R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

North Carolina
Research Outline
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Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Familysearch™
     Familysearch™ At Family History Centers
     Familysearch™ Internet Genealogy Service
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
     Archives And Libraries
     National Archives
     University Collections
     Inventories Of County Records
     Computer Networks And Bulletin Boards
Bible Records
Biography
Cemeteries
     Internet Tombstone Transcripts And Index
     Wpa Cemetery Index
     Cemetery Records
Census
     Federal Censuses
     State Census
     Colonial Census Substitutes
Church Records
     Baptist
     Disciples Of Christ
     Episcopal
     Lutheran
     Methodist
     Moravian
     Presbyterian
     Roman Catholic
     Society Of Friends (quakers)
Court Records
     Colonial And State Courts
     County Courts
     Confederate States Court
     Federal Courts
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
     People
     Records
Gazetteers
Genealogy
     Nationwide Indexes
     Statewide Bibliography
     Manuscript Collections
     Published Collections
History
Land And Property
     Government Land Grants
     Land Grant History In North Carolina
     Land Grant Indexes
     Land Grant Records From The Provincial Or Proprietary Era (1663–1729)
     Land Grant Records From The Revolutionary War And State Era (1777–1959)
     Subsequent Exchanges Of Land
Maps
Military Records
     Colonial Wars
     Revolutionary War (1775–1783)
     War Of 1812 (1812–1815)
     Indian Wars (1711–1858)
     Mexican War (1846–1848)
     Civil War
     Spanish-american War (1898–1899)
     World War I (1917–1918)
     World War I And Later Wars
Minorities
     African Americans
     Other Minorities
Native Races
     Cherokee Families That Stayed In North Carolina
     Cherokee Families That Moved To Oklahoma
Naturalization And Citizenship
     Pre-1906 Naturalization Records
     Naturalization Records After 1906
Newspapers
     Inventory On The Internet
     Published Inventories
     Birth, Marriage, And Death Notices In Newspapers
     Availability
Obituaries
Occupations
     Apprenticeship Bonds, Ca. 1840–1925
Periodicals
Probate Records
     Index To Wills
     Wills
     Estate Papers
Public Records
     Colonial Records
     Boards Of County Commissioners
Schools
Societies
Taxation
Vital Records
     Birth And Death Records
     Bastardy Bonds
     Marriage Records, Early To 1868
     Marriage Records After 1868
     County Marriage Records At The Family History Library
     Divorce Records
Voting Registers
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

This outline describes major sources of information about families from North Carolina. As you read this outline, also study the United States Research Outline (30972), which will help you understand the terminology, contents, and uses of genealogical records.


RECORDS OF THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY

The Family History LibraryLook this term up in the glossary. has copies of most of the records listed in this outline. The major holdings include censuses, land records, county histories, vital records, church records, probate records, and military records. The library has county records from most North Carolina counties and continues to acquire other genealogical records.

Most sources described in this outline list the Family History Library’s book, microfilmLook this term up in the glossary., microficheLook this term up in the glossary., compact discLook this term up in the glossary., and computer numbersLook this term up in the glossary.. These are preceded by FHL, the abbreviation for Family History Library. You can use these numbers to locate materials in the library and to order microfilm and microfiche at Family History CentersLook this term up in the glossary..

You can use the computer number if you have access to the Family History Library CatalogLook this term up in the glossary. on computer. The Computer Number Search is the fastest way to find a source in the catalog.

The InternetLook this term up in the glossary. is growing in importance to genealogists. Sources found on the Internet are cited in this outline with their Universal Resource Locator (URL) address.


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FAMILYSEARCH™


FamilySearch™ at Family History Centers

FamilySearch™Look this term up in the glossary. is a collection of computer files containing millions of names. FamilySearch is a good place to begin your family history research. Some of the records come from compiled sources, and some have been extracted from original sources. The Family History Library and many Family History Centers have computers with FamilySearch. A few FamilySearch files, for example, the U.S. Social Security Death IndexLook this term up in the glossary. and the U.S. Military IndexLook this term up in the glossary., are found on the Family History Library and Family History Center version of FamilySearch, but not on the FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service.


FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service

The web site www.familysearch.org allows you to research your genealogy, order Family History Library publications, learn research strategies, and look for information about your ancestors in the following resources:

Ancestral FileLook this term up in the glossary., a file of over 35 million names organized into families and pedigrees.
International Genealogical IndexLook this term up in the glossary., an index of over 360 million names extracted out of vital records primarily from the British Isles, North America, and northern Europe.
Family History Library CatalogLook this term up in the glossary., a description and classification of over 2 million microfilm reels, and hundreds of thousands of genealogical books. You can search the catalog by family name, locality, author, book or film number.
SourceGuide, a resource that contains a collection of over 150 research outlines for states, nations, or genealogy topics, an extensive glossary of word meanings, and a catalog helper.
Family History CentersLook this term up in the glossary., a list of locations where you can order the microfilms described in the Family History Library Catalog and SourceGuide.
Web Sites, a categorized list of thousands of links to Internet sites related to family history.
Collaboration Lists, user-created mailing lists of researchers interested in similar genealogical topics.


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FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY CATALOG

The records of the Family History Library are listed in the Family History Library Catalog available at the library, at each Family History Center, and on the Internet at www.familysearch.org. To find a record in the Family History Library Catalog, look in the Locality Search for:

  • The place where your ancestor lived, such as:
UNITED STATES- CENSUS RECORDSNORTH CAROLINA- BIOGRAPHYNORTH CAROLINA, ROWAN- COURT RECORDSNORTH CAROLINA, ROWAN, SALISBURY- CEMETERIES
  • The record type you want to search, such as:
UNITED STATES- CENSUSNORTH CAROLINA- BIOGRAPHYCAROLINA, ROWAN- COURT RECORDSNORTH CAROLINA, ROWAN, SALISBURY- CEMETERIES
The following section headings in this outline match the names of record types used in the Family History Library Catalog.


Record Selection Table

RECORD SELECTION TABLE: NORTH CAROLINA

This table can help you decide which records to search. It is most helpful for post-1850 research.1. In column 1, select a research goal.2. In column 2, find the types of records most likely to have the information you need.3. In column 3, find additional record types that may be useful.4. Look in the section of this outline that corresponds to the record type you chose. It explains what the records might tell you, how to search them, and how to find the records in the Family History Library Catalog using the Locality Search. Some records are not at the library.5. If you do not find the desired information, see the Records Selection Table in the United States Research Outline (30972) for more suggestions. Note: Records of previous research (Genealogy, Biography, History, Periodicals, and Societies) are useful for most goals, but are not listed unless they are especially helpful.
1. If you need 2. Look first in 3. Then search
Adoptions Court Records, Vital Records Probate Records, Census, Obituaries
Age Census, Cemeteries, Obituaries Vital Records, Military Records, Bible Records
Birth date Vital Records, Obituaries, Cemeteries Church Records, Bible Records, Military Records (pension)
Birthplace Vital Records, Church Records, Obituaries Census, Military Records, Naturalization and Citizenship
Boundaries and origins (places) Maps, Gazetteers History
Children Census, Probate Records, Obituaries Vital Records, Church Records
City or parish of foreign birth Vital Records, Obituaries, Biography History, Naturalization and Citizenship, Church Records
Country of foreign birth Census, Naturalization and Citizenship, Vital records Biography, Minorities, Obituaries
Death information Vital Records, Cemeteries, Obituaries Probate Records, Church Records, Bible Records
Divorce Vital Records, Court Records Newspapers, Census
Ethnic background Native Races, Minorities, Emigration and Immigration Census, Obituaries, Naturalization and Citizenship
Historical background History, Periodicals Gazetteers, Maps
Immigration date Emigration and Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship, Census Obituaries, Biography, History
Living relatives Obituaries, Probate Records Directories, Court Records
Maiden name Vital Records, Obituaries, Probate Records Church Records, Military Records (pension)
Marriage information Vital Records, Obituaries, Bible Records Church Records, Probate Records, Military Records
Migration information Emigration and Immigration, Maps, Census Biography, History, Land and Property
Naturalization Naturalization and Citizenship, Census, Court Records Voting Registers, Biography, Periodicals
Occupations Census, Directories, Land and Property Obituaries, Biography, History
Other family members Census, Obituaries, Probate Records Vital Records, Church Records, Genealogy
Parents Vital Records, Obituaries, Census, Church Records Biography, Genealogy, Minorities, Occupations
Physical description Military Records, Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906) Biography, History
Place-finding aids Maps, Gazetteers, History Periodicals, Archives and Libraries
Places of residence Census, Military Records, Obituaries, Minorities, Occupations, Public Records Land and Property, Taxation, Emigration and Immigration
Place of residence when you know only the state Census, Vital Records, Military Records Obituaries, History, Land and Property
Previous research Genealogy, Biography, Periodicals Societies, History, Archives and Libraries
Record-finding aids Archives and Libraries, Periodicals Societies, Genealogy
Religion Church Records, Vital Records, Obituaries Biography, History, Cemeteries
Social activities Societies, Obituaries, Biography Newspapers, History, Cemeteries

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Version of Data: 6/9/2001]