Chowan County, North Carolina Genealogy
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Guide to Chowan County, North Carolina ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Chowan County is located in the Eastern portion of North Carolina and was originally called Shaftesbury Precinct of Albemarle County. It was renamed Chowan Precinct around 1681 for the Chowan River, itself named for the Chowanoac Indians who inhabited the region[1].
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Chowan County Courthouse
101 S Broad St
Edenton, NC 27932
Phone: 252-482-3062
Chowan County Website
Register of Deeds has marriage and land records
Clerk Superior Court has probate and court records[2]
Chowan County, North Carolina Record Dates[edit | edit source]
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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1913 | 1747 | 1913 | 1714 | 1678 | 1694 | 1784 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
1848-- It is said that many court records have been destroyed by acting clerk of court.
|
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating North Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation North Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1664-1965) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[5]
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Chowan was formed in 1670 as a precinct in Albemarle County. It was named in honor of the Indian tribe Chowan, which lived in the northeastern part of the Colony. It is in the northeastern section of the State and is bounded by Albemarle Sound, Chowan River, and Bertie, Hertford, Gates and Perquimans counties. The present land area is 172.64 square miles and the 2000 population was 14,150. In 1720, Edenton, which was named in honor of Governor Charles Eden, was established. In 1722 it was designated and has continued to be the county seat.[6]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Bible Records at Chowan County, NCGenWeb
- Bible Records at North Carolina Digital Archives - index and images
- Chowan and Perquimans County Bible records at WorldCat
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Business Directories & Year Books
- 1872 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- 1903 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- 1904 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- 1905 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- 1910 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- 1911 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- 1912 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- 1913 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- 1914 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- 1915 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- 1916 Chowan Co., NC Business Directory
- Index to Chowan Co., NC Year Books
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- Chowan Co., NC Cemetery Survey
- North Carolina, Historical Records Survey, Cemetery Inscription Card Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images Also at: Ancestry ($)
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 4,988 | — |
| 1800 | 5,132 | 2.9% |
| 1810 | 5,297 | 3.2% |
| 1820 | 6,464 | 22.0% |
| 1830 | 6,697 | 3.6% |
| 1840 | 6,690 | −0.1% |
| 1850 | 6,721 | 0.5% |
| 1860 | 6,842 | 1.8% |
| 1870 | 6,450 | −5.7% |
| 1880 | 7,900 | 22.5% |
| 1890 | 9,167 | 16.0% |
| 1900 | 10,258 | 11.9% |
| 1910 | 11,303 | 10.2% |
| 1920 | 10,649 | −5.8% |
| 1930 | 11,282 | 5.9% |
| 1940 | 11,572 | 2.6% |
| 1950 | 12,540 | 8.4% |
| 1960 | 11,729 | −6.5% |
| 1970 | 10,764 | −8.2% |
| 1980 | 12,558 | 16.7% |
| 1990 | 13,506 | 7.5% |
| 2000 | 14,526 | 7.6% |
| 2010 | 14,793 | 1.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1787 Census for Chowan Co., NC
- 1790 Census for Chowan Co., NC
- Free Men Heads of Household for 1790, 1800, & 1820
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1700-1970 - North Carolina, Church Records, 1700-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Baptist
Church of England
- Chowan Parish, aka St. Paul's Church, Edenton, N.C. Established 1701. Current church built 1737-1774.[8] Hathaway's history (1900) is online.[9][10]
- East Parish[11]
- Northeast Parish[11]
- South Parish Established 1722.[11]
- Southwest Parish Established by 1721.[11]
Online records:
Vestry minutes have been published twice:
Cain, Robert J., ed. The Church of England in North Carolina: Documents, 1699-1741 Raleigh, N.C.: Division of Archives and History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 1999, Vestry Minutes, St. Paul's Parish, 1701-1741, pp. 431-494. FHL Book 975.6 K2cr.
- Fouts, Raymond Parker. The Vestry Minutes of St. Paul's Parish, Chowan County, North Carolina, 1701-1776. Second Edition Cocoa, Fla., 1998. 1983 edition: FHL Book 975.6147 K2f.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Status of Courthouse Records in North Carolina
- 1714-1719, The earliest Chowan Precinct court records are contained in Deed Book B-1, Court Records, January Court 1714/15 through July Court 1719. These records are abstracted in Margaret M. Hofmann's Chowan Precinct, North Carolina, 1696 to 1723, Genealogical Abstracts of Deed Books (Roanoke News Co.: Weldon, NC, 1972).
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African American
- 1862-1870 North Carolina, Freedmen's Bureau Assistant Commissioner Records, 1862-1870 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1863-1872 North Carolina, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1863-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
- Harriett Jacobs, fugitive slave
American Indians
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Miller Funeral Home & Crematory in Edenton
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
- de Clugny Coddington, John Insley. "The Marquis de Clugny at Edenton, North Carolina, 1795-1798," The American Genealogist, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Jul. 1966):144-148. FHL 973 D25aga v. 42; online at New England Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
- Jones Jones, L.H. Captain Roger Jones of London and Virginia, Some of His Antecedents and Descendants: With Appreciative Notice of Other Families, viz.: Bathurst, Belford, Browning, Carter, Catesby, Cocke, Graham, Fauntleroy, Hickman, Hoskins, Latanes, Lewis, Meriwether, Skelton, Walker, Waring, Woodford, and Others: Notes. Albany, N.Y.: J. Munsell's Sons, 1891. FHL Fiche 6060672; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library; Google Books; Internet Archive.
- Mansfield - Dail, Louise Jordan and Doris Jordan McGue. Mansfields of Chowan and Perquimans Counties, North Carolina: and Allied Lines of Caruthers, Floyd and Williams 2004. FHL Book 929.273 M317dL.
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
- Early Names, Boundaries & Religion
- The Signers of the Resolution of the Edenton Tea Party
- History of North Carolina's Parishes
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
Click a neighboring county
for more resources
for more resources
- NC State Map with clickable counties
- Chowan Co., NC Township Map
- Formation of NC in Maps
- 1730 Herman Moll Map
- Edward Mosley Map
- 1744 Map of Lord Carteret's Land Grant
- 1775 Henry Mouzon, Jr. Map
- 1808 Price-Strothers Map
- Civil War Maps
- 1895 NC State Map
- 1936 Chowan Co., NC Map
- Animated Atlas
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War
- 1778-1833 Delamar Transcripts of Revolutionary War Petitions at North Carolina Genealogical Society - index ($)
- 1779-1782 - North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers 1779-1782 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
War of 1812
Civil War
- 1861-1865 - North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1861-1865 - North Carolina, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
- 1885-1953 - North Carolina, Confederate Soldiers and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1953 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1885 and 1901 1885 and 1901 Confederate Pension Applications at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
Regiments. Men in Chowan 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 in Chowan County:
- - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, usually known as the Bethel Regiment.
- - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
- - 11th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
- - 11th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company F
- - 1st Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company A
- - 3rd Battalion, North Carolina Light Artillery, Company B
- - Third Battalion NC Light Artillery; Company B from Chowan Co., NC
Civil War Battles
The following Civil War battle was fought in Chowan County:
- May 5, 1864 Albemarle Sound[12]
- Map showing Civil War battles in North Carolina.
World War I
- 1907-1933 - Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards 1907-1933
- 1914-1918 World War I Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
- 1917-1919 - North Carolina, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
World War II
- 1939-1945 World Ward II Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
- 1940-1948 - North Carolina, Discharge and Statement of Service Records, 1940-1948 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- WWII Honor List of Dead or Missing from Chowan Co., NC
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC
- Chronicling America (Chowan Co., NC)
- North Carolina Newspaper Digitization Project, North Carolina State Archives.Search full text historical newspapers published in Edenton.
- UNC Southern Historical Collection
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
County Records
- 1833-1970 - North Carolina, County Records, 1833-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images. (incomplete)
Voter Registration
- 1868-1898 - North Carolina, Voter Registration Records, 1868-1898 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1875-1910 - North Carolina, County Records, 1833-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; random records; index and images. (incomplete); Also at: Ancestry ($)
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1660-1790 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
- 1663-1979 - North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
- 1665-1998 - North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
- 1694-1928 - Will Books 1 to 4 and A to G (1694-1928) at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
- 1720-1960 Will Books A to F and 1 to 8 (1720-1960) at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
- 1735-1970 - North Carolina Probate Records 1735-1970 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
- 1760-1800 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $
- Pre-1790 - Pre-1790 Chowan County, North Carolina Genealogy Wills stored at the North Carolina State Archives are online. *1846-1968 - North Carolina, County Records, 1833-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images. (incomplete)
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
- 1717-1770 - Barrett, David and Janet Searles Barrett. Chowan County North Carolina Tythables and Taxables 1717-1770: A Compilation of 121 Tax Lists and Records (Elizabeth City, North Carolina: Family Research Society of Northeastern North Carolina, 2010); FHL Book 975.6147 R4b 1717-1770.
- 1717 - Chowan County, North Carolina 1717 Tax List (transcript) online at Singleton Descendants of Colonial North Carolina
- 1717 - Tax Lists, Chowan County, 1717 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry ($)
- 1721 - Tax Lists, Chowan County, 1721 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry ($)
- 1753 - Tax Lists, Chowan County, 1753 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry ($)
- 1772-1779 - Barrett, David and Janet Searles Barrett. Chowan County North Carolina Tythables and Taxables 1772-1779 (Elizabeth City, North Carolina: Family Research Society of Northeastern North Carolina, 2010); FHL Book 975.6147 R4b 1772-1779.
- 1782-1826 - Barrett, David and Janet Searles Barrett. Chowan County North Carolina Tythables and Taxables 1782-1826 (Elizabeth City, North Carolina: Family Research Society of Northeastern North Carolina, 2010); FHL Book 975.6147 R4b 1772-1779.
- 1785 - Tax Lists, Chowan County, 1785 (index) in NC Taxpayers vol. 2, online at Ancestry ($)
- 1785 - Tax Lists, Chowan County, 1785 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
- 1788 - Chowan County Taxables 1788 (transcript) online at FamilySearch
- 1800 - Chowan County Taxables 1800 (transcript) online at FamilySearch
- 1815 - Tax Lists, Chowan County, 1815 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
- 1800-2000 - North Carolina, Department of Archives and History, Index to Vital Records, 1800-2000 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1800-2000 - North Carolina Birth Index 1800-2000 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1866-1964 - North Carolina Births and Christenings 1866-1964 at FamilySearch.org How to Use this Collection; index
- 1913-1922 - North Carolina, Center for Health Statistics, Vital Records Unit, County Birth Records, 1913-1922 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1741-1800 - "Marriage Bonds," The North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Apr. 1900):235-255. Digital version at Internet Archive
- 1741-2004 - North Carolina, United States Marriages at Findmypast
- 1741-2004 - North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
- 1742-1868 - Chowan County Marriage Bonds 1742-1868, available to membersNorth Carolina Pioneers $
- 1759-1979 - North Carolina Marriages 1759-1979 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1762-1979 - North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1763-1868 - North Carolina, Civil Marriages, 1763-1868 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1801-1825 - "Abstract of Marriage Bonds of Chowan County," The North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Jul. 1900):392-414. Digital version at Internet Archive
- 1826-1838 - "Abstract of Marriage Bonds of Chowan County," The North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Oct. 1900):558-567. Digital version at Internet Archive
- 1851-1958 - Chowan County Marriage Index 1851-1958 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.[13]
- Pre-1799 - North Carolina Marriages to 1799, a database, available to members. North Carolina Pioneers $
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1898-1994 - North Carolina Deaths 1898-1994 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1906-1930 - North Carolina Deaths 1906-1930 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection;index and images Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1908-2004 - North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
- 1909-1975 - North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
- 1931-1994 - North Carolina Deaths 1931-1994 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1926-1975 - North Carolina, County Divorce Records, 1926-1975 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1958-2004 - North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Chowan County. For state-wide archival repositories, see North Carolina Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History 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 family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Chowan County. For state-wide library facilities, see North Carolina Archives and Libraries.
- Chowan Eastern NC Digital Library
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Chowan County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see North Carolina Societies.
- Family Research History Society of Eastern NC
P.O. Box 1425
Elizabeth City, NC 27906-1425
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Treasures of North Carolina at the NC Archives
- North Carolina Pioneers North Carolina Pioneers$
- 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[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ https://www.ncpedia.org/geography/Chowan
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Chowan County, North Carolina. Page 506-514 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 505-509.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), North Carolina.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Chowan County, North Carolina," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chowan_County,_North_Carolina, accessed 11 February 2020.
- ↑ NCpedia)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 George Washington Paschal, History of North Carolina Baptists, 2 vols. (1930; reprint, Gallatin, Tenn.: Church History Research and Archives, 1990), 1:475, 485. FHL Book 975.6 K2p 1990.
- ↑ Lawrence Foushee London and Sarah McCulloh Lemmon, The Episcopal Church in North Carolina, 1701-1959 (Raleigh, N.C.: The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, 1987), 21. FHL Book 975.6 K2e; "St. Paul's Episcopal Church," North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program, http://www.ncmarkers.com/, accessed 22 October 2012.
- ↑ J.R.B. Hathaway, "The First Church Built in North Carolina and Its Location, Etc.," The North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Apr. 1900):256-266. Digitized by Internet Archive.
- ↑ J.R.B. Hathaway, "St. Paul's Church, Edenton, N.C.," The North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Oct. 1900):600-609. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Robert J. Cain, ed., The Church of England in North Carolina: Documents, 1699-1741 (Raleigh, N.C.: Division of Archives and History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 1999), xxxiii. FHL Book 975.6 K2cr.
- ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 8 August, 2012)
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/4/4d/Iginorthcarolinaa.pdf.
