Prince William County, Virginia Genealogy


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

County Facts
County seat: Manassas
Organized: 25 Mar 1731[1]
Parent County(s): King George, Stafford
Neighboring Counties
Charles (MD)FairfaxFauquierLoudounStafford
See County Maps
Courthouse
VirginiaPrinceWilliamCourthouse.jpg
Location Map
Location of Prince William County, Virginia.png

County Information

Description

Prince William is located in the northern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and included in Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. It was named after the second son of England's King George II.[2]

County Courthouse

Prince William County Courthouse
9311 Lee Avenue
Manassas, VA 20110-5586
Phone: 703-792-6141
Prince William County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1856, divorce and court records from 1823, probate records from 1734 and land records from 1731[3]

Prince William 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
1864 1856 1864 1823 1731 1731 1810
* Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1912.
General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

  • Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890
  • 1863 Many courthouse records were destroyed during the American Civil War. Sixteen volumes of pre-1861 deeds, and five volumes of pre-1861 wills are missing.[5]

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:[8]

Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Historic communities
Historic African American communities


History Timeline

Prince William Duke of Cumberland.JPG

The county is named after Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (1721-1765), a son of King George II of Great Britain.

Resources

Bible Records

For databases and indexes, see Virginia Bible Records.

Biographies

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. FS Catalog Collection. Includes a section on Dumfries silversmiths.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Prince William 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.


  • 1800-1993 Prince William County Burial Index 1800-1993 at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • 1800-1986 Virginia, Jewish Cemetery Records Index, ca. 1800-1986 at FamilySearchHow to Use this Collection; index & images
  • "Bell Family Tombstone Found in Manassas," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 10, No. 9 (Mar. 1992):70. FS Catalog Collection
  • "Confederate Burials in the Small Confederate Cemetery Located on the Manassas Battlefield, Prince William County," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 8, No. 10 (Apr. 1990):77-78. FS Catalog Collection
  • "Keys Family Cemetery," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Oct. 1983). FS Catalog Collection
  • "Nash Family Cemetery," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 9, No. 6 (Dec. 1990):46. FS Catalog Collection
  • Wilson, Donald L. "The Cemeteries of Prince William County," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 10, No. 11 (May 1992):84-85; Vol. 10, No. 12 (Jun. 1992):94-95; Vol. 11, No. 1 (Jul. 1992):6-7. FS Catalog Collection

Census Records

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

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 11,615
1800 12,733 9.6%
1810 11,311 −11.2%
1820 9,419 −16.7%
1830 9,330 −0.9%
1840 8,144 −12.7%
1850 8,129 −0.2%
1860 8,565 5.4%
1870 7,504 −12.4%
1880 9,180 22.3%
1890 9,805 6.8%
1900 11,112 13.3%
1910 12,026 8.2%
1920 13,660 13.6%
1930 13,951 2.1%
1940 17,738 27.1%
1950 22,612 27.5%
1960 50,164 121.8%
1970 111,102 121.5%
1980 144,636 30.2%
1990 215,686 49.1%
2000 280,813 30.2%
2010 402,002 43.2%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1790 - Lost.

1800 - Lost.

1810

1820

1830

1840

  • 1840 Census Annotated. By Ronald Ray Turner. Turner attempts to identify individuals recorded statistically by age and gender. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

1850

1860

1870

1880

1890 Union Veterans

  • Mays, Judith. Union Veterans of the Civil War Living in Prince William County in 1890, The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jul. 1989):6-7; Vol. 8, No. 2 (Aug. 1989):12-15; Vol. 8, No. 5 (Nov. 1989):39. FS Catalog Collection
  • Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. By Ronald Ray Turner. FS Catalog book 975.5 X2t 1890, FS Library film #1425065, item 14(*); images. Includes residents of this county.
  • 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census. Online at: Ancestry ($). Includes this county.

1900

1910

1920

1930

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Baptist

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

Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):

Prince William County fell within the bounds of the Ketocton Association. A Baptist petition dated 1776 was published in Seattle Genealogical Society Bulletin, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Mar. 1973). FS Library Book 979.777 B2b v. 22 (1972-1973).

Church of England

Presbyterian

  • "The First 93 Members of the Manassas Presbyterian Church, Manassas, Virginia," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 1, No. 9 (Jan. 1983). FS Catalog Collection
  • "Roll of Members of the Manassas Presbyterian Church from the Date of Its Organization July 7th, 1867," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 1, No. 10 (Feb. 1983); Vol. 1, No. 11 (Mar. 1983); Vol. 1, No. 12 (Apr. 1983); Vol. 1, No. 13 (May 1983); Vol. 1, No. 14 (Jun. 1983). FS Catalog Collection

Court Records

Online Court Indexes and Records

General

  • Lounsbury, Carl R. "'An Elegant and Commodious Building': William Buckland and the Design of the Prince William County Courthouse," The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 46, No. 3 (Sep. 1987):228-240. Available at JSTOR.

Bonds

British Claims

  • "British Mercantile Claims, 1775-1803 Indexed from The Virginia Genealogist, Vols. 8, 9, 14, 15, 20, 21, 23 and 24," available online through Prince William Public Library, (RELIC). This index serves as a very useful guide to help researchers find the original abstracts in The Virginia Genealogist. These issues of The Virginia Genealogist are accessible online through American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
  • "Prince William County Virginia Mixed Commission on British and American Claims: Thomas Pringle vs United States & Arthur C. & Frances Evans vs United States" (1860s-1870s). FS Catalog book 975.52732 R29t.

Chancery Court

  • Indexed images of Prince William County, Virginia Chancery Records 1804-1951 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

County Court

  • Durst, Mariona. "Early Prince William Court Order Books," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jul. 1987):7. FS Catalog Collection. In this article, Mariona Durst, Prince William County Archivist, identifies which court order books survive and which have been lost.
  • "Old Prince William Document Found in Kentucky," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 9, No. 9 (Mar. 1991):69. FS Catalog Collection. Dated 1760, surnames: Roland, Gibson, and Graham.
  • "Prince William County, Virginia, Order Book 1759-1761," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1975):214-226; Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1975):291-308; Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1976):35-44; Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1976):133-144; Vol. 20, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1976):188-198; Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1976):280-288; Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1977):59-66; Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):129-140; Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):207-216; Vol. 21, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1977):293-306; Vol. 22, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1978):58-64; Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1978):137-142; Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1978):221-226; Vol. 22, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1978):304-311; Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1979):47-54; Vol. 23, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1979):130-138; Vol. 23, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1979):201-216; Vol. 23, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1979):292-304; Vol. 24, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1980):31-40; Vol. 24, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1979):99-109. Available at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
  • County Court minute and order books, 1752-1869; images

Dumfries District Court and Superior Court of Law

  • 1793-1817 Dumfries District Court Order Books, 1793-1817(*) at FamilySearch Catalog ― images. Original records, Prince William County Courthouse, Manassas, VA; Dumfries District Court encompassed Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William counties.

Superior Court of Chancery
The Superior Court of Chancery of Fredericksburg (1802-1831) had jurisdiction over certain Prince William County court cases. An index has been compiled:

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

For databases and immigrant groups, see Virginia Emigration and Immigration

Dumfries was an important port in the colonial period. Only a few official passenger lists survive for the eighteenth century.

  • Cantwell, John A. "Imported Indentured White Servitude in Fairfax and Prince William Counties, 1750-1800," unpub. M.A. Thesis, George Mason University, 1986.
  • Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Includes will of a resident of Prince William County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.
  • Harrison, Fairfax. "When the Convicts Came: A Chapter from 'Land Marks of Old Prince William,'" The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 30, No. 3 (Jul. 1922):250-260. Available at JSTOR.
  • List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe who served labor terms in Colonial Prince Edward, Prince George, and Prince William Counties, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.
  • Stickel, Iris Robey. "Eighteenth Century Passenger Lists Found in Prince William County Records," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 4, No. 4-6 (Oct.-Dec. 1985):6-13. FS Catalog Collection 975.52732 D25n v. 4-6 (1985-1988). (Source of data: Prince William County, Va., manuscripts in the Huntington Library (Loose Papers), Reference: Microfilm VA 975.527 Pri., Huntington Library, San Marino, California.)

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

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


Deeds
Many of Prince William County's early deed books have been lost, as described in this article:

  • Wilson, Donald L. "Prince William County's Missing Land Records," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 4, No. 4-6 (Oct.-Dec. 1985):3-5. FS Catalog Collection. Identifies which deed books have been lost; includes index references to some lost deeds from Deed Books A and C.

One early deed has been found in private hands:

  • Wilson, Donald L. "Early Prince William County Deed Found," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jul. 1987):6-7. FS Catalog Collection

A manuscript index to several of the lost deed books, created in 1827, provides some relief to genealogists searching for ancestors during this time period. Donald Wilson and Judith Mays published these indexes in The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society FS Catalog Collection:

  • 1741-1743 Wilson, Donald L. "An Index to Lost Deed Book F, 1741-1743," Vol. 4, No. 12 (Jun. 1986):9. Taken from a manuscript deed index for letters M through W, made in 1827.
  • 1743-1744 Mays, Judith A. "An Index to Lost Deed Book G, 1743-1744," Vol. 8, No. 11 (May 1990):85-86.
  • 1744-1745 Mays, Judith A. "An Index to Lost Deed Book H, 1744-1745," Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jul. 1990):4-5.
  • 1746-1748 Mays, Judith A. "An Index to Lost Deed Book K, 1746-1748," Vol. 9, No. 2 (Aug. 1990):12-13.
  • 1751-1754 Mays, Judith A. "An Index to Lost Deed Book N, 1751-1754," Vol. 9, No. 3 (Sep. 1990):20-21.
  • 1754-1760 Mays, Judith A. "An Index to Lost Deed Book O, 1754-1760," Vol. 9, No. 4 (Oct. 1990):28-29; Vol. 9, No. 5 (Nov. 1990):38-39.
  • 1771-1774 Mays, Judith A. "An Index to Lost Deed Book S, 1771-1774," Vol. 9, No. 6 (Dec. 1990):47; Vol. 9, No. 7 (Jan. 1991):54-55.
  • 1791-1796 Mays, Judith A. "An Index to Lost Deed Book Y, 1791-1796," Vol. 9, No. 8 (Feb. 1991):62-63; Vol. 9, No. 9 (Mar. 1991):70-71; Vol. 9, No. 10 (Apr. 1991):78-79.
  • 1813-1816 Mays, Judith A. "An Index to Lost Deed Book 5, 1813-1816," Vol. 10, No. 2 (Aug. 1991):12-13; Vol. 10, No. 3 (Sep. 1991):22-23.
  • 1816-1818 Mays, Judith A. "An Index to Lost Deed Book 6, 1816-1818," Vol. 10, No. 10 (Apr. 1992):78-79; Vol. 10, No. 11 (May 1992):86-87.

Grants and Patents

Land Causes

  • Sparacio, Ruth Trickey, Sam Sparacio, and Dumfries, Va. District Court. Abstracts of Land Causes, Prince William County, Virginia. [1789-1793] 2 vols. McLean, Va.: Antient Press, 1992. FS Catalog Collection
  • Wilson, Donald L. "Prince William County Land Causes," [1789-1793] The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Aug. 1984):5-7; Vol. 3, No. 7 (Jan. 1985):3-6; Vol. 3, No. 10 (Apr. 1985):6-7; Vol. 3, No. 12 (Jun. 1985):6-7; Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jul. 1985):4-6; Vol. 4, No. 2 (Aug. 1985):3-4; Vol. 4, No. 3 (Sep. 1985):5-7; Vol. 4, No. 7 (Jan. 1986):4-6; Vol. 4, No. 9 (Mar. 1986):3-4; Vol. 4, No. 10 (Apr. 1986):5-7; Vol. 4, No. 12 (Jun. 1986):5-7; Vol. 5, No. 1 (Jul. 1986):5-7; Vol. 5, No. 3 (Sep. 1986):6-9; Vol. 5, No. 6 (Dec. 1986):5-6; Vol. 5, No. 10 (Apr. 1987):5-7. FS Catalog Collection

Surveyor's Plat Book

  • Jeffries, Janice. "An Index to Prince William County Surveyor's Plat Book," [1789-1858] The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 1, No. 9 (Jan. 1983). FS Catalog Collection



Local Histories

  • Berkley, Henry J. "The Port of Dumfries, Prince William Co., Va.," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Apr. 1924):99-116. Available at JSTOR ($).
  • Ewell, Alice Maude. A Virginia Scene, or, Life in Old Prince William. Lynchburg, Virginia: J.P. Bell Co., 1931. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  • Prince William: The Story of its People and its Places. Richmond, Va.: Whittet & Shepperson, 1941. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  • Curtis, Donald E. and Prince William County Historical Commission. The Curtis Collection: A Personal View of Prince William County History. Prince William, Virginia: Prince William County Historical Commission, 1988. FS Catalog Collection

Historic Residences

  • Lion, Florence S. "White House, Brentsville, Virginia," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 10, No. 7 (Jan. 1992):51-52. FS Catalog Collection. Includes a discussion of the owners, the Williams family.
  • Historic Prince William Residences

Officials

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.

Manassas Park (Independent City)Stafford CountyFauquier CountyLoudoun CountyFairfax CountyCharles CountyVA PRINCE WILLIAM.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

When British merchants returned to collect unpaid accounts in Prince William County, Virginia after the Revolution, these records, which are now housed in The National Archives in Kew, England, were created. The merchants' records identify individuals who had accounts and reveal if the person had died in the interval (1770s-early 1800s) or migrated to another part of the country. Americans of all social levels were interested in purchasing British imported goods through debt financing, making these records a valuable genealogical source. RELIC has created an online index:

  • "British Mercantile Claims, 1775-1803 Indexed from The Virginia Genealogist, Vols. 8, 9, 14, 15, 20, 21, 23 and 24," available online at Prince William Public Library, Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center (RELIC). This index serves as a very useful guide to help researchers find the original abstracts in The Virginia Genealogist. These issues of The Virginia Genealogist are accessible online through American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).

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 ($). Identifies some Prince William County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.
  • Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. FS Catalog Collection; digital version at Internet Archive. Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch (French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War) with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Prince William County, see pp. 97-100, 112.
  • Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. FS Catalog Collection; digital book at Ancestry ($). Identifies some Prince William County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.
  • Mayo, Sandra. "Fairfax and Prince William Counties in the French and Indian War," Northern Virginia Heritage, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Feb. 1987). Digital version at Historic Prince William.


Revolutionary War

  • A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. 1967 reprint: FS Library Book 973 X2pc 1840. Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Virginia, Eastern District, Prince William County on page 133.
  • Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FS Library Book 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.
  • Pierce, Alycon Trubey. "Wringing Northern Virginians Out of Final Pension Payment Vouchers, 1818-1864," Northern Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Apr. 1997):73-77. FS Catalog Collection. Identifies married daughters and granddaughters of Revolutionary War Pensioners, and other persons mentioned in these records. Pierce abstracted entries for residents of Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William counties.

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

- 3rd Virginia Regiment
- 11th Virginia Regiment


War of 1812
Prince William County men served in the 36th and 89th Regiments.[9]

  • 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 version at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Prince William County, pp. 99-100. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.


Civil War
Civil War service men in Prince William 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)
- 8th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C (Evergreen Guards).[10]
- 17th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (Prince William Rifles).[11]
- 49th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (Ewell Guards) and Company G (Quantico Guards).[12]

Civil War Battles
The following Civil War battles were fought in Prince William County.[13]

  • July 18, 1861 - Blackburn’s Ford, also known as Bull Run.
  • July 21, 1861 - Manassas I, also known as First Bull Run.
  • August 25-27, 1862 - Manassas Station Operations.
  • August 28, 1862 - Thoroughfare Gap, also known as Chapman's Mill.
  • August 28-30, 1862 - Manassas II, also known as Second Bull Run, Manassas Plains, Groveton, Gainesville, or Brawner's Farm.
  • October 14, 1863 - Bristoe Station.
  • January 3, 1862 - Cockpit Point, also known as Batteries at Evansport, Freestone Point, or Shipping Point.

World War I

  • Olson, Ann. "World War I Memorial," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 6, No. 7 (Jan. 1988):59. FS Catalog Collection. Identifies 26 county residents who died in the conflict.


World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship

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.
  • "Obituary and Estate of John Hooe of 'Mayfield' (1790?-1873)," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 8, No. 8 (Feb. 1990):62-63. FS Catalog Collection
  • Phillips, Carol Thompson. Death Notices, Obituaries & Memoriams: From the Prince William County, Va., Manassas Gazette and Manassas Journal, 1885-1910. [Westminster, Maryland]: Willow Bend Books, 1998. FS Catalog Collection
  • Phillips, Carol Thompson. Engagements and Marriages from the Prince William County Gazette & Manassas Journal, 1885-1910. Westminster, Maryland: Willow Bend Books, 1998. FS Catalog Collection
  • "Prince William Gleanings," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 10, No. 9 (Mar. 1992):70. FS Catalog Collection. Abstract from Maryland Gazette, 1755. Concerns Anne Perrell who states she had been an indentured servant to John Morehead of Prince William County, Virginia.
  • Prince William County Newspaper Transcripts 1784-1860, 1865-1875. By Ronald Ray Turner. FS Catalog book 975.52732 B39t v. 1, 975.52732 B39t v. 3
  • Prince William County Virginia, 1876-1899, newspaper transcripts. By Ronald Ray Turner. FS Catalog book 975.52732 B38t

Obituaries

Other Records

Insurance

  • Wilson, Donald L. "Prince William County Fire Insurance Policies, 1796-1846," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 4, No. 8 (Feb. 1986):3-5; Vol. 5, No. 4 (Oct. 1986):5-8; Vol. 5, No. 9 (Mar. 1987):6-8; Vol. 7, No. 9 (Mar. 1989):41. FS Catalog Collection

Private Papers

  • 1607-2007 Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007 at FamilySearchHow to Use this Collection; index & images
  • [Akers] See Manuel.
  • [Cocke] "Family bible of William Cocke, Dumfries, Virginia, 1802," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 8, No. 4 (Oct. 1989):30-31. FS Catalog Collection
  • [Foley] Gott, John K. "Foley Bible, 'Mt. Atlas,' Prince William Co., Va.," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1975):118-120. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
  • [Gray] "Thomas L. Gray of Prince William County," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 10, No. 12 (Jun. 1992):91, 93. FS Catalog Collection
  • [Huntt] "Huntt Family Bible: Fairfax County, Virginia," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 3, No. 12 (Jun. 1985):3-5. FS Catalog Collection
  • [Leaman] Durham, Karen. "Leaman-Metz Family Bible Record," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 10, No. 5 (Nov. 1991):35-37. FS Catalog Collection
  • [Lynn] Stickel, Iris Robey. "Lynn - Russell Bible," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 8, No. 12 (Jun. 1990):93-94. FS Catalog Collection
  • [McCuin] "McCuin Bible," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 2, No. 5 (Nov. 1983). FS Catalog Collection
  • [Manuel] "Manuel-Akers Bible Record," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 9, No. 11 (May 1991):87. FS Catalog Collection
  • [Metz] See Leaman.
  • [Norman] "Norman Family Bible Record," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 7, No. 12 (Jun. 1989):64-65. FS Catalog Collection
  • [Rector] "Our Rector Line," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 3, No. 9 (Mar. 1985). FS Catalog Collection
  • [Russell] See Lynn.
  • [Tolson] "Bible of Daniel W. Tolson and Elizabeth Scott Botts," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Sep. 1983). FS Catalog Collection

Periodicals

Probate Records

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

Online Probate Indexes and Records

Local Court

  • 1633-1800 Wills and Estate Records Index at Library of Virginia.
  • Clemens, William M. Virginia Wills Before 1799: A Complete Abstract Register of All Names Mentioned in Over Six Hundred Recorded Wills, ... Copied from the Court House Records of Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, Loudoun, Prince William and Rockbridge Counties. Pompton Lakes, N.J.: Biblio Co., 1924. FS Catalog Collection Fiche 6015628-6015629; digital versions at Access Genealogy; Ancestry ($). Mountain Press provides online surname list.
  • Hopkins, William Lindsay. Some Wills from the Burned Counties of Virginia and Other Wills Not Listed in Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800. Richmond, Virginia: W.L. Hopkins, 1987. FS Catalog Collection. Includes Prince William County.
  • Prince William County, Virginia: Index to Probate Records, 1731-1951, available online, courtesy: RELIC.
  • Prince William County, Virginia Wills, Part 1, 1734-1951. Database at Ancestry ($).
  • Prince William County, Virginia Wills, Part 2, 1734-1920. Database at Ancestry ($).
  • "Will of John Owens," [1794] The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 8, No. 9 (Mar. 1990):69-70. FS Catalog Collection. Original will, then in the possession of Miss Louise Booton, Maysville, Kentucky.
  • Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search


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

  • The Brock Collection contains many rent rolls for eighteenth-century Prince William County residents. Edward D.C. Campbell Jr. describes the Library of Virginia's accessions of the Brock Collection in "Library of Virginia and Huntington Library Join to Microfilm Brock Collection," The Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly Newsletter, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Feb. 2003):1-3, which is available as FS Catalog Collection; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society.
  • 1723, 1724 King, G. Register of Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co., Va., 1723-1758. 1961. 1723 Rent Roll of Stafford County, 1724 list of tobacco tenders between Acquia Creek and Quantico Creek; includes area that later became Prince William County.
  • 1735/1736 Wilson, Donald L. "An Early Rent Roll for Prince William County," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 5, No. 8 (Feb. 1987):5-11. FS Catalog Collection. Original record held at Huntington Library, San Marino, California; microfilm copy at Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia and Prince William Library (Central and Potomac Branches). Labeled Prince William County, Virginia, Manuscripts in the Huntington Library.
  • 1736 "Rent Roll, Prince William County, Va. - 1736," in Junie Estelle Stewart King, Abstracts of Wills, Administrations, and Marriages of Fauquier County, Virginia, 1759-1800. 1939; reprint, Baltimore, Maryland, 2001. Available at Ancestry ($). King made numerous errors in reading this rental according to local expert Jim W. Tackitt.
  • 1737 Wilson, Donald L. "The Brent Town Survey of 1737," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 2, No. 6 (Dec. 1983). FS Catalog Collection
  • 1738 "Rent Roll of Prince William County 1738," in County Collections: Prince William County at the College of William and Mary, Earl Gregg Swem Library. Copy: FS Library Film 1955385 Item 10.
  • 1738-1739 1738/39 Rent Roll, Hamilton Parish; index online at RELIC.
  • 1738-1739 1738-1739 Quit Rental List of Hamilton Parish, Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 13 pages.[14]
  • 1741 Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. FS Catalog Collection; digital version at Internet Archive. Poll List for the Election of Burgesses for Prince William County, Va, 1741, see pp. 116-125.
  • 1741 "1741 Prince William County Poll ...," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 3, No. 6 (Dec. 1984):2-4; Vol. 3, No. 7 (Jan. 1985):6-8. FS Catalog Collection
  • 1746 1746 Landholders in Prince William and Fairfax counties; index online at RELIC - free.
  • 1747 A List of Tithables [sic] Between Sedderrun [sic] and Boolrun [sic] in Ditingin [sic] Parish in Prince William County for 1747. Photocopy of original records, Prince William County Courthouse, Manassas, Virginia; microfilm: FS Catalog Collection. The original records are held at the Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
  • 1747 "Residents of Western Dettingen Parish, 1747," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 3, No. 8 (Feb. 1985):4-7. FS Catalog Collection
  • 1747 List, Tithables, Dettinger Parish, 1747, Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Journal. Washington DC: Spring 1985. Vol. 6 Iss. 1.
  • 1751 "A List of Taxpayers for Hamilton Parish, 1751," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 10, No. 6 (Dec. 1991):43-45. FS Catalog Collection. Taken from the Account Book of Captain John Crump, Sheriff of Prince William County. "The original book was presented to the Fauquier Historical Society in 1922, by Col. Malcolm H. Crump, Bowling Green, Kentucky," but has since been misplaced.
  • 1751-1752 1751/52 Rent Roll; index online at RELIC.
  • 1751-1752 1751-1752 Rental of Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 20 pages.[14]
  • 1751-1779 Jackson, R. Early Virginia. Vol. 1. Includes 1751-1779 rent rolls, but expert Jim W. Tackitt states Jackson omitted many names and made numerous errors.
  • 1753 1753 Rental of Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 28 pages. [14]
  • 1753 Rent Roll, 1753, Kindred Spirits. Manassas VA: Mar 1993. Vol. 11 Iss. 9; Apr 1993. Vol. 11 Iss. 10; May 1993. Vol. 11 Iss. 11; Jun 1993. Vol. 11 Iss. 12; Jul 1993. Vol. 12 Iss. 1.
  • 1754 1754 Rent Roll; index online at RELIC.
  • 1754 1754 Rental of Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 18 pages. [14]
  • 1758 1758 Hamilton Parish Payments Received; index online at RELIC.
  • 1760 1760 Rent Roll; index online at RELIC.
  • 1760 1760 Rental of Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 15 pages. [14]
  • 1760 1760 Rental of Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 24 pages. [14]
  • 1761-1762 1761-1762 Rent Roll; index online at RELIC.
  • 1761 1761 Rental of Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 17 pages. [14]
  • 1762 1762 Landholder List; index online at RELIC.
  • 1762 1762 Rental of Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 4 pages. [14]
  • 1765 1765 Tax List (land and tithables); index online at RELIC.
  • 1765 Tithable Lists, 1765, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. Richmond VA: May 1992. Vol. 30 Iss. 2; Aug 1992. Vol. 30 Iss. 3.
  • 1767 1767 Rent Roll; index online at RELIC.
  • 1767 1767 Rental of Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 16 pages. [14]
  • 1773 1773 Rent Roll; index online at RELIC.
  • 1773 1773 Rental of Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 21 pages. [14]
  • 1777 1777 Rent Roll; index online at RELIC.
  • 1777 1777 Rental of Prince William County, Virginia, in "The Brock Collection," Huntington Library, San Marino, California. 19 pages. [14]
  • 1782 1782 Land Tax Records; index online at RELIC.
  • 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 William County.
  • 1782-1861 Personal property tax lists of Prince William County, 1782-1861 at FS Library films 33139-33143, FS Library films 1905699-1905701, item 1 - images.
  • 1783 Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783; index online at Revolutionary War Service website.
  • 1783 1783 Personal Property Tax List; index online at RELIC.
  • 1784 Tax list, 1784, Researcher. Chillicothe MO: Mar 1981. Vol. - Iss. 92; Vol. 2 Iss. 1.
  • 1784 1784 Personal Property Tax List; index online at RELIC.
  • 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. The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Prince William County is included in Vol. 2.
  • 1800 Tax List, 1800, Virginia Genealogist. Falmouth VA: Apr 2006. Vol. 50 Iss. 2; Jul 2006. Vol. 50 Iss. 3.
  • 1800 Personal Property Tax List, 1800, Northern Virginia Genealogy. Lovettsville VA: Spring 1999. Vol. 4 Iss. 2; Summer 1999. Vol. 4 Iss. 3.
  • 1800-1899 Merchants License Tax List and Business List, 1800-1899, Kindred Spirits. Oct 1998. Vol. 17 Iss. 4; Jan 1999. Vol. 17 Iss. 7; Feb 1999. Vol. 17 Iss. 8.
  • 1815 Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. FS Catalog Collection. The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Prince William County is included in Vol. 4.
  • 1865-1866 Personal Property Tax List, 1865-1866, Colored Inhabitants, Prince William Reliquary
  • 1921-1923 Women Who Paid State Poll Tax, List, 1921-1923, Prince William Reliquary. Manassas VA: Oct 2004. Vol. 3 Iss. 4.
  • 1924 Lands and Lots, Delinquent Taxes, 1924, Prince William Reliquary. Manassas VA: Jul 2002. Vol. 1 Iss. 3.
  • 1940s Poll Tax, 1940s, Prince William Reliquary. Manassas VA: Apr 2002. Vol. 1 Iss. 2; Jul 2002. Vol. 1 Iss. 3; Jan 2003. Vol. 2 Iss. 1; Apr 2003. Vol. 2 Iss. 2; Jul 2003. Vol. 2 Iss. 3; Oct 2003. Vol. 2 Iss. 4.
  • 1941-1949 Poll Tax List, 1941-49, Dumfries & Quantico, Prince William Reliquary. Manassas VA: Oct 2002. Vol. 1 Iss. 4.

Vital Records

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

Birth

There there are a variety of other types of records that may reveal births, including:

  • Birth Records of Prince William County, Virginia (From Various Sources except the Official Register), available online through Prince William Public Library, Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center (RELIC)

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

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

The following list was taken from "Prince William County Genealogy: A Guide to Sources," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 7, No. 8 (Feb. 1989):34-35. Available at FS Library.

  • Prince William County Genealogical Society, Manassas, Virginia
  • Prince William County Historical Commission, Woodbridge, Virginia
  • Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center (RELIC), Central Library. Contains a wealth of genealogical material, including online records.
  • Manassas Historical Committee/Manassas Museum, Manassas, Virginia
  • Historic Dumfries Inc./Weems-Botts Museum, Dumfries, Virginia
  • Historic Occoquan/Mill House Museum, Occoquan, Virginia
  • Prince William Library, Virginiana Collection, Manassas, Virginia

Museums

Societies

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

Websites

Research Guides

Compiled genealogies are a good place to start research for this area, see Prince William County, Virginia Genealogy. If you are researching families who lived in Prince William County, Virginia between the 1740s and 1790s, the Sparacios' book indexes are a great time saver. Surname index of Antient Press publications

  • "Prince William County Genealogy," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 2, No. 10 (Apr. 1984). FS Catalog Collection
  • "Prince William County Genealogy: A Guide to Sources," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 7, No. 8 (Feb. 1989):34-35. FS Catalog Collection
  • Wilson, Donald L. "Prince William County Genealogy," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 2 (Mar.-Apr. 1984):1. FS Catalog Collection; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website.
  • Wilson, Donald L. "Prince William County Manuscripts at the University of Virginia," The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 5, No. 5 (Nov. 1986):9; Vol. 5, No. 6 (Dec. 1986):7. FS Catalog Collection
  • Wilson, Donald L. "RELIC: A Gateway to Virginia Genealogy and History," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 28, No. 5 (Oct. 2001):1-3. FS Catalog Collection; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website.

References

  1. Newberry
  2. Wikipedia contributors, in Prince William County, Virginia
  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. Lost Records Localities: Counties and Cities with Missing Records, 3, in Library of Virginia (accessed 4 April 2014).
  6. Newberry
  7. 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.
  8. Wikipedia contributors, "Prince William_ County,_Virginia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_William_County,_Virginia#Communities accessed 25 February 2020.
  9. Stuart Lee Butler, A Guide to Virginia Militia Units in the War of 1812 (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 1988), 180. FS Library Book 975.5 M2bs.
  10. John E. Divine, 8th Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, c1983). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 6.
  11. Lee A. Wallace, 17th Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1990). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 67.
  12. Richard B. Kleese, 49th Virginia Infantry (Appomattox, Va.: H.E. Howard, 2002). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 138.
  13. National Park Service, Civil War Battles. Filter by state or battle name.
  14. 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 "Letter from Jim W. Tackitt, CGRS to Mark Bateman, Editor, 29 April 1984," published in The Newsletter of the Prince William County Genealogical Society, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jul. 1984), FS Catalog 975.52732 D25n v. 1-3.