Bedford County, Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
Bedford County is located in the West-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named in honor of John Russell, The Fourth Duke of Bedford, who was then Secretary of State for Great Britain during the reign of King George II.

Bedford County Virginia Courthouse
Bedford County, Courthouse 129 East Main Street Bedford, Virginia 24523 Phone: 540-586-7601

Clerk Circuit Court has birth records 1853-1897 and 1912-1918, death records 1953-1918, marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1754

Bedford County Virginia History


The county was named after the 4th Duke of Bedford, John Russell (1710-1771).

Parent County
1752--Bedford County was created 27 February 1752 from Albemarle and Lunenburg Counties. County seat: Bedford

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Virginia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Virginia County Boundary Maps" (1617-1995) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

Populated Places

 * The Peaks of Otter Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Bedford Villages: Lost and Found. Bedford, Va.: The Chapter, 1997.

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Bedford County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 4, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1960):171-175. Digital version at American Ancestors($).

African American
In 1860, Bedford County had one of the largest slave populations in the state (10,176 slaves). Ten years later in 1870, it had one of the largest African American populations in Virginia (10,770).


 * African American Odyssey showcases African American collections from the Library of Congress.
 * Bedford County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1805, 1806-1816. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans.
 * Bedford County Register of Free Negroes, 1803-1820. By Dorothy A Boyd-Rush. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 45, No. 2 (May 2007):110-122.
 * Bedford County Register of Free Negroes, 1803-1820. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans.
 * Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. c2005. By Paul Heinegg. Online at: Free African Americans;.
 * Free Negroes in Southern Bedford County for the Year 1851. Online at: VAGenWeb.
 * Freedmen's Bureau

Cemeteries
For a detailed list, including addresses, phone numbers, and external links, see Bedford County, Virginia Cemeteries.
 * 1800-1986 -

1790
Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1800
Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1850

 * 1850 Bedford County, VA Census. By Marvin Neighbors. Signal Mountain, TN : Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press.

1890 Union Veterans

 * Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. c1994. By Ronald Ray Turner. Online at: Prince William County Virginia, ;.

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Beaver Dam (1801). Charter members (1804) have been published in Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 24, No. 4 (Fall 2000)..
 * 2) Difficult Creek (1805).
 * 3) Goose Creek (1771). Also known as Turner's Meeting House, Bedford Baptist Church, and Morgan's Baptist Church. A detailed history was published in 1971. 24 founding members, history, and pastors (1771-1969) appear in Green Stone (pages 163-165). Edwards published a membership list dated 1771 in Materials Towards a History of the Baptists...
 * 4) Little Otter, Bedford, Va. (1797). Later known as Liberty Baptist Church and later as Bedford Baptist Church. A history was published in 1996:.
 * 5) Mount Hermon [North Fork of Otter] (1804)
 * 6) Otter 
 * 7) Staunton River (by 1787). Also known as Moody Meeting House. A brief history and list of pastors (1790-1958) was published in Green Stone (pages 240-242).
 * 8) Suck Spring (1805)
 * 9) Timber Ridge (1805)

Bedford County fell within the bounds of the Strawberry Association.

Church of England
See also Cumberland Parish See also Russell Parish

Four religious petitions (1774, 1778, 1779, 1782) concerning Church of England issues from residents of Bedford County, Virginia are available online at: Library of Virginia Digital Collections.

Meade's 1861 history of parishes in Bedford County is available online.

Presbyterian

 * One religious petition (1774) from Presbyterian residents of Bedford County, Virginia is available online at: Early Virginia Religious Petitions, courtesy: The Library of Congress: American Memory.
 * McGinnis, Andrew M. "Between Enthusiasm and Stoicism: David Rice and Moderate Revivalism in Virginia and Kentucky," Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Vol. 106, No. 2 (Spring 2008):165-190.

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):


 * Goose Creek Monthly Meeting (1757-1813) aka Lower Goose Creek
 * Goose Creek Monthly Meeting, Montvale, Va. (1788-1812) aka Upper Goose Creek. The original records have been microfilmed: . In 1905, Bell published the early records, which are now available online for free at Google Books. Wright also published early records (1756-1800): . Hinshaw also published the early records:.
 * Ivy Creek Monthly Meeting (1795-1815)


 * Brown, Jane Douglas Summers and Jones Memorial Library. Jane Douglas Summers Brown (1903-) Quaker Records: Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Virginia); MS 1515. MSS, Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, Va. Available on 26 microfilms at . [Includes records of Henrico County Quakers; Brown assisted "William Wade Hinshaw in the writing of the Virginia volume of the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy." N.B. Not all individuals referenced in this research belonged to the Quaker faith.]

Unidentified

 * One religious petition (1779) from Bedford County, Virginia residents who refused to give oaths, but declared they were not Quakers, is available online in Early Virginia Religious Petitions, courtesy: The Library of Congress: American Memory.

Court

 * Bedford County, Virginia Chancery Records 1755-1912 are online at: The Library of Virginia Digital Collections. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.
 * Governor's Fees &amp; Etc., Bedford County Fee Book. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 41, No. 3 (Aug. 2003):225-226..
 * Individuals Listed in the 1754-1761 Bedford County Fee Book. By Barbara Vines Little. Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 47, No. 1 (Feb. 2009):74-84; Vol. 47, No. 2 (May 2009):102-106..

Genealogy
More than 400 genealogies have been published about Bedford County families. To view a list, visit Bedford County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies.

Immigration
During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 1 British alien living in Bedford County.

Land and Property
An early settlers map is available for Bedford County. Hildebrand plots the locations of pioneers from 1750-1865. The Family History Library has a copy:.

Deeds


 * Bedford County, Virginia; Deed Book A-1: 1754-1762. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, TN : Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press ($).
 * Bedford County, Virginia; Deed Book B-2: 1761-1766. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, TN : Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press ($).
 * Bedford County, Virginia; Deed Book C-3: 1766-1771. By Ann Chilton. Signal Mountain, TN : Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press ($).

Grants and Patents


 * Hudgins. 969 patents dated 1741-1882 in what is now Bedford County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2010. [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

 * Historical Sketch of Bedford County, Virginia, 1753-1907. 1907. Online at: Internet Archive, Google Books, Ancestry ($).

Maps

 * Historical Map of Bedford County, Virginia, 1750-1865. 1973. Roanoke Historical Society. Map. Virginia : J.R. Hildebrand. Online at: Library of Virginia.

Migration

 * Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 1966. By Katherine B. Elliott. South Hill, Virginia : K.B. Elliott. 2 vols. Vol. 1 of original edition available at ; 1983 reprints (both volumes) available at ; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) available at . Includes individuals who migrated out of Bedford County to other parts of the country.
 * Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790. By Robert Y. Clay. The Virginia Genealogist Vol. 21, No. 2. April - June.1977:113-118. CD available at: American Ancestors ($),.

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at . [Identifies some Bedford 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. Available at ; digital version at Google Books. [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 Bedford County, see pp. 58-67, 107.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at and ; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Bedford County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.]

Dunmore's War

 * Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Culpeper and Fincastle Payrolls and Public Service Claims, 1775: Also Known as Dunmore's War: Enlarged and Photocopied. Fort Wayne, Indiana: Allen County Public Library, 2004. Available at.

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


 * - 1st Virginia Regiment
 * - 5th Virginia Regiment
 * - 14th Virginia Regiment
 * - Bedford County Militia. The Bedford County Minute Men were commanded by Captain Moses Greer.

Additional resources:

The 5th Virginia Regiment recruited soldiers from Bedford County, Virginia. A history and drawings of the uniforms this regiment would have used is available at Field Music of the American Revolution.

A militia list survives identifying folks from Bedford County who served:


 * "Militia List - Capt. Adam Clements [96 Campaign, about May 1, 1781 - about July 31, 1781, Entered service from Bedford county, VA and enrolled in the militia regiment of Major Alexander Rose and Major John Ward,"] transcribed by James L. Lynch III. Available for free online, courtesy: Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution.

Additional resources include:


 * Chilton, Ann. Revolutionary War Pensions of Bedford County, Virginia. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1988. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. 975.5675 M2ca
 * Westerlund, John Stephen. "Bedford County, Virginia, 1774-1783: A Study of Participation in the War for Independence." Utah State University, Department of History and Geography, 1977.
 * 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. Digital versions at U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Bedford County on pages 128-129.]
 * 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." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]
 * Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War. By J.T. McAllister. 1913. Hot Springs, Va.: McAllister Pub. Co. Online at: Internet Archive

War of 1812
Bedford County men served in the 10th and 91st Regiments.


 * Douthat, James L. Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2007. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. 975.5 M2djL. [Includes Bedford County.]
 * 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. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Bedford County, p. 63-64.]

Civil War

 * - 2nd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company A (Clay Dragoons), Company F (Bedford Southside Dragoons), Company G (Radford Rangers)
 * - 14th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company B (Bedford Rifle Grays).
 * - 28th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C (Old Dominion Rifles), Comapny G (Bedford Grays), and Company H (Patty Layne Rifles).
 * - 34th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Piedmont Battery B), Company G (Bedford Heavy Artillery), Company H (Powhatan Artillery), and Company I (Captain Sales Heavy Artillery).
 * - 42nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C (Buford Grays).
 * - 58th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies A (Walker Guards), B (Stewartsville Tigers), C (Big Island Greys), I (Staunton Yeomanry), and K (Kasey's Greys).

Records and histories are available, including:


 * 1861-1865 - Chilton, Ann. Remnants of War 1861-1865: Civil War Records for Bedford County, Virginia. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.
 * 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers 1861-1865
 * 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers 1861-1865
 * 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)

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch  index and images

Naturalization
Virginia

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.


 * Lacy, Carole Field. "Marriages and Deaths Found in Early Bedford Newspapers [Bedford Democrat]," Bedford Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Feb. 2008):3; Vol. 22, No. 2 (May 2008):19; Vol. 23, No. 1 (Feb. 2009); Vol. 23, No. 2 (May 2009):19; Vol. 23, No. 3 (Aug. 2009):35; Vol. 23, No. 4 (Nov. 2009):51.

Occupations

 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at . [Includes a section on Liberty (now Bedford) silversmiths and watchmakers.]
 * The Mills of Bedford County. Bedford, Va.: Bedford City/County Museum, 2006.

Petitions

 * "1785 Petition for an Inspection Station for Tobacco Hemp &amp; Flour at Lynches Ferry," Bedford Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Feb. 2008):10-11.
 * Eckenrode, H.J. Virginia State Library: A Calendar of Legislative Petitions Arranged by Counties Accomac - Bedford. Richmond, Va.: Davis Bottom, Superintendent of Public Printing, 1908. Digital version at Google Books (full-view). [Bedford County petitions (1777-1858) are described on pp. 210-234.]
 * Seven religious petitions (1774, 1774, 1778, 1779, 1779, 1782, 1785) from residents of Bedford County, Virginia are available online in Early Virginia Religious Petitions, courtesy: The Library of Congress: American Memory.
 * Watts, Dorothy C. "Petitions of Residents of Bedford and Henry Counties, Virginia, in Favor of and Opposed to a New County (Franklin)," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1980):83-89; Vol. 24, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1980):192-199. Available at New American Ancestors ($).

Private Papers

 * [Burton] Major, Nettie Leitch. "Burton Family Letters, Bedford County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun.1976):83-89. ; digital version at American Ancestors.

Probate Records

 * Chilton, Ann. Bedford County, Virginia Will Book 1 and 2. Will Book 1: 1759-1787 and Will Book 2: 1787-1803. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.
 * Chilton, Ann. Bedford County, Virginia Will Book 3: 1794 to 1810. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.
 * 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. Fiche 6015628-6015629; digital versions at Access Genealogy; Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($). Free online surname index and 2004 reprint purchase details at Mountain Press website.
 * Dennis, Earle S. and Jane E. Smith. Marriage Bonds of Bedford County, Virginia, 1755 - 1800, Bedford County, Virginia: Index of Wills, 1754 - 1830. Baltimore, Maryland : Genealogical Pub. Co., 1989. Reprinted with: Bedford County, Virginia: Index of Wills, from 1754 to 1830 / edited by Rowland D. Buford. Available at ; digital version at World Vital Records ($).
 * King, George Harrison Sanford. "Copies of Extant Wills from Counties Whose Records Have Been Destroyed: Will of Major John Dinwiddie of King George County, Virginia," [and Dinwiddie Family Notes] The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1959):51-64. Available at.
 * Rowland, D. Buford. Bedford County, Virginia Index of Wills from 1754 to 1830. New York: William M. Clemens, 1917. Digital book at Google Books (Full-view).
 * Whitten, Joida. Abstracts of Bedford County, Virginia, Wills, Inventories and Accounts, 1754-1787. Dallas, Texas, 1969. Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1970):36. Review available at ; digital version at American Ancestors. ($).
 * 1763-1787; 1788-1805 Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories, Bonds Virginia Pioneers ($)

Online Probate Records


 * 1639 – 1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry.com index to transcribed records, $

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?

Bibliography
 * 1757 - Insolvents, 1757, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 46, No. 4 (Oct. 2002), pp. 306-307..
 * 1762 - Insolvents, 1762, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Aug. 1985), p. 72. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1763 - Tithes, 1763, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Aug. 1985), p. 73. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1764 - "Bedford County Tithables, 1764," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 46, No. 2 (May 2008):89-90..
 * 1782-1805 - Bedford County Personal Property Tax Lists 1782-1805 (images); digital version in Tax List Club at Binns Genealogy ($).
 * 1782 - Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. Online at FamilySearch; . (1782 personal property tax list of Bedford County.)
 * 1782 - Tax List, 1782, Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Feb. 1981); Vol. 5, No. 2 (May 1981).
 * 1782-1816 - Heinegg, Paul. "Bedford County Personal Property Tax List 1782-1805, 1806-1816," Free African Americans.com, available online. (Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.)
 * 1782; 1784; 1816 - Tax Digests at Virginia Pioneers ($)
 * 1783 - Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783; index online at Revolutionary War Service website - free.
 * 1784-1820 - Land and Lots Returned as Delinquent, 1784-1820, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Nov. 2006)..
 * 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 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; 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. Online at FamilySearch - free; . (The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Bedford County is included in Vol. 1.)
 * 1787-1790 - Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):114-115. ; digital version at American Ancestors. ($). (These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Bedford County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on pp. 114-115.)
 * 1789, 1800 Indexed images of the 1789 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Bedford County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * 1789 - Bedford County Personal Tax List Column Headings are available at Binns Genealogy
 * 1795 - "Bedford County Insolvents, 1795," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 46, No. 3 (Aug. 2008):203-204..
 * 1797-1798 - Insolvent Lists for 1797 and 1798, Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Aug. 1986), pp. 43-44; digital version at Roanoke Public Library - free.
 * 1800 - "Bedford County, Virginia 1800 Tax List," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1963):65-70; Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1963):118-124; Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1963):167-172. ; digital version at American Ancestors. ($).
 * 1800 - Tax List, 1800, Bedford Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 4, No. 4 (Nov. 1993); Vol. 5, No. 1 (Feb. 1994); Vol. 5, No. 2 (May 1994); Vol. 5, No. 3 (Aug. 1994); Vol. 5, No. 4 (Nov. 1994).
 * 1815 - Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. . (The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Bedford County is included in Vol. 2.)
 * 1817-1819 - Insolvent Lists, 1817-19, Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 13, No. 2 (May 1989).
 * Pre-1820 - "A List of Lands and Lots Returned as Delinquent in Bedford County," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Nov. 2006):295-30. . [Non-payment of taxes before 1820.]
 * 1864 - Tariff of Tolls to be Charged on Blue Ridge Turnpike and Ferry, 1864, Museum News [Bedford, Va.] (Spring 2004).
 * 1915 - Thomas Jefferson Tax List, Poplar Forest, 1915, Southsider (Charlotte Court House, Va.), Vol. 12, No. 2 (1993).

Birth

 * 1853-1856 - Chilton, Ann. Bedford County, Virginia Birth Records: 1853-1856. Vol. I. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.
 * 1853-1897 - Bedford County Birth Index 1853-1897. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1912-1913 - at FamilySearch  index and images

Marriage
Marriages - Marriage Bonds 1781-1790 https://virginiapioneers.net Virginia Pioneers ($)"
 * 1660-1800 - Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1660-1959 - Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast index $
 * 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1755-1800 - Marriage bonds of Bedford County, Virginia, 1755-1800 (Ancestry) ($).
 * Miller, Jos. L. "Some Early Marriages in Bedford County, Va.," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Apr. 1903):280-282. Available at JSTOR ($). [Taken from Mrs. R.B. Claytor's abstracts published in the Louisville Courier Journal.]
 * 1755-1800 - Dennis, Earle S. and Jane E. Smith. Marriage Bonds of Bedford County, Virginia, 1755-1800 . Bedford, Va.: E.S. Dennis and J.E. Smith, 1932. Digital book available at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).
 * 1781-1790 - Bedford County Marriage Bonds at Virginia Pioneers ($)"
 * 1785-1853 - Bedford County Marriage Index 1785-1853. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1854-1909 - Bedford County Marriage Index 1854-1909. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1936-1988 - at FamilySearch  index and images
 * Bedford County Marriage Bonds (VAGenWeb)

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 - at FamilySearch  index and images

Death

 * 1853-1860, 1868-1880 - Neighbors, Marvin. Bedford County, Virginia Death Records 1853-1860 and 1868-1880. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.
 * 1853-1897 - Bedford County Death Index 1853-1897. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1912-1987 - at FamilySearch  index and images

Bedford County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library, Bedford, Virginia
 * Bedford County Genealogical Society, Bedford, Virginia
 * Bedford Historical Society, Inc
 * P O Box 602, Bedford, Virginia 24523
 * Central Virginia Genealogical Association

Bedford County Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Bedford County, Virginia USGENWEB
 * Bedford County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * Cyndi's List
 * Cyndi's List