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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
VITAL RECORDS
Birth records usually give the name and sex of the child; the names, birthplaces, and ages of the parents (with the mother’s maiden name); the occupation of the father; and the number of children born to the mother. Birth records of adopted children may give the birth parents but have frequently been amended to show only the adoptive parents. A year-by-year search of birth records may reveal other children born to a couple.
Death records usually give information about the deceased, such as name, age, birth date, state or country of birth (sometimes the city or town), names of the parents (frequently including the maiden name of the mother), and the informant (who may be a close relative). The date and place of death are given. Sometimes burial information, the cause of death, and the names of the physician and mortician are provided. The length of residence in the state or county may also be given.
Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1913 and was generally complied with by 1920. In some cities record keeping began earlier. For example, Raleigh began recording births in 1890 and deaths in 1885. Counties where the births and deaths occurred kept a duplicate copy of the information they sent to the state office. Most of the county indexes to births and deaths through the 1960s have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library™.
For up-to-date information about vital records, see:
Orsay, Elizabeth T. “North Carolina Vital Records Information.” In United States Vital Records Information [database on-line]. N.p., 1999? [cited 4 August 1999]. Available at www.vitalrec.com/nc.html; INTERNET. This page has links to the state vital records office’s Internet site. It also shows their current address, telephone, fax, fees, and years for which records are available. It includes addresses of county vital records offices, and many county genealogical societies and links to related information such as local record searching volunteers.
To obtain a copy of the original records of births and deaths from 1913 to the present, you can write to the Register of Deeds in the county.
Copies of birth records from 1913 to the present and death records from 1930 to the present are also available at the state office:
Pre-1913 Birth Records Kept by Cities. The city of Raleigh kept birth records beginning with 1890 and the city of Wilmington from 1904. Raleigh death records begin in 1885 and Wilmington’s begin in 1903.
Delayed Birth Certificates Death indexes give the name of the person, the name of the father (or mother), and the place and date of death. Death records for 1913–1955 and indexes for 1913–1967 are available from:
North Carolina. Department of Public Health. Vital Records Section. Death Certificates, 1906–1994; Still Births, 1914–1953; Fetal Deaths, 1960–1974; Index, 1906–1967. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1993–95. (On 1022 FHL films beginning with 1909181; computer number 701990.) The certificates are arranged by file number or volume number.
For the time period 1968–1994 there is an alphabetical death index on 56 microfiche:
North Carolina. Department of Public Health. Vital Records Section. Index to Death Certificates, 1968–1994. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1996. (FHL fiche 6118477; computer number 798550.)
A book with birth information about children born out of wedlock is:
Camin, Betty J. North Carolina Bastardy Bonds. Mt. Airy, N.C.: B.J. and E.A. Camin, 1990. Seneca, S.C.: The Kopy Shop Printers. (FHL book 975.6 P2c; computer number 184962.) Records for 30 counties are included in this book. These bonds are from the time the county was created until about 1880. The original records are at the North Carolina State Archives. The bondsman listed may be the father of the child, the mother or her father, or another party. About 22,000 names are listed.
From 1669 to 1742 marriages were performed by clergy or civil authorities and were recorded in county records. Few of these records have survived, except for those of Pasquotank and Perquimans counties.
From 1741 to 1868 either a publication of banns or the posting of a bond was required before a marriage could take place. These practices are described below:
Banns Bonds. Couples could also obtain a license to marry if the groom posted a bond of 50 pounds in the county where the bride resided. Marriages performed by bonds were recorded in county records. Some of these pre-1868 bonds have survived for about half the counties. Marriage by bonds was discontinued in 1868.
About 170,000 marriage bonds for 1741–1868 have been abstracted and indexed in:
North Carolina. Division of Archives and History. An Index to Marriage Bonds Filed in the North Carolina State Archives
Birth and Death Records
Dept. of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources
Birth indexes provide the person’s name, name of father (or in some cases, the mother’s name), and the place and date of birth.
Vital Records Section
225 North McDowell Street
P. O. Box 29537
Raleigh, NC 27626-0537
Telephone: 919-733-3526
. Due to Social Security requirements and other federal acts, many people needed proof of birth. If no birth record was available, they could go to the county where they were born and file a delayed registration of birth. These may be found in county offices of the Register of Deeds. These records may list births from the 1870s to the 1960s. They usually give the exact date of birth, town or city of birth, and often the full names of both parents, as well as the volume and page. The library has microfilm copies of some of these important documents.
North Carolina State Archives
Death indexes for 1906–1967 and death certificates for 1906–1994, are on microfilm at the Family History Library:
109 East Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2807
Telephone: 919-733-3952
Fax: 919-733-1354
Bastardy Bonds
Marriage Records, Early to 1868
. The publication of banns was a religious procedure. For three consecutive Sundays, the couple posted in church their written intention to marry. If no objection was voiced, permission to marry was granted by the church. Before 1851 marriages performed by banns were not recorded in public records, so they must be located in church or Bible records. Beginning in 1851 ministers were required to file marriage returns with a clerk in the county.
For a small fee, the North Carolina State Archives will search the index for you and send you a copy. Instructions are found in:
North Carolina. Department of Cultural Resources. Archives and Records Section. Archives Information Circular 15 September 1977. (FHL book 975.6 B4a; film 1421815 item 19; fiche 6330329; computer number 260626.) Only the microfiche is circulated to Family History Centers.
Marriage records from 1868 to 1962 are kept by the register of deeds in each county. Statewide registration of marriages began in 1962. You can write to the Division of Health Services (see address above) to obtain copies of records since January 1962. For records from 1868 to the 1950s and sometimes later, write to the North Carolina State Archives listed in the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline.
The Family History Library has microfilm copies of county marriage records for most counties through the 1950s. From Guilford County, for example, the library has 6 films of marriage abstracts (1770–1868) and 65 films of marriage licenses (1873–1961). Numerous published sources are also available, such as:
Clemens, William M. North and South Carolina Marriage Records: From the Earliest Colonial Days to the Civil War. 1927. Reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1981. (FHL book 975 V28c 1981; computer number 346171.)
Marriage Records, Early–1850. Vol.1, Southern States. Orem, Utah: Automated Archives, 1992. (FHL compact disc no. 9, pt. 229; computer number 683380). This does not circulate to Family History Centers. This resource indexes Family History Library microfilms of selected marriage records from Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Almost all North Carolina counties are represented. This index shows each spouse’s name, Soundex code, and marriage date. The state and county and marriage years covered are in the upper left of the screen. The names in this index also appear in the FamilyFinder™ Index and Viewer cited fully in the “Census” section of this outline.
Marriage Records. Part 4, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Orem, Utah: Automated Archives, 1994. (FHL compact disc no. 9 pt. 4; computer number 683379). This does not circulate to Family History Centers. This resource, once titled Hunting for Bears, indexes original marriage records to about 1868 from 102 North Carolina counties. Family History Library microfilm copies were not used to compile this index. This index lists each spouse’s name and marriage date. The state and county of the marriage are displayed on the upper left of the screen. The names in this index also appear in the FamilyFinder Index and Viewer cited fully in the “Census” section of this outline.
North Carolina birth, marriage, and death records can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search under:
Divorce records may provide information about the date and place of marriage, names and ages of children, the cause of the divorce, and terms of settlement. After the American Revolution and through 1827, divorces could be granted by the general assembly, and these records are among the legislative papers at the state archives. The superior court for each county also had jurisdiction over divorce cases beginning in 1814. The Family History Library has very few of these documents. You can write to the superior court clerk at the county courthouse for copies or information. The North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources has divorce records from 1 January 1958 to the present.
Divorce records can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search under:
Poll books, which list voters on a yearly basis, have been preserved for some North Carolina counties. Usually, they are not indexed. The Family History Library has a few of these county records. See also taxation records, which usually list the persons who were assessed a poll tax.
Election records from 1878 to the 1930s for some counties are at the North Carolina State Archives and the Family History Library. These often mention the candidates for county offices such as constable and give the number of votes cast for each candidate. The names of persons who cast their votes are not given. For names in voting records for 1867, see:
Wynne, Frances Holloway. North Carolina Extant Voter Registrations of 1867. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1992. (FHL book 975.6 N4w; computer number 672418.) Records of 17 counties are given: Carteret, Chowan, Clay, Cleveland, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Davidson, Duplin, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gaston, Granville, Guilford, Hyde, Onslow (one precinct only), and Wake (one precinct only). The original records are at the North Carolina State Archives. The names of the voters are listed alphabetically with the number of the county and the precinct. Race is also indicated. These were males age 21 or older who had lived in the precinct one year or more. The lists also give the full names of African American residents who were recorded as voters. About 30,000 names are included.
In 1902, 1904, 1906, and 1908 voting registration began in many counties under an amendment to the North Carolina constitution that came to be known as the “Grandfather Clause.” Anyone registering to vote was required to prove he was literate, or that he, his father, or grandfather had voted in an election on or before 1 January 1867. Many of these county records are on microfilm at the North Carolina State Archives or the Family History Library. Some of these records have been published. The records indicate the name of the person, their age, and their county and township of residence. In cases where the father or grandfather was listed, the state where he voted is mentioned.
Voting registers can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search under:
Information about research and records in North Carolina is available in:
Draughon, Wallace R. North Carolina Genealogical Reference: A Research Guide for All Genealogists, both Amateur and Professional. 2nd ed. Durham, N.C.: Smith Publishing, 1966. (FHL book 975.6 D2dr 1966; computer number 61958.) The book includes chapters about genealogical collections, maps, county research (with published sources for each county), records at the state archives, Quakers (with a map showing the location of monthly meetings), and missing records (giving dates).
Eichholz, Alice, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992. (FHL book 973 D27rb 1992; computer number 594021.) This book contains bibliographies and background information on history and ethnic groups. It also contains maps and tables showing when each county was created. Pages 541–560 contain a chapter about North Carolina research.
Hofmann, Margaret M. An Intermediate Short, Short Course in the Use of Some North Carolina Records in Genealogical Research. Rocky Mount, N.C,: Copy-It Print, 1990. (FHL book 975.6 D27hm; computer number 705021.) This book has chapters about maps, record interpretation, military records, land records, petitions, non-public record sources, and oral histories.
Hofmann, Margaret M. The Short, Short Course in the Use of North Carolina’s Early County-Level Records in Genealogical Research. Ahoskie, N.C.: Atlantic Printing, 1988. (FHL book 975.6 D27h; computer number 514716.) This book contains discussions on how to use bonds, censuses, court records, land records, probate records, and marriage records.
Leary, Helen F. M., and Maurice R. Stirewalt, eds. North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History. 2nd ed. Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina Genealogical Society, 1996. (FHL book Ref 975.6 D27n 1996; computer number 777829.) This is a how-to book. Chapter2 contains instructions on how to use strategies in studying various types of sources.
Schweitzer, George K. North Carolina Genealogical Research. Knoxville, Tenn.: G. K. Schweitzer, 1984. (FHL book 975.6 D27s; computer number 419326.) This important reference book lists specific books and microfilms and the types and dates of records available on state, county, and some city levels. It also lists libraries and county histories. Chapter3 contains descriptions of records at the state archives, state library, and the libraries at Duke University and the University of North Carolina.
Two free brochures about genealogical research are available from the North Carolina State Archives. Their address is found in the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline. Send a legal-sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope with your requests for these two pamphlets:
The Family History Library welcomes additions and corrections that will improve future editions of this outline. Please send your suggestions to:
Paper publication: Third edition October 1999. English approval: 10/99
©1998, 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Marriage Records after 1868
County Marriage Records at the Family History Library
NORTH CAROLINA- VITAL RECORDSNORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY]- VITAL RECORDSNORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- VITAL RECORDS
Divorce Records
NORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY] - DIVORCE RECORDSNORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY] - COURT RECORDS
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VOTING REGISTERS
NORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY]- VOTING REGISTERS
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FOR FURTHER READING
Genealogical Research in the North Carolina State Archives
Tar Heel Tracks: Genealogical Research in North Carolina
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COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Publications Coordination
We appreciate the archivists, librarians, and others who have reviewed this outline and shared helpful information.
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