, Isabelle B. A History of Bethel United Methodist Church: Oilville, Virginia--Goochland County, 1834-1934. Oilville, Virginia: n.p., 1984.
• Salmon, M. Carol. Corinth United Methodist Church, Goochland County, Virginia: A Brief History Commemorating 130 Years of Service. 2008.

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):

• Genito Monthly Meeting (1723-1833) first known as Dover
• 1739-1793 Quaker Records of Cedar Creek Monthly Meeting, Virginia, 1739-1793 by Mary Marshall Brewer. Colonial Roots, Lewes, DE., 2002. FS Library Book 975.5462 K2b. 

In the 1700s and 1800s, Friends from Goochland County, Virginia Genealogy also attended the Cedar Creek Meeting House in Hanover County, Virginia.

Court Records

Online Court Indexes and Records

General

• Street, Elwood. Wellsprings of Democracy in Virginia: Goochland County Courthouse. Richmond, Virginia: Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1941.

Chancery Court

• Library of Virginia's Chancery Record Index can be used to search digital images of Goochland County chancery records for the years 1731-1912. Indexed and original records are available through 1924 - see online catalog or contact Archives Research Services for availability. Additional post-1912 records may be available via the Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Emigration and Immigration

For databases and immigrant groups, see Virginia Emigration and Immigration

• Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Goochland County proved in London. One of the testators built Waller Mines. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
• 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 2 British aliens, some of whom had families, living in Goochland County.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African American

• See Virginia_Cohabitation_Records for links to online records.
• 1865-1872 Virginia, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1935-2009 Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• Bolling, William and Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:5B6387:1, William Bolling Slave Register, 1752-1890, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• Burwell, Ann Powell and Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:5B9585:1, Ann (Powell) Burwell Commonplace Book, 1746-1839, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996. [Includes lists of slaves owned by the Burwell family.]
• Butler, Reginald Dennin. "Evolution of a Rural Free Black Community: Goochland County, Virginia, 1728-1832," Thesis/dissertation, 1989.
• Heinegg, Paul. "Goochland County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1809," Free African Americans.com, available online. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
• Kegley, Mary B. Free People of Colour: Free Negroes, Indians, Portuguese and Freed Slaves. Wytheville, Virginia: Kegley Books, 2003. FS Library.
• Maxwell, Sarah Catherine. "'The Very Bulwark of Defense': Freedmen's Navigation of the Courts of Orange, Louisa, and Goochland Counties, Virginia," Thesis/dissertation, 2002.
• Townes, A. Jane. "The Effect of Emancipation on Large Landholdings, Nelson and Goochland Counties, Virginia," The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Aug. 1979):403-412. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
• Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized images of African Americans of Goochland County.

Funeral Homes

• 1935-2009 Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Norman Funeral Chapel in Goochland

Genealogies

Compiled Genealogies by Surname

• See Goochland County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of 250+ 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

• Foley, Louise Pledge Heath. Early Virginia Families Along the James River, Their Deep Roots and Tangled Branches. 3 vols. Richmond, Va.: L.P.H. Foley, 1974-1990. FS Library Book 975.5 R2f v. 1-v. 3. Volume 1 includes Goochland County.
  
• Pritchett, John W. Southside Virginia Genealogies. CD-ROM. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Free online index, courtesy: Virginians - The Family History of John W. Pritchett. Includes a great deal of information about residents of Goochland County, see discussion of cited sources. FS Library US/CAN CD-ROM no. 3887.

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
x*Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Deeds

• [Tandy and Ann Holman] to David Ross, for Four Hundred and Ten Acres of Land, Goochland County, Deed and Plat 1783 November 9. Available at the Library of Virginia.

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.

• Grundset, Eric and Paula Hollis Grundset. Central Virginia Land Patents from the County Abstracts for Goochland, Albemarle, Cumberland, Buckingham, and Amherst Counties in the Virginia Land Office 1735-1774. Fairfax, Virginia: E.G. Grundset, 1999.
• Bannister et al. 410 patents dated 1689-1816 in what is now Goochland County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2002. Names of those who received land patents, dates, land descriptions, and references may be viewed free of charge (click "Index" next to the county listing); however, in order to view the maps, it is necessary to purchase Direct Line Software's DeedMapper product.

Land Processioning

• Blomquist, Ann Kicker. Southam Parish Land Processioning, 1747-1784: Goochland, Cumberland, and Powhatan Counties, Virginia. Maryland: Willow Bend Books, 2004.

Local Histories

Historic Residences

• Thompson, Jessie. "Tuckahoe Plantation, Goochland County, Virginia," Thesis/Dissertation, Wellesley College, 1971.

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.

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Fontaine, Peter and Thomas Jefferson. An Exact Plan of a Tract of 7732 Acres of Land in Goochland and Albemarle Counties in Virginia... (ca. 1790). Available at the University of Michigan, William Clements Library.
• Weeks, Elie, Robert J. Foley, Goochland County Bicentennial Commission, Goochland County Historical Society. Historical Map of Goochland County, Virginia: From Goochland's Formation (1727) to America's Independence (1783). Goochland, Virginia: Goochland County Bicentennial Commission, 1977.
• Gilmer, Jeremy Francis, Confederate States of America. Army. Dept. of Northern Virginia. Chief Engineer's Office, Virginia Historical Society (Va.) Gilmer Civil War Map Collection. Map of the Counties of Charles City, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, King William, New Kent, and Part of the Counties of Caroline and Louisa, Virginia. n.p.: Chief engineer's Office D.N.V.: Virginia Historical Society, 1998, 1863.
• Historical Boundary Atlas of Central Virginia: Covering Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland, Louisa, Nelson, and Powhatan Counties. Fairfax, Virginia: Grundset, 1999.
• Wight, Richard C. The Story of Goochland. Richmond, Va.: Richmond Press, 1935. Available at FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($).
• FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

• Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1977):287-292. Available at FS Library; online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Goochland County's 1789 Delinquent List appears on pp. 287-288.]

Military Records

French and Indian War

• Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FS Library. Online at: Ancestry ($). Identifies some Goochland County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.
• Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at FS Library; digital version at Internet Archive. Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch (French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War) with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Goochland County, see pp. 82-83.
• 1651-1776 Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at FS Library US/CAN Book 975.5 M2c; digital book at Ancestry ($). Identifies some County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.

Revolutionary War

• Maass, John R. "The Greatest Terror Imaginable: Cornwallis Brings His Campaign to Goochland, June 1781," Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol.41 (2009):12-101.
• Agee, Helene Barret. "Goochland County Revolutionary War Soldiers," Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol.41 (2009):102-103.
• 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 ($). 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Eastern District, Goochland County on page 130.
• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FS Library Book 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.
• Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War. By J.T. McAllister. 1913. Hot Springs, Va.: McAllister Pub. Co. Online at: Internet Archive

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

- 9th Virginia Regiment

- 14th Virginia Regiment

War of 1812

• Douthat, James L. Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2007. Mountain Press provides online surname list. FS Catalog Collection 975.5 M2djL. Includes Goochland County.
• 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. FS Catalog Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; online at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Goochland County, p. 82. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Regiments. Goochland County men served in the 38th Regiment.

Civil War

• 1861-1865 Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1861-1865 Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 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)
• Coski, John M. "Four Goochland Soldiers in the Civil War: Highlights from the Museum of the Confederacy's Library Collection," Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol.41 (2009):148-225.
• "Goochland County Civil War Dead: Goochland Soldiers Killed in Action or Died as a Result of Their Wounds in Battle," Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol.41 (2009):226-227.

Regiments. Civil War service men in Goochland 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:

- 4th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate)

- 23rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (Goochland Grays).

- 44th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company B (Byrd Rifles) and Company D (Ambler Grays).

Newspapers

For online newspaper resources, see the Virginia Newspapers page.

• 1800s-Current Virginia, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)

• 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.

Other Records

Private Papers

• [Ballinger] Letter Concerning Joseph Ballinger of Goochland County, Virginia. [Incomplete WorldCat citation.]
• [Bolling] Bolling, William and Duke University, Library, Manuscript Department. William Bolling Papers, 1724 (1776-1859)-1883, Goochland County, Virginia: Also Kentucky. Frederick, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1987.
• [Bolling] Bolling, William and Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:1B6386:1, William Bolling Diary, 1794-1795, Chesterfield, Goochland, and Prince George Counties, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Bolling] Bolling, William and Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:1B6386:2, William Bolling Diary, 1827-1828, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Bolling] Bolling, William and Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:1B6386:3, William Bolling Diary, 1840-1842, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Bolling] Bolling, William and Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:1B6386:4, William Bolling Diary, 1809, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Bolling] Bolling, William and Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:1B6386:5, William Bolling Diary, 1836-1839, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Bolling] Bolling, William and Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:5B6387:1, William Bolling Slave Register, 1752-1890, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Burwell] Burwell, Ann Powell and Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:5B9585:1, Ann (Powell) Burwell Commonplace Book, 1746-1839, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Harrison] Virginia Historical Society. Mss1H2485c, Harrison Family Papers, 1725-1907, Buckingham, Cumberland, and Goochland Counties. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Harrison] Virginia Historical Society. Mss1H2485d, Harrison Family Papers, 1756-1893, Cumberland, Goochland, and Hanover Counties, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Payne] Daughters of the American Revolution. James River Chapter (Lynchburg, Virginia). "Bible Records of Charles Scott Carrington, Halifax County; Willie Hunter Crutchfield, Lynchburg; James Davis and Macyah Pendleton, Amherst County, Lynchburg; Philip Matthews Payne, Campbell County; Philip Matthews Payne, Sr., Goochland [and] Campbell Counties, Virginia," MSS., available at FS Library.
• [Rutherford] Rutherfoord, John C. and Virginia Historical Society. Mss5:1R9335, John Coles Rutherfoord diary, 1847, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Seddon] Seddon Family, James A. Seddon and Sarah Bruce Seddon. Papers, 1831-1882, of the Seddon Family of Richmond and Goochland County, Va. MSS., available at the Virginia Historical Society Library.
• [Trice] Trice Family. Papers Regarding Land in Goochland County, [Virginia], 1780-1969. MSS., available at Library of Virginia.
• [Wight] Wight, Hezekiah Lord and Virginia Historical Society. Mss1W6393a, Hezekiah Lord Wight Papers, 1794-1854, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Wight] Wight, Hezekiah Lord and Virginia Historical Society. Mss1W6393b, Hezekiah Lord Wight Papers, 1794-1854, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.
• [Wight] Wight, Hezekiah Lord and Virginia Historical Society. Mss2W6396b, Hezekiah Lord Wight Papers, 1820-1836, Goochland County, Virginia. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1996.

Probate Records

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

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1633-1800 Wills and Estate Records Index at Library of Virginia.Digital images of Wills 1741-1745 and 1745-1749. See names of testators Virginia Pioneers
• 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• Jones, W. Mac. "Index to Wills in Goochland County Court House," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan. 1927):48-56 (A-J); Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul. 1927):193-203 (L-W). Available at FS Library; digital version at JSTOR ($).
• Will of Walter Leak, Goochland County, Virginia, 1757, MSS., available at FS Library.
• Abstracts of Goochland County Wills (only) between 1736 and 1742.Virginia Pioneers ($)

x*Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

London Courts

• Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Goochland County proved in London. One of the testators built Waller Mines. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
• Images of Wills 1741-1745; 1745-1749. Virginia Pioneers ($)
• Online Images of Deeds, Wills, Inventories: Book 1, 1728-1734; Book 2, 1734-1736; Book 3, 1737-1742; Book 6, 1748-1755; Book 7, 1755-1759; Book 8, 1757-1765; Book 9, 1765-1769; Book 10, 1769-1775; Book 11, 1775-1777; Book 12, 1777-1779; Book 13, 1779-1784; Book 14, 1784-1788; Book 15, 1788-1791; Book 16, 1791-1795; Book 17, 1796-1800; Book 18, 1800-1803 Virginia Pioneers ($)

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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
The original King William Parish Vestry Book is kept at the Virginia Historical Society.

The original Goochland County personal property tax lists are kept at the Library of Virginia. Microfilm copies (1782-1850): FS Catalog Collection 2024552-2024554

• 1700s Roll of the 18th Century, Virginia Tidewater Genealogy, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Jun. 1993). FS Catalog Collection 975.5 D25vt v. 24 (1993)
• 1710-1740s Fife, R.H. and R.L. Maury. "The Vestry Book of King William Parish, Va., 1707-1750," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 11 (1903-1904):289-304, 425-440; Vol. 12 (1904-1905):17-32, 241-256, 369-384; Vol. 13 (1905-1906):65-80, 175-190, 265-280. FS Catalog Collection 975.5 B2v v. 11 (1903-1904) etc.; digital version at JSTOR ($); reprinted in Vestry Book of King William Parish, Virginia 1707-1750. Midlothian, Va.: Manakin Episcopal Church, 1966. FS Catalog Collection 975.5455/M1 K2v with an index prepared in 1974: FS Catalog Collection 975.5455/M1 K2v index; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983. FS Catalog Collection 975.5 R4v. French Huguenot parish; includes tithe lists dated 1710, 1711, 1712, 1713, 1714, 1715, 1717, 1719, 1720, 1723, 1724, 1725, 1726, 1729, 1730, 1731, 1732, 1733, 1734, 1735, 1736, 1737, 1738, various entries identifying residents in 1740s, c1722 list of landowners, and 1727/1728 list of landowners.
• 1730s Tithable List, 1730s, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 33, No. 2 (May 1995). FS Catalog Collection v. 33 (1995); digital version at Ancestry ($).
• 1735 "Goochland County Tithables, c1735,"Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 46, No. 3 (Aug. 2008):235-236. FS Catalog Collection v. 46 (2008)
• 1735 Le Seur, David. "Tithables in King William Parish, Goochland County," [1735] The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jul. 1899):31-32. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
• 1735-1749 Lurvey, A. Jean. Goochland Co., Virginia Tithe Lists. [1735-1749] 2 vols. Springfield, Missouri: A.J. Lurvey, 1979. FS Catalog Collection 975.5455 R4L v. 1-2
• 1744 Tithables, 1744, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Feb. 2006). FS Catalog Collection v. 44 (2006)
• 1747 Tithables, 1747, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 40, No. 2 (May 2002). FS Catalog Collection v. 40 (2002); digital version at Ancestry ($).
• 1747, 1751 Sweeny, Mrs. William Montgomery. "Goochland County Tithables, 1747, 1751," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1962):28-31. FS Catalog Collection 975.5 B2vg v. 6 (1962); online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
• 1759 List of Tithables for Year 1759, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 47, No. 1 (Jan. 2003). FS Catalog Collection 975.5 B2vg v. 47 (2003)
• 1776 Tithe List, 1776, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Spring 1973).
• 1782 Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. FS Catalog book 975.5 R4f 1978. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, FS Library film 874197, item 4 - images. 1782 personal property tax list of Goochland County.
• 1782-1794 Sparacio, Ruth Trickey and Sam Sparacio. Goochland County, Virginia, Land Tax Books. 2 vols. [1782-1794] McLean, Va.: Antient Press, 1997. FS Catalog Collection 975.5455 R4s
• 1782-1804 Free in County, 1782-1802, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 20 (1988); Vol. 21 (1989); Vol. 22 (1990); Vol. 23 (1991); Vol. 24 (1992).
• 1782-1850 Personal property tax lists of Goochland County, 1782-1850. FS films 2024552-2024554 - images.
• 1783 Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783; index online at Revolutionary War Service website.
• 1783 Tax Rolls and Land Transfers, 1783, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 35 (2003).
• 1784 Tax Rolls and Land Transfers, 1784, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 35 (2003).
• 1785 Land Tax, 1785, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Spring 1970).
• 1785 Tax Rolls and Land Transfers, 1785, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 35 (2003).
• 1787 Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. 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. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. FS Catalog Collection 975.5 R4sn v. 2. The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Goochland County is included in Vol. 2.
• 1789 Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1977):287-292. FS Catalog Collection 975.5 B2vg v. 21 (1977); online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Goochland County's 1789 Delinquent List appears on pp. 287-288.
• 1790 Tax List, 1790, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Autumn 1971).
• 1795 Land Tax List, 1795, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 36 (2004).
• 1800 "Goochland County, Virginia, 1800 Tax List," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1981):7-11; Vol. 25, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1981):103-111. FS Catalog Collection 975.5 B2vg v. 25 (1981); online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
• 1815 Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. FS Catalog Collection 975 E4w v. 1. The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Goochland County is included in Vol. 1.
• 1815 Landowners Tax List, 1815, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vols. 37-38 (2005).
• 1831-1834 Personal Property Tax, 1831-34, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 27 (1995).
• 1835-1840 Property Tax List, 1835-40, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 29 (1997).
• 1866 Chappel Lot, New Description of Old Beaver Dam Church First Appears in Records, 1866, Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 39 (2007).
• 1871 Return of Grain, 1871, Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, Vol. 82, No. 11 (Nov. 1948). FS Catalog Collection 973 B2dar v. 82 (1948)

Vital Records

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

Birth

• 1584-1917 Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1853-1866 Virginia, Slave Birth Index, 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1853-1896 Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Birth Records, 1853-1896 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images, coverage may vary
• 1912-1913 Virginia, Birth Certificates, 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

• 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index ($) — index $ *1730-1853 - Goochland County Marriage Index 1730-1853. Batch M868752 at FamilySearch
• Abercrombie, Janice L. Cohabitation Lists of Former Slaves, in Goochland, Hanover & Louisa Counties Virginia as Recorded in the Freedmen's Bureau. New Papyrus Co., 2002.
• 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1730-1799 "Index to Goochland County Marriage Records 1730-1799," Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol.41 (2009):104-147.
• 1730s-1780s "Marriage Bonds in Goochland County," [1730s-1780s] The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Oct. 1898):98-106; Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jan. 1899):197-200; Vol. 8, No. 2 (Oct. 1899):91-96. Available at JSTOR ($).
• 1730-1854 Ricks, Joel. Goochland County, Virginia Marriage Bonds, 1730-1854. 1936. Available at FS Library.
• 1730-1854 Smith, Macksene. Goochland County, Virginia, Marriage Bonds, 1730 - 1854. Genealogical Society of Utah 1936. Digital version available at FamilySearch Digital Library.
• 1733-1815 Williams, Kathleen Booth. Marriages of Goochland County, 1733-1815. Alexandria, Va.: K.B. Williams, 1960. Available at FS Catalog book 975.5455 V2w, FS Library film #924449, item 7.
• 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1750-1754 Goochland County Marriages 1750 to 1854 Virginia Pioneers ($).
• 1771-1989 Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1781-1789 Turner, Lee B. "Some Recently Uncovered Goochland County Marriage Bonds, 1781-1789," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Aug. 1987):3-6. Digital version at Ancestry ($); FS Library Book 975.5 B2vs.
• 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1785-1940 Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index ; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
• 1800-1859 Price, Douglas and James Richmond. "Index to Goochland County Marriage Records, 1800 to 1859," Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol.40 (2008) 58-155.
• 1853-1935 Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, County Marriage Registers, 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
• 1936-1988 Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Death

• Deaths are online in the Library of Virginia's Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, sponsored by The Virginia Genealogical Society.
• 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1853-1911 Virginia, U.S., Death Registers, 1853-1911 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1853-1912 Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1912-1987 Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Divorce

• 1918-1988 Virginia, Divorce Records, 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index & images

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Goochland 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

• Buckingham Virginia FamilySearch Center
• Virginia FamilySearch Center
• Richmond Virginia FamilySearch Center

• Jefferson Madison Regional Library - Louisa County Branch - an affiliate library
• Jefferson Madison Regional Library - Scottsville Branch - an affiliate library

Libraries

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

• Central Virginia Genealogical Association
• The Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia

Societies

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

• Goochland County Historical Society
  

Websites

• VAGenWeb
• Cyndi's List
  
• Virginia Pioneers ($)
  

• 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: Goochland County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1967):132-134. Available at FS Library; online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
• "Genealogical Research in Goochland County," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 35, No. 5 (2009). Available at FS Library.