Henry County, Virginia Genealogy

United States

Virginia

Henry County

Guide to Henry 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: Martinsville Organized: 31 Dec 1776 Parent County(s): Pittsylvania Neighboring Counties Franklin • Martinsville (Independent City) • Patrick • Pittsylvania • Rockingham (NC) • Stokes (NC) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Henry County is located in the southern area of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with North Carolina. The county was named in honor of Patrick Henry, who was then serving as the first governor of Virginia.

County Courthouse

Henry County Courthouse
3160 Kings Mountain Road, Suite B
Martinsville, VA 24112-3966
Phone: 276-634-4880
Henry County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage and land records from 1777, divorce records from 1909, and probate records

Henry 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	1777	1853	1777	1777	1777	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, 1810, 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 Pittsylvania County, 31 Dec 1776 County seat: Martinsville 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:

Towns
Ridgeway
Unincorporated communities
Axton Philpott	Spencer
Census-designated places
Bassett Chatmoss Collinsville Fieldale	Horsepasture Laurel Park Oak Level	Sandy Level Stanleytown Villa Heights

History Timeline

The county was named after Virginia Governor Patrick Henry (1736-1799).

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

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Henry 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	8,479	—
1800	5,259	−38.0%
1810	5,611	6.7%
1820	5,624	0.2%
1830	7,100	26.2%
1840	7,335	3.3%
1850	8,872	21.0%
1860	12,105	36.4%
1870	12,303	1.6%
1880	16,009	30.1%
1890	18,208	13.7%
1900	19,265	5.8%
1910	18,459	−4.2%
1920	20,238	9.6%
1930	20,088	−0.7%
1940	26,481	31.8%
1950	31,219	17.9%
1960	40,335	29.2%
1970	50,901	26.2%
1980	57,654	13.3%
1990	56,942	−1.2%
2000	57,930	1.7%
2010	54,151	−6.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

For tips on accessing census records online, see Virginia Census.

1790 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1800 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1810 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1830

• Simmons, Don. Henry County, Virginia Census of 1830. 1976. FS Library film #6111391

1840

• Douthat, James L. 1840 Mountain Empire of Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2001. FS Catalog Collection 975.5 X2d 1840. Surname list. Includes Henry County.

1890 Union Veterans

• Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. By Ronald Ray Turner. FS Catalog book 975.5 X2t 1890; film 1425065, item 14. Includes residents of this county.
• 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census. Online at: Ancestry ($). Includes residents of this county.

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

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. Beaver Creek aka Bever Creek (1786). A history was published in 1933: FS Library Book 975.5692 K2t; digital version at Ancestry ($). Contains church minutes 1786-1800, family records 1771-1858 (births, marriages and deaths for the Anthony, Brittin and Strother families and their slaves), and accounts 1810-1815.
2. Leatherwood (1772)

Henry County fell within the bounds of the Strawberry Association.

Some residents attended Matrimony Creek Baptist Church in neighboring Guilford (later Rockingham) County, North Carolina in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

Church membership lists and minutes (1776-1814) are available online, with an index at the end: online.

Church of England

• See also Camden Parish
• See also Patrick Parish
• Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Henry County is available online.

Court Records

Online Court Indexes and Records

Chancery Court

• Indexes (1783-1946) and images (1783-1931) to Henry County, Virginia Chancery Records 1755-1912 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

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

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African American

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

The John B. Harris Collection (African American) at Bassett Historical Center (see Societies and Libraries) includes the following resources:

• "African-American Census Records, 1870-1910, Henry County, Virginia"
• "Afro-American Marriages of Henry County, Virginia"
• "Henry County Cohabitation List"
• Extensive list of obituaries 1950s-1995

Other Henry County African American resources include:

• Heinegg, Paul. "Henry County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1814," Free African Americans.com. [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. Available at FS Library. [Includes information from Henry County.]
• Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized images related to African Americans of Henry County.

Funeral Homes

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

Bassett Funeral Service in Bassett Collins-McKee-Stone Funeral Home in Bassett Collins-McKee-Stone Funeral Home in Martinsville Hairston Funeral Home in Martinsville Hines Funeral Services, Inc. in Martinsville Norris Funeral Services & Crematory in Martinsville Roselawn Chapel Funeral Home & Burial Park in Martinsville Wright Funeral Services & Crematory in Martinsville

Genealogies

Compiled Genealogies by Surname

• See Henry County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of 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

• Hill, Judith Parks America. A History of Henry County, Virginia: With Biographical Sketches of Its Most Prominent Citizens and Genealogical Histories of Half a Hundred of Its Oldest Families. Martinsville, Va.: J.P.A. Hill, 1925. Book 975.5692 H2h. Includes 200 pages of family sketches.

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

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

Local Histories

• Hill, Judith Parks America. A History of Henry County, Virginia: With Biographical Sketches of Its Most Prominent Citizens and Genealogical Histories of Half a Hundred of Its Oldest Families. 1925. FS Library [2 copies]; digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Pedigo, Virginia G. History of Patrick and Henry Counties, Virginia. Roanoke, Va.: Stone Printing and Manufacturing Co., 1933. Original edition and 1977 reprint available at FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($); and MyHeritage ($).

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

• 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. 20, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1976):199-208. Available at FS Library; online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Henry County's 1786 and 1790 Delinquent Lists appear on pp. 128-129.
• Elliott, Katherine B. Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 2 vols. South Hill, Virginia: K.B. Elliott, 1966. Vol. 1 of original edition available at FS Library; 1983 reprints (both volumes) available at FS Library; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) also available at FS Library. Includes individuals who migrated out of Henry County to other parts of the country.

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 Henry County veterans; see place name index.

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 ($). 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Eastern District, Henry County on page 131.
• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FS Library Book 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). 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. The following unit rosters of Henry County residents in the Revolutionary War are available for free online, courtesy: Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution:

1. "Payrolls of the Militia Company of Capt. Daniel Carlin, Henry County, Virginia, in 1779 and 1781," transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris.
2. "Henry County, Virginia, Continental Soldiers Recruited by Act of October 1780," transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris.
3. "Militia List - Capt. Jonathan Hanby" (1781), transcribed and annotated by James L. Lynch III.

War of 1812

• 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, Henry County, pp. 85-86. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Regiments. Henry County men served in the 64th 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)

Regiments. Civil War service men in Henry 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:

- 21st Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company G 2nd.

- 24th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company H.

- 24th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company H (Henry Guards).

- 42nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Henry Volunteers), Company F (Leatherwood Fencibles), and Company G (Second Company of Volunteers).

- 57th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (Henry and Pittsylvania Rifles).

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

Petitions

• Watts, Dorothy C. "Petitions of Residents of Bedford and Henry Counties, Virginia, in Favor of and Opposed to a New County (Franklin)," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1980):83-89; Vol. 24, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1980):192-199. Online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).

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.
• 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry — index, incomplete ($)
• 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1778-1794 Marriage Licenses Virginia Pioneers ($)
• Tax Digest-1782 Virginia Pioneers ($)
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

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

• 1778-1780 Adams, Lela C. Henry County, Virginia Tax Lists 1778-1780.
• 1780 Specific Taxes, 1780, Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Jan. 1894). Available at JSTOR ($).
• 1782 1782 Henry County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List; index online at New River Notes.
• 1782 Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. FS Catalog book 975.5 R4f 1978. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, FS Library film 874197, item 4 - images. 1782 personal property tax list of Henry County.
• 1782-1814 Heinegg, Paul. "Henry County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1814," Free African Americans.com. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
• 1782-1851 Henry County, Virginia Personal property tax lists, 1782-1851. Original records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.; microfilmed reproduction available at FS films - images.
• 1783 Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783; index online at Revolutionary War Service website - free.
• 1786, 1790 Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1976):199-208. Available at FS Library; online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Henry County's 1786 and 1790 Delinquent List appear on pp. 128-129.
• 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 Library. The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Henry County is included in Vol. 1.
• 1800 Tax List, 1800, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Jan. 1988); Vol. 32, No. 2 (Apr. 1988). Available at FS Library. Online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
• 1810 Schreiner-Yates, Netti. A Supplement to the 1810 Census of Virginia: Tax Lists of the Counties for which the Census is Missing. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1971. Available at FS Library. The source for this publication is the 1810 personal property tax list. Henry County is included because the 1810 Census for that county has been destroyed.
• 1810 Tax List, 1810, Southwest Virginian, Vol. 6, No. 28 (Mar. 1983).
• 1815 Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at FS Library. The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Henry County is included in Vol. 2.
• 1820 Lands Returned Delinquent, List, 1820, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Feb. 2006). Available at FS Library.

Vital Records

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

Birth

• 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
• 1584-1917 Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917 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 $
• 1700-1799 Henry County, Virginia Marriages 1700-1799 - free.
• 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1771-1989 Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1778-1849 Dodd, Virginia Anderton. Henry County, Virginia, Marriage Bonds, 1778-1849. Richmond, Va.: Clearfield Co., 1953. 1976 reprint available at FS Library; 1953 digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
• 1785-1940 Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
• 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1788-1794 Henry County Marriage Licenses Virginia Pioneers ($)
• 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 Henry 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

• Danville Virginia FamilySearch Center
• Eden North Carolina FamilySearch Center
• Martinsville Virginia FamilySearch Center

• Blue Ridge Regional Library - Bassett Branch - an affiliate library
• Blue Ridge Regional Library - Collinsville Branch - an affiliate library
• Blue Ridge Regional Library - Martinsville Branch - an affiliate library

Libraries

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

Bassett Historical Center, Bassett, Virginia.
Website includes descriptions of collections. Excellent resource for family history research in Henry, Patrick, Floyd, Franklin and Pittsylvania counties in Virginia, the city of Martinsville, Virginia, and Rockingham, Stokes and Surry counties in North Carolina..

• VA-NC Piedmont Genealogical Society

Societies

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

Websites

• Henry Co., VAGenWeb. Part of the USGenWeb Project. Maps, name indexes, history.
• Cyndi's List

• 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

• Sweeney, Alice J. "Bassett Historical Center," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Aug. 2002):1-3. Available at FS Library; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website.