Nelson County, Virginia Genealogy

United States

Virginia

Nelson County

Guide to Nelson 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: Lovingston Organized: 01 Jun 1808 Parent County(s): Amherst Neighboring Counties Albemarle • Amherst • Appomattox • Augusta • Buckingham • Rockbridge See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Nelson County is located in the west-central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for the third Governor of Virginia, Thomas Nelson, Jr.

County Courthouse

Nelson County Courthouse
84 Courthouse Square/PO Box 514
Lovingston, VA 22949-0514
Phone: 434-263-7040
Nelson County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1808

Nelson 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	1808	1853	1808	1808	1808	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: 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 Amherst County, 01 Jun 1808 County seat: Lovingston 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
Adial Afton Allens Creek Avon Beech Grove Bryant Buffalo Springs Caskie Colleen Durrett Town Elma Faber Five Forks Four Forks Freshwater Gladstone Gordon Crossing Greenfield	Greenway Gullysville Hendersons Store Jonesboro Kingswood Lakeview Heights Lanes Ford Lawthorne Mill Lodebar Lowesville Martins Store Massies Mill Midway Mills Montebello Nash Norwood Oak Ridge Old Myndus	Onan Ottoway Piedmont Piney River Poplar Flats Ramsey Red Apple Orchard Rockfish Roseland Roses Mill Shady Lane Twin Poplars Tye River Tyro Warminster White Rock Wingina Woods Mill
Census-designated places
Arrington Lovingston	Nellysford Schuyler	Shipman Wintergreen

History Timeline

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

• Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at FS Library. [Includes a section on Lovington silversmiths.]

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Nelson County, Virginia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find a Grave Interment.net 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.	%±
1810	9,684	—
1820	10,137	4.7%
1830	11,254	11.0%
1840	12,287	9.2%
1850	12,758	3.8%
1860	13,015	2.0%
1870	13,898	6.8%
1880	16,536	19.0%
1890	15,336	−7.3%
1900	16,075	4.8%
1910	16,821	4.6%
1920	17,277	2.7%
1930	16,345	−5.4%
1940	16,241	−0.6%
1950	14,042	−13.5%
1960	12,752	−9.2%
1970	11,702	−8.2%
1980	12,204	4.3%
1990	12,778	4.7%
2000	14,445	13.0%
2010	15,020	4.0%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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 this county.

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Church of England

• See also Amherst Parish
• Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Nelson County is available online.

Court Records

Online Court Indexes and Records
Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index can be used to search digital images of Nelson County chancery records for the years 1808-1912.

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 Americans

• 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

Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans of Nelson County.

Funeral Homes

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

Byrum-Parr Funeral Home, Inc. in Roseland Teague Funeral Service in Charlottesville Wells/Sheffield Funeral Chapel in Lovingston

Genealogies

Compiled Genealogies by Surname

• See Nelson County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of published books and articles

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

• Nelson County Heritage Book Committee. Nelson County, Virginia Heritage, 1807-2000. Summersville, W. Va.: S.E. Grose and the Nelson Book Committee, 2001. FS Library Book 975.5493 H2n

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

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.

• Bannister. 935 patents dated 1730-1861 in what is now Nelson County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2004. [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.]
• Bannister. 971 patents dated 1738-1844 in what is now Amherst and Nelson Counties, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper. 2005. [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.]

Local Histories

• Coincon, J.B. Colonial History of Nelson County, 1734-1807. Amherst, Va.: Amherst Publishing Co., Inc. Digital version 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.

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

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 ($). 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Eastern District, Nelson County on page 132.
• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FS Library Book 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.

War of 1812

• Douthat, James L. Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2007. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. FS Catalog Collection 975.5 M2djL. [Includes Nelson 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, Nelson County, pp. 91-92. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Regiments. Nelson County men served in the 28th 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 Nelson 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:

Confederate

- 5th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate).

- 8th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company B (Nelson Rangers).

- 19th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company D (The Howardsville Grays), Company G (The Nelson Grays), and Company I (The Amherst Rifles).

- 49th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C (New Market Volunteers), Company F (Ewell Guards), Company H (Fauquier Guards), and Company K (Crowder's Company).

- 51st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies B (Nelson Rifles) and E (Wythe Rifles).

- 56th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies D (Buckingham Yancey Guards) and F (Louisa Nelson Grays).

- Nelson Light Artillery, (Confederate)

Union

- 2nd Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home , Company D

Records and histories are available, including:

• Pollard, Oliver A. Jr. Under the blue ledge, Nelson County, Virginia. Richmond: The Dietz Press, 1997. FS Catalog book 975.5493 H2p
  
• Sifakis, Stewart.Compendium of the Confederate Armies. New York: 1995 FS Catalog book 975 M2ss v. 5
  
• 1861-1865 FS Catalog book 975.5 M2vr v. 29 titled A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations 1861-1865
  
• Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 — Ancestry index (free)

World War II

• 1940-1945 Virginia, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1906-1929 Virginia Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

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 ($)

Other Records

Voting Records

• 1902-1970 Virginia Voter Registration, 1902-1970 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Probate Records

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

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1808-1926 Images of General Index to Wills Virginia Pioneers.net ($)
• 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

Online Nelson County, Virginia Tax Lists
Type	Index			Images
	Free	FHC	Fee	Free	FHC	Fee
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1809-1850	-

• 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. Nelson County is included in Vol. 1.]
• 1809-1830 Tax Digests at Virginia Pioneers ($)

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

• 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index($) — index $
• 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 ($)
• 1771-1989 Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1785-1940 Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
• 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1853-1935 Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, County Marriage Registers, 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
• 1864-1901 Nelson County, Virginia Marriages at VAGenWeb
• 1936-1988 Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Death

• 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 Nelson 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

• Buena Vista Virginia FamilySearch Center
• Buckingham Virginia FamilySearch Center]
• Lexington Virginia FamilySearch Center
• Waynesboro Virginia FamilySearch Center

• Jefferson Madison Regional Library - Nelson Memorial Branch - an affiliate library
• Jefferson Madison Regional Library - Scottsville Branch - an affiliate library

Libraries

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

• Central Virginia Genealogical Association

Societies

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

Websites

• Nelson 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.