Prince George County, Virginia Genealogy


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

County Facts
County seat: Prince George
Organized: 23 Apr 1703[1]
Parent County(s): Charles City
Neighboring Counties
Charles CityChesterfieldDinwiddieSurrySussex
See County Maps
Courthouse
VirginiaPrinceGeorgeCourthouse.jpg
Location Map
Location of Prince George County, Virginia.png

County Information

Description

Prince George County is located in the central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia just south of the state capital, Richmond, and was named for Prince George of Denmark, husband of England's Queen Anne.[2]

County Courthouse

Prince George County Courthouse
6601 Courts Drive
PO Box 187
Prince George, VA 23875-0187
Phone: 804-733-2781
Prince George County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has incomplete birth records 1865-1896, marriage, divorce and probate record from 1865, court record from 1945 and land records[3]

Prince George 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
1865 1865 1865 1714 1710 1713 1810
* Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1912.
General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

  • Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890
  • 1782 Most courthouse records were destroyed during the American Revolutionary War.
  • 1864 Most of the courthouse records were destroyed during the American Civil War. Only a few volumes of deeds, orders, and wills survived.[5][6]


Visit the Library of Virginia's website to determine exactly what records have been lost and their Lost Records Localities Database to find additional resources.

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:[9]

Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland (1653-1708)


This county is named after Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland (1653-1708), the husband of Queen Anne of Great Britain.

Resources

Bible Records

For databases and indexes, see Virginia Bible Records.

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Prince George 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 8,173
1800 7,425 −9.2%
1810 8,050 8.4%
1820 8,030 −0.2%
1830 8,367 4.2%
1840 7,175 −14.2%
1850 7,596 5.9%
1860 8,411 10.7%
1870 7,820 −7.0%
1880 10,054 28.6%
1890 7,872 −21.7%
1900 7,752 −1.5%
1910 7,848 1.2%
1920 12,915 64.6%
1930 10,311 −20.2%
1940 12,226 18.6%
1950 19,679 61.0%
1960 20,270 3.0%
1970 29,092 43.5%
1980 25,733 −11.5%
1990 27,394 6.5%
2000 33,047 20.6%
2010 35,725 8.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):

  1. Davenport's.[10]
  • 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 ($) and in book form at various libraries.
    Prince George County fell within the bounds of the Portsmouth Association.
  • Urner, Clarence H. "Early Baptist Records in Prince George County, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 41, No. 2 (Apr. 1933):97-101. Digital version at JSTOR ($).

Church of England

  • See also Bath Parish
  • See also Bristol Parish
  • See also Martin's Brandon Parish
  • See also Westover Parish
  • See also Weyanoke Parish
  • Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Prince George County is available online.[11]
  • Chamberlayne, Churchill Gibson. Births from the Bristol Parish Register of Henrico, Prince George and Dinwiddie Counties, Virginia, 1720-1798. Richmond, Virginia: C.G. Chamberlayne, 1898. Two published transcripts available at FS Library here and here; digital book at Ancestry ($).
  • Chamberlayne, Churchill Gibson. The Vestry Book and Register of Bristol Parish, Virginia, 1720 - 1789. Richmond, VA: [s.n.] 1898. Available at FS Library US/CAN Film 1036590 Item 2. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Mason, George Carrington. "The Colonial Churches of Prince George and Dinwiddie Counties, Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Jul. 1943):249-271. Available at JSTOR ($).
  • Mason, George Carrington. Colonial Churches of Tidewater Virginia. Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1945. Available at FS Library; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library. Includes Prince George County.

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):

Friends from Prince George County, Virginia also attended the Blackwater Monthly Meeting in Surry County, Virginia.[14]

Court Records

Online Court Indexes and Records

  • "Prince George County Records," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jan. 1897):272-292. Available at JSTOR ($). [Discusses record loss in the county.]
  • Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Record Index can be used to search Prince George County chancery records for the years 1809-1956 (majority of collection 1869-1916). Digital images available for 1809-1917. For suits marked "original" in the index, see online catalog or contact Archives Research Services for availability.
  • Post-1917 Prince George County chancery records may be available at the Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

For databases and immigrant groups, see Virginia Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African American

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Compiled Genealogies by Surname

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

  • Boddie, John Bennett. Southside Virginia Families. 2 vols. 1955-1956; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1976. FS Library Book 975.5 D2bs 1976-1996 v. 1-v. 2.
  • 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 2 includes Prince George County families.
  • Lawrence-Dow, Elizabeth. Autographs of 65 Gentlemen Justices, Militia Officers and Members of the Grand Jury from Charles City/Prince George and Surry counties Who Signed an Oath of Loyalty to Protestant King William III of England in March 1701/2. Richmond, Va.: Dietz Press, 1976. FS Library Book 975.5 P4L. [Includes biographies of Prince George County men.]
  • 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 Prince George County, see discussion of cited sources.] FS Library US/CAN CD-ROM no. 3887.
  • Slaughter, Philip. A History of Bristol Parish, Va.: With Genealogies of Families Connected Therewith, and Historical Illustrations. Richmond, Va.: J.W. Randolph & English, c1879. Digital version at Internet Archive. FS Library Book 975.558 K2s. (Covers the Atkinson, Bolling, Bland, Claiborne, Eppes, Feild, Gilliam, Grammer, Haxall, Kennon, May, Munford, Murray, Peterson, Pegram, Poythress, Ramsay, Randolph, Robertson, Skipwith, Walker, Withers, and Worsham 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.

  • Duvall, Lindsay O. Prince George County ... Land Patents, 1666-1719. Irvington, Virginia, 1962. Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 6, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec.1962):182. Review available at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
  • Hudgins. 382 patents dated 1642-1802 in what is now Prince George County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper. 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.

Record Book

  • Stewart, Robert Armistead. "Abstracts of Prince George [Record] Book, 1759-60," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Jan. 1931):42-49. Available at JSTOR ($).

Quit Rents


Local Histories

  • Shands, William et al. Proceedings of Citizens of Prince George County, Virginia: On the Subject of Re-annexing Texas to the United States, May 17, 1844. Blair & Rives, Printers, 1844.

Historic Residences

  • Wyatt, Edward Avery. Plantation Houses around Petersburg, in the Counties of Prince George, Chesterfield, and Dinwiddie, Virginia. 1955.

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.

Dinwiddie CountyChesterfield CountyCharles CitySurry CountySussex CountyVA PRINCE GEORGE.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

  • 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 Prince George County to other parts of the country.

Early migration routes to and from Prince George County for European settlers included:[15]

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 ($). Identifies some Prince George County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.
  • Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at FS Library; digital version at Internet Archive. Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch (French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War) with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Prince George County, see p. 97.
  • Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at FS Library; digital book at Ancestry ($). Identifies some Prince George County militia officers; 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. Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Eastern District, Prince George County on page 133.
  • Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FS Library Book 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.

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

- 6th Virginia Regiment
- 14th Virginia Regiment


War of 1812
Prince George County men served in the 62nd Regiment.[16]

  • 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; digital versions at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Prince George County, p. 99. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.


Civil War

Regiments. Civil War service men in Prince George 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:

- 5th Battalion, Virginia Infantry (Wilson's)(Archer's)(Confederate).
- 5th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (12 months, 1861-62) (Mullins') (Confederate).[17]
- 13th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (12th Months, 1861-62) (Confederate). Company F (Prince George Cavalry).[18]


World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers

For online newspaper resources, see the Virginia Newspapers page.

Obituaries

Other Records

Private Papers

Periodicals

Probate Records

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

Online Probate Indexes and Records


Original Wills

  • Hopkins, William Lindsay. Some Wills from the Burned Counties of Virginia and Other Wills Not Listed in Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800. Richmond, Virginia: W.L. Hopkins, 1987. Available at FS Library. Includes Prince George County.

Remnants of Prince George County Court
SamPubCo has created a free online resource for locating extant Prince George County wills:

Other Prince George County probate resources include:

  • "Prince George County Records," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jan. 1897):272-292. Available at JSTOR ($). Discusses record loss in the county.
  • Stewart, Robert Armistead. "Abstracts of Prince George [Record] Book, 1759-60," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Jan. 1931):42-49. Available at JSTOR.

London Courts

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

  • 1704 "Virginia Quit Rent Rolls, 1704," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 28 (1920):207-218, 328-339; Vol. 29 (1921):18-28, 337-343, 402-412; Vol. 30 (1922):21-30, 280-285, 341-347; Vol. 31 (1923):70-75, 153-163, 215-231, 314-318; Vol. 32 (1924):69-75, 144-158, 281-287, 338-343; Vol. 33 (1925):47-50, 359-370; Vol. 34 (1926):113-119, 252-258, 313, 321. Available at FS Library; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at FS Library; digital version of VMHB at JSTOR ($). Prince George County appears in 28:328-339.
  • 1782 Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. FS Catalog book 975.5 R4f 1978. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, FS Library film 874197, item 4 - images. 1782 personal property tax list of Prince George County.
  • 1782-1834 Heinegg, Paul. "Prince George County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1834," Free African Americans.com. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
  • 1782-1863 Personal property tax lists of Prince George County, 1782-1863. FS films 33061-33066 - images.
  • 1782-1863 Land tax lists of Prince George County [Virginia] 1782-1863. FS films 29957-29959 - images.
  • 1787 Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available at FS Library. The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Petersburg (the portion in Prince George County) is included in Vol. 1; Prince George County is included in Vol. 2.
  • 1800 Tax List, 1800, The Virginia Genealogist. Falmouth VA: Jan 2006. Vol. 50 Iss. 1. Searchable database at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
  • 1815 Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at FS Library. The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Prince George 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 Prince George 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 Prince George County. For state-wide library facilities, see Virginia Archives and Libraries.

Museums

Societies

Listed below are societies in Prince George 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: Prince George County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1976):294-296. Available at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
  • "Prince George County Records," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jan. 1897):272-292. Available at JSTOR ($). [Discusses record loss in the county.]

References

  1. Newberry
  2. http://www.princegeorgevahistoricalsociety.org/history.html
  3. 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.
  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. "Prince George County Records," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jan. 1897):272-292. Available at JSTOR ($). Discusses record loss in the county.
  6. Lost Records Localities: Counties and Cities with Missing Records, 3, in Library of Virginia (accessed 4 April 2014).
  7. Newberry
  8. 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.
  9. Wikipedia contributors, "Prince George_ County,_Virginia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_George_County,_Virginia#Communities accessed 25 February 2020.
  10. Robert Baylor Semple and George William Beale, A History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists in Virginia (1810; reprint, Richmond, Va.: Pitt and Dickinson, 1894), 442-443. Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
  11. 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.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Jay Worrall, The Friendly Virginians: America's First Quakers (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Publishing Company, 1994), 537-539. FS Library Book 975.5 K2wj.
  13. William Wade Hinshaw, Thomas W. Marshall and John Cox, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Bros., 1950). Vol. 6. FS Library film 432606.
  14. Martha A. Putnam, Quaker Records of Southeast Virginia (Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1996). FS Library Book 975.5 K2qu.
  15. 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.
  16. Stuart Lee Butler, A Guide to Virginia Militia Units in the War of 1812 (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 1988), 178. FS Library Book 975.5 M2bs.
  17. Robert J. Driver, 5th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1997). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 127.
  18. Daniel T. Balfour, 13th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, c1986). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 26.