Spotsylvania County, Virginia Genealogy

United States

Virginia

Spotsylvania County

Guide to Spotsylvania 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: Spotsylvania Organized: 01 May 1721 Parent County(s): Essex, King and Queen, King William Variant Spellings: Spottsylvania Neighboring Counties Caroline • Culpeper • Hanover • Louisa • Orange • Stafford See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Spotsylvania County is located midway between the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C. and the Commonwealth of Virginia's capital, Richmond. Spotsylvania County was named for Alexander Spotswood, lieutenant governor of the Virginia colony from 1710 to 1720.

County Courthouse

Spotsylvania County Courthouse
9111 Courthouse Road
PO Box 339
Spotsylvania, VA 22553-0339
Spotsylvania County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage and probate records from 1722, birth records 1864-1895, death records 1911-1915, court records from 1724, land records from 1856, military pension records 1898-1926, and coroners request 1879-1912

Spotsylvania 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
1864	1722	1911	1724	1856	1722	1810
* Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1912. General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890 1839. In 1839 the courthouse was moved from Fredericksburg to Spotsylvania. Many loose papers prior to 1839 are missing. Volumes that record deeds, court orders, and wills exist. 1813-1889 District Court, Superior Court, and Circuit Court records 1813-1889 remain in Fredericksburg. 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: 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 Counties:-- Created from Essex, King and Queen and King William Counties, 01 May 1721 County seat: Spotsylvania 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
Alsop Bells Crossroad Belmont Brokenburg Chancellor	Chancellorsville Dunavant Four Mile Fork Granite Springs Massaponax	Partlow Post Oak Snell Thornburg Todds Tavern
Census-designated places
Lake Wilderness	Spotsylvania

History Timeline

The county was named after Virginia Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood (c1676-1740), who was in office at the time of Spotsylvania County's organization.

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. FS Library. Includes a section on Fredericksburg silversmiths.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Spotsylvania County, Virginia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find a Grave VAGenWeb BillionGraves 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	11,252	—
1800	13,002	15.6%
1810	13,296	2.3%
1820	14,254	7.2%
1830	15,134	6.2%
1840	15,161	0.2%
1850	14,911	−1.6%
1860	16,076	7.8%
1870	11,728	−27.0%
1880	14,828	26.4%
1890	14,233	−4.0%
1900	9,239	−35.1%
1910	9,935	7.5%
1920	10,571	6.4%
1930	10,056	−4.9%
1940	9,905	−1.5%
1950	11,920	20.3%
1960	13,819	15.9%
1970	16,424	18.9%
1980	34,435	109.7%
1990	57,403	66.7%
2000	90,395	57.5%
2010	122,397	35.4%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1806

• Fisher, Therese. "A List of Males in the Town of Fredericksburg from the Age of 18 to 45 Years Old; 1806," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 40, No. 4 (Oct./Nov. 1996):306-308. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). FS Library Book 975.5 B2vg.

1890 Union Veterans

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

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):

1. County Line (1782)
2. Craigs (1767)
3. Fredericksburg (1804). A 1959 history is available: FS Library Book 975.5366 K2d.
4. Guineas (1774)
5. Lower Spotsylvania (1768)
6. Massaponax (1788). A 1938 history is available: FS Library Film 31278 Item 2.
7. Mine Road (1791)
8. Piney Branch (1789)
9. Upper Spotsylvania (1769). Edwards published a membership list dated 1768 in Materials Towards a History of the Baptists... (1772), 77-78.
10. Wallers (1769)
11. Wilderness (1778)
12. Zoar (1805)

• 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.
  Spotsylvania County fell within the bounds of the Goshen Association.
• Ranck, George Washington. "The Travelling Church": An Account of the Baptist Exodus from Virginia to Kentucky in 1781 Under the Leadership of Rev. Lewis Craig and Capt. William Ellis; With Historical Notes. n.p., 1910. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
• Baptist ministers from Spotsylvania County (1767) are discussed in the Virginia Baptist Register, Issue 4 (1965).

Church of England

• See also Berkeley Parish
• See also St. George's Parish
• See also St. Mark's Parish

Lutheran

• 1730-1779. Records of Rev. John Casper Stoever, Baptismal and Marriage, 1730-1779. Baptisms and marriages took place in Mercer County, Pennsylvania and in Spotsylvania, Virginia.Digital version: Internet Archive and PAGenWeb.

Court Records

Online Court Indexes and Records

Chancery Court

• Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index can be used to search digital images of Spotsylvania County chancery records for the years 1812-1913.

District Court of Fredericksburg
The District Court of Fredericksburg and later the Superior Court of Chancery had jurisdiction over certain Spotsylvania County court cases. An index has been compiled:

• Indexes of Court Records in the Clerk's Office, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 1782-1904. Original records, Fredericksburg City Courthouse, Fredericksburg, Va., microfilmed reproduction available at FS Library. Indexes the following records: District Court law book v. 8, 1782-1792; District Court law books 1790-1793, v. A-F 1789-1811; Superior Court of Law law order books v. G-H 1812-1831; Superior Court of Chancery chancery order books 1814-1831; Hustings Court orders v. A-O 1782-1871; Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery law order books v. A-E 1831-1875; Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery chancery order books v. A-D 1831-1872; Circuit Court chancery order books v. A2, B-C 1875-1904; Fredericksburg District Court (1789-1808) had jurisdiction over the following counties: Spotsylvania (including Fredericksburg), Caroline, King George, Stafford, Orange, and Culpeper; Superior Court of Chancery (1802-1831) had jurisdiction over the following localities: city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fairfax, Lancaster, Northumberland, Madison, King George, Orange, Prince William, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Essex, and Westmoreland.
• See also Historic Court Records for indexes of Apprentice Records, Clerk's Order Books, Court Records, Free Negro / Slave records, Inquests, Marriage Records, Mayor's Court, Military Records & Wills

Superior Court of Chancery

See District Court of Fredericksburg

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

• List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe who served labor terms in Colonial Virginia are online at: Immigrant Servants Database.
  

Fredericksburg, along the Rappahannock River, has been a port since colonial times. No official passenger lists survive for the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries.

• Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. "Some Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Immigrants, 1769-1770," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 68, No. 1 (Mar. 1980):69. Digital version at National Genealogical Society website ($); FS Library Book 973 B2ng v. 68 (1980).
• Cerny, Johni and Gary J. Zimmerman. Before Germanna. 12 vols. Bountiful, Utah: American Geneal. Lending Library Publishers, 1990. FS Library. Discusses families of German immigrants who settled in Spotsylvania and Orange counties, Virginia.
• Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Includes wills of residents of Spotsylvania County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.
• Ljungstedt, Milnor. "Items from Southern Records" (Showing Family and Trade Connections with Northern Colonies and the Home Countries), The American Genealogist, Vol. 15 (1938):95-104. American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). Spotsylvania Co., VA residents: Byrne, Johnson, Lynn, White.
• Vann, Elizabeth Chapman Denny and Margaret Collins Denny Dixon. Virginia's First German Colony. Richmond, Va., 1961. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 8 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African American

• 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 Spotsylvania County.
• Douthat, James L. Early Spotsylvania County, Virginia Records. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2010. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. Includes 1783 slave owners list.
• Fitzgerald, Ruth Coder. A Different Story: A Black History of Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Spotsylvania, Virginia. Fredericksburg, Va.: Unicorn, 1979. FS Library.
• Haley, Alex. Roots. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1976. FS Library. Includes author's descent from Kunta Kinte, born in the spring of 1750 at Juffure, Gambia, captured and brought to the United States in 1767, and sold into slavery in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.
• Heinegg, Paul. "Spotsylvania County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1822," Free African Americans.com. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.

Funeral Homes

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

A. L. Bennett and Son Funeral Home in Fredericksburg Agape Memorials in Fredericksburg Covenant Funeral Service in Fredericksburg Found and Sons Funeral Chapels & Cremation Service in Fredericksburg Mullins & Thompson Funeral Service in Fredericksburg Owens Funeral Services in Fredericksburg

Genealogies

Compiled Genealogies by Surname

• See Spotsylvania 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

• Blakenbaker, John. Beyond Germanna. Chadds Ford, Pa.: J. Blankenbaker, 1989-2003. FS Library Book 975.5 D2ge v. 1-15.
  
• Cerny, Johni and Gary J. Zimmerman. Before Germanna. 12 vols. Bountiful, Utah: American Geneal. Lending Library Publishers, 1990. FS Catalog Collection [Discusses families of German immigrants who settled in Spotsylvania and Orange counties, Virginia.]
• Felder, Paula S. Forgotten Companions: The First Settlers of Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburgh Town (with Notes on Early Land Use). Fredericksburg, Virginia: Historic Publications of Fredericksburg, 1982. FS Catalog Collection
• Holtzclaw, B.C. et al. Second Germanna Colony of 1717. Harrisonburg, Va.: Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, 1965. FS Library Book 975.5 D2gd no. 6.
  
• Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia. http://www.germanna.org/

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
Library of Congress includes maps from the 1860s of Spotsylvania County labelled with landowners.

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

Deeds

• Crozier, William Armstrong. Spotsylvania County Records, 1721-1800: Being Transcriptions, from the Original Files at the County Court House, of Wills, Deeds, Administrators' and Guardians' Bonds, Marriage Licenses, and Lists of Revolutionary Pensioners. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1965. FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($); another digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes abstracts of Deed Books A-P (1722-1800).

Grants and Patents

• Gray, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants 1694-1742. Vol. I. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1987. FS Library. Includes Spotsylvania County residents.
• Hudgins. 371 patents dated 1666-1803 in what is now Spotsylvania 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.

Local Histories

• Coleman, Lee Richelieu and Frasia Davis Trice. An Economic and Social Survey of Spotsylvania County. Charlottesville, Va.: University of Virginia, 1934. FS Library.
• Felder, Paula S. Forgotten Companions: The First Settlers of Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburgh Town (with Notes on Early Land Use). Fredericksburg, Va.: Historic Publications of Fredericksburg, 1982. FS Library.
• Fitzgerald, Ruth Coder. A Different Story: A Black History of Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Spotsylvania, Virginia. Fredericksburg, Va.: Unicorn, 1979. FS Library.
• Goolrick, John T. Fredericksburg and the Cavalier Country: America's Most Historic Section, It's Homes: It's People and Romances. Richmond, Va.: Garrett & Massie, 1935. FS Library.
• Goolrick, John T. Old Homes and History Around Fredericksburg: The Northern Neck and the Southside, Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties and Battle Sketches. Richmond, Va.: Garrett & Massie, 1929. FS Library; digital versions at Ancestry ($), FamilySearch Digital Library.
• Warner, Thomas Hoskins. History of Old Rappanhannock County, Virginia, 1656-1692: With Introduction, 1608-1656, Including the Present Counties of Essex and Richmond and Parts of Westmoreland, King George, Stafford, Caroline and Spotsylvania Counties. Tappahannock, Va.: P.P. Warner, 1965. FS Library.

Historic Residences

• Fleming, Emily White. Historical Periods of Fredericksburg, 1608-1861. Richmond, Va.: W.C. Hill Printing Company, 1921. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• Goolrick, John T. Fredericksburg and the Cavalier Country: America's Most Historic Section, It's Homes: It's People and Romances. Richmond, Va.: Garrett & Massie, 1935. FS Library.
• Goolrick, John T. Old Homes and History Around Fredericksburg: The Northern Neck and the Southside, Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties and Battle Sketches. Richmond, Va.: Garrett & Massie, 1929. FS Library; digital versions at Ancestry ($), FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

County and state maps, historical and more current, are valuable research tools. For map collections, online and in libraries, see Virginia Maps.

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

Migration

• Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1977):49-53. FS Library; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Spotsylvania County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on pp. 50-52.
• Ranck, George Washington. "The Travelling Church": An Account of the Baptist Exodus from Virginia to Kentucky in 1781 Under the Leadership of Rev. Lewis Craig and Capt. William Ellis; With Historical Notes. n.p., 1910. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Military Records

Colonial Militia

• Crozier, William Armstrong. Spotsylvania County Records, 1721-1800: Being Transcriptions, from the Original Files at the County Court House, of Wills, Deeds, Administrators' and Guardians' Bonds, Marriage Licenses, and Lists of Revolutionary Pensioners. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1965. FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($); another digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes colonial militia.

French and Indian War

• Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988.FS Library. Online at: Ancestry ($). Identifies some Spotsylvania County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.
• Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. FS Library; digital version at Internet Archive. Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch (French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War) with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Spotsylvania County, see pp. 100-101, 112.
• Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. FS Library; digital book at Ancestry ($). Identifies some Spotsylvania County militia officers, soldiers, and veterans; see place name index.
• Crozier, William Armstrong. Spotsylvania County Records, 1721-1800: Being Transcriptions, from the Original Files at the County Court House, of Wills, Deeds, Administrators' and Guardians' Bonds, Marriage Licenses, and Lists of Revolutionary Pensioners. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1965. FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($); another digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes French and Indian War records.

Revolutionary War

• Krick, Robert K., J. Roger Mansfield, and Merle C. Strickler. Spotsylvania County Patriots, 1774-1786. 1976?. FS Library.
• Revolutionary Service Record of William Warren (b. 1745) of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and Orange County, North Carolina, in Milton Rubincam, Miscellaneous Wills and Genealogical Notes. 1947. FS Library.
• Crozier, William Armstrong. Spotsylvania County Records, 1721-1800: Being Transcriptions, from the Original Files at the County Court House, of Wills, Deeds, Administrators' and Guardians' Bonds, Marriage Licenses, and Lists of Revolutionary Pensioners. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1965. FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($); another digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes Revolutionary records and pensioners.
• 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 ($). 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Eastern District, Spotsylvania County on page 133.
• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FS Library Book 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.

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

- 5th Virginia Regiment

- 6th Virginia Regiment

- 10th Virginia Regiment

Spotsylvania County residents' participation in the Revolutionary War.

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; digital versions at Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Virginia, Spottsylvania County [sic], pp. 104-105. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Regiments. Spotsylvania County men served in the 16th 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)
• There are many accounts of the Civil War battle fought in Spotsylvania County available at the FamilySearch Library. Keyword search for Spotsylvania Civil War.

Regiments. Civil War service men in Spotsylvania 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:

- 9th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Mercer Cavalry).

- 30th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Washington Guards), Company B (Fredericksburg Grays), Company C (Gordon Rifles), and Company D (Mount Pleasant Rifles).

Civil War Battles
The following Civil War battles were fought in Spotsylvania County.

• December 11-15, 1862 - Fredericksburg I, also known as Marye's Heights.
• April 30-May 6, 1863 - Chancellorsville.
• May 3-4, 1863 - Salem Church, also known as Banks' Ford.
• May 5-7, 1864 - Wilderness, also known as Combats at Parker’s Store, Craig’s Meeting House, Todd’s Tavern, Brock Road or the Furnaces.
• May 8-21, 1864 - Spotsylvania Court House, also known as Combats at Laurel Hill and Corbin’s Bridge (May 8); Ni River (May 9); Laurel Hill, Po River, and Bloody Angle (May 10); Salient or Bloody Angle (May 12-13); Piney Branch Church (May 15); Harrison House (May 18); Harris Farm (May 19).
• Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.

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 ($)

Indexes
Fredericksburg Newspapers Index (1736-1928 nonconsecutive) index only; scroll down to Newspapers - Free; includes:

• Christian Banner (1850 and 1862)
  
• Democratic Recorder (1842-1861)
  
• Fredericksburg Ledger (1865-1874)
  
• Fredericksburg New Era (1865-1866)
  
• Fredericksburg News (1847-1884)
  
• The Free Lance (1885-1900)
  
• The Free Lance Star (1926-1928)
  
• Impartial Observer and the Rights of Man (1811)
  
• Political Arena (1827-1841)
  
• Virginia Gazette (1736-1780)
  
• Virginia Herald (1787-1876)
  
• Virginia Star, Fredericksburg Star, and Daily Star (1877-1926)
  
• Weekly Advertiser (1853-1860)
  
• Weekly Recorder (1844-1847)
  

Scanned Newspapers
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.

• 1787-1829 Virginia Herald (Fredericksburg, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).

Other Records

Private Papers

• 1607-2007 Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• Redwine, Lucy Leah and J.E. Hays. Family Bible Records. MSS., Department of Archives and History, Atlanta, Georgia. FS Library.
• [Crafton] Crafton Bible [Records, ca. 1780-1944]. MSS., Genealogical Records / Newport News Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1950. FS Library.
• [Dangerfield] King, George Harrison Sanford. "Bible Record of Colonel William Daingerfield of 'Coventry,' Spotsylvania County, Virginia," The Virginia Gazette, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1975):243-247. FS Library; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
• [Davis] Moore, Robert P. Ancestors and Nelson Co., Ky., Associates of the Kincheloe, Wickliffe, and Davis Families of Prince William County, Virginia. Lexington, Kentucky: R.P. Moore, 1996. FS Library. Includes chapter titled "Transcript from the Davis Bible, Spottsylvania Co., Virginia, 1741-1811, with Revolutionary War Record of Thomas Davis," see pp. 326-327.
• [Durrett] Harter, Mrs. Bert. "Bible of Jonathan Durrett, Spotsylvania County, Virginia," The Virginia Gazette, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1961):28-30. FS Library; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
• [Keaton] Family Bible Record [1746-1928] of Leven G. and Nancy Keaton Pritchard. FS Library.
• [Lewis] Papers of the Lewis Family, Essex Co., 1768-1824. Charlottesville, Va.: University of Virginia, Alderman Library, 1945. FS Library.

Officials

• Crozier, William Armstrong. Spotsylvania County Records, 1721-1800: Being Transcriptions, from the Original Files at the County Court House, of Wills, Deeds, Administrators' and Guardians' Bonds, Marriage Licenses, and Lists of Revolutionary Pensioners. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1965. FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($); another digital version at Ancestry ($). Identifies Spotsylvania's sheriffs.
• Fisher, Therese. Skeletons in the Closet: 200 Years of Murders in Old Virginia; a Genealogical and Historical Resource. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 2001. FS Library. Identifies Spotsylvania's acting justices and sheriffs 1722-1846.

Petitions

• Virginia. General Assembly. Legislative Petitions, 1776-1833. Library of Virginia. FS Library. Includes Spotsylvania County Petitions 1776-1820.

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.
• 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Local Court

• Crozier, William Armstrong. Spotsylvania County Records, 1721-1800: Being Transcriptions, from the Original Files at the County Court House, of Wills, Deeds, Administrators' and Guardians' Bonds, Marriage Licenses, and Lists of Revolutionary Pensioners. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1965. FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($); another digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes abstracts of Will Books A-F (1722-1800), Administration Bonds, and Guardian Bonds.
• Will of Thomas Warren of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, 1749, in Milton Rubincam, Miscellaneous Wills and Genealogical Notes. 1947. FS Library.
• Will and Codicil of John Waller of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, 1753, MSS., Library of Virginia; Copy: FS Library.
• "Wills from Spotsylvania County, Virginia" (Edward Carter, John Gilbert, Edward Herndon) in The Pennsylvania Traveler-Post, Vol. 9 (1972). FS Library.
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

London Courts

• Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Includes wills of residents of Spotsylvania County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.
• 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry — index, incomplete ($)
• 1722-1749 Images of Wills at Virginia Pioneers ($)
• 1722-1749 Indexes to Wills, Indentures, Bonds at Virginia Pioneers ($)
• 1749-1760 Images of Wills at Virginia Pioneers ($)
• 1749-1760 Indexes to Wills, Indentures, Bonds at Virginia Pioneers ($)
• 1761-1772 Images of Wills at Virginia Pioneers ($)
• Online Images of Wills, Inventories, Accounts 1772-1798; 1798-1804; 2804-1810. Virginia Pioneers ($)

Social Security Records

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

Tax Records

For additional online collections and the value and use of Virginia's tax lists in your research, see Virginia Taxation.

Online Tax Indexes and Records
How can Virginia tax lists help me?

• 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 Spotsylvania County.
• 1782-1822 Heinegg, Paul. "Spotsylvania County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1822," Free African Americans.com. Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.
• 1782-1850 Personal property tax lists, 1782-1850. FS films 1905732-1905734 - images.
• 1783 Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783; index online at Revolutionary War Service website - free.
• 1783 James, Edward Wilson. "Slave Owners in 'Spotsylvania' County, 1783," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 4 (1896/1897):104-106, 292-299. FS Library; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at FS Library; digital version at JSTOR ($).
• 1787 Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. FS Library. The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Spotsylvania County is included in Vol. 2.
• 1787 Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1977):49-53. FS Library; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Spotsylvania County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on pp. 50-52.
• 1798 Direct tax of 1798, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. Richmond VA: Feb 1999. Vol. 37 Iss. 1.
• 1798 U.S. 1798 Direct Tax, Berkeley Parish, Spotsylvania County, Virginia, available online, courtesy: Spotsylvania County Genealogy.
• 1798 City of Fredericksburg Personal Property Tax List for 1798.
• 1813 City of Fredericksburg Personal Property Tax List for 1813.
• 1815 City of Fredericksburg Personal Property Tax List for 1815.
• 1815 Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. FS Library. This publication is based on the 1815 land tax. Spotsylvania County is included in Vol. 4.

Vital Records

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

Birth

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

Marriage

• 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index ($) — index $
• 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1722-1750 "Early Spotsylvania Marriage Licenses," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Oct. 1896):197-199. Digital version at JSTOR - free.
• 1722-1750, 1795-1800 Crozier, William Armstrong. Spotsylvania County Records, 1721-1800: Being Transcriptions, from the Original Files at the County Court House, of Wills, Deeds, Administrators' and Guardians' Bonds, Marriage Licenses, and Lists of Revolutionary Pensioners. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1965. FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($); another digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes Marriage Licenses (1722-1750) and the Spotsylvania County Court Marriage Register (1795-1800).
• 1722-1755 Douthat, James L. Early Spotsylvania County, Virginia Records. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2010. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press. Includes early marriage licenses 1722-1755.
• 1726-1744 Stanard, W.G. "Spotsylvania County. Marriage License 1726-1744," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Jan. 1893):139-140. Digital version at JSTOR - free.
• 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 ($)
• 1795-1853 Ricks, Joel. Spotsylvania County, Virginia Marriage Bonds 1795-1853. 1939. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
• 1853-1935 Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, County Marriage Registers, 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
• 1936-1988 Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Death

• 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 Spotsylvania 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

• Culpeper Virginia FamilySearch Center
• Fredericksburg Virginia FamilySearch Center
• Louisa Virginia FamilySearch Center

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

Libraries

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

Societies

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

Websites

• GenWeb
• Spotsylvania County, Virginia
• 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

If you are researching families who lived in Spotsylvania County, Virginia between the 1720s and 1740s, or Fredericksburg families between the 1780s and 1800s, the Sparacios' book indexes are a great time saver. Surname index of Antient Press publications

• "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Spotsylvania County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 22, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1978):290-292. FS Library; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS($).