Bedford County, Virginia Genealogy

United States &gt; Virginia &gt; Bedford County



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

Populated Places

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

African American
Bedford County's register of free negroes has been published twice:


 * Boyd-Rush, Dorothy A. "Bedford County Register of Free Negroes, 1803-1820," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 45, No. 2 (May 2007):110-122.
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Bedford County Register of Free Negroes, 1803-1820," Free African Americans.com, available online.

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

Census
1890 Union Veterans


 * Turner, Ronald Ray. Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. Available online, courtesy: Prince William County Virginia website. [Includes residents of this county.]

Church
Baptist


 * "Nathaniel Shrewsbury: Bedford County Pastor," Bedford Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Feb. 2009):12-13. Taken from Harold B. Oyer's History Morgans Baptist Church 1771-1971.

Church of England


 * Four religious petitions (1774, 1778, 1779, 1782) concerning Church of England issues from residents of Bedford County, Virginia are available online in Early Virginia Religious Petitions, courtesy: The Library of Congress: American Memory.

Presbyterian


 * One religious petition (1774) from Presbyterian residents of Bedford County, Virginia is available online in 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


 * Bell, James Pinkney Pleasant. Our Quaker Friends of Ye Olden Time: Being in Part a Transcript of the Minute Books of Cedar Creek Meeting, Hanover County, and the South River Meeting, Campbell County, Va. Lynchburg, Va.: J.P. Bell Company, 1905. Available at FHL; digital version at Google Books (full-view).
 * 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 FHL. [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

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

Family Histories
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. In addition to finding a direct ancestor’s surname listed, and watching to see if more recent publications make additions and corrections to earlier works, this list is also useful for determining if genealogists have published accounts, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, for any members of an ancestor’s “FAN Club” [Family, Associates, and Neighbors]. Checking publications about those individuals can lead you to new information about your own ancestry. Be mindful that compiled genealogies may contain errors.

The Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library in Bedford, Virginia has collected many histories of local families. The Easter Collection, for example, contains a wealth of knowledge about Bedford County, Virginia residents.

Bibliography


 * [Abshire] Pullen, William E. Virginians and Hoosiers: Abshires, Houstons and Wrights [of] Bedford and Franklin Counties, Virginia; and Union [and] Hamilton Counties, Indiana. n.p.: n.p., 1977. Available at FHL.
 * [Arthur] Arthur Family Genealogy of Bedford, Greenbrier &amp; Cabell Counties, Va., W. Va. and Jackson Co., Ohio. n.p.: n.p., n.d. Available at FHL.
 * [Bewley] Bible Records of Christopher Bewley, 1756-1839: Bewleyville, Breckinridge Co., Kentucky, Bedford Co., VA to Hardin Co., KY 1817 to Breck. Co., KY, Revolutionary War Soldier from Virginia. MSS., available at FHL.
 * [Board] McCarty, Leah. The Boards: From Bedford County, Virginia to Breckinridge and Meade Counties of Kentucky. L. McCarty, 1996.
 * [Board] Obert, Isabelle Board. The Board Family Chronicle: From Maryland to Bedford County, Virginia. Baltimore, Maryland: Margaret I.B. Obert, 1997. Available at FHL.
 * [Bondurant] Bondurant, Birdie. Bible Records [1824-1959] of John Parnell &amp; Mollie E. (Jopling) Bondurant, Bedford Co., Va. &amp; Richmond &amp; Clarke Cos., Ga.: And Other Family Records, ca. 1730-1959. MSS., in possession of Miss Birdie Bondurant, Athens, Georgia, 1960. Available at FHL.
 * [Bramlitt]See Woodson.
 * [Bright] Blankenship, Gayle King. Some Families of Bedford &amp; Washington Counties, Virginia and Orange County, North Carolina: Bright, Buford, Cash, Crawford, Crews, Davis, Downs, Early, Foster, Franklin, Gray, Huddleston, Lawhorn, McGeorge, McNew, Parker, Perrott, Pendergrass, Poindexter, Powell, Quarles, St. Clair, Scoggins, Shrewsbury, Smith, Tyler, Warren, Watts, Wiggenton. Poquoson, Virginia: G.K. Blankenship, 2000. Available at FHL; digital book available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Brown] Eakley, Barbara Brown. The Browns of Bedford County, Virginia, 1748-1840: A Collection of Brown Surname Records Extracted from Primary and Secondary Sources. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1998. Available at FHL; purchase at Heritage Books.
 * [Buford] See Bright.
 * [Burroughs] Walker, Clarence Earl. Booker T. Washington Family Relationships 1843-1910: The Wrights and Burroughs, Ex-slaves of Bedford and Franklin Counties, Virginia. C.E. Walker, 1997.
 * [Carson] Carson Families of Bedford County, Virginia and Kentucky.
 * [Carter] Carter, Oliver Shelton. The Carter Family: Descendents of Berry Lafayette Carter, Bedford County, Virginia. Rockcastle Pub., 1987.
 * [Citty] Dorman, John Frederick. "Revolutionary Pension Application of Jacob Citty," Bedford Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 2 (May 2008):22-23.
 * [Corley] Corley, Dewitt Clinton. A Genealogy of Corleys: Beginning with Caniel Corley of Bedford County, Virginia, Tracing All Lineal Descendants of His Son, Jonathan Cheatham Corley. Decatur, Illinois: n.p., 1927. Available at FHL; digital book available at Ancestry ($).
 * [Cowgill] Cowgill and Wright Family of Bedford Co., Virginia and Ohio.
 * [Crews]See Bright.
 * [Crumpacker] Whitesell, Lois Church. Crumpacker, Oglesby and Fowler Families: With Related Families, Primarily of Putnam and Sullivan Counties, Missouri and Bedford and Campbell Counties, Virginia. Edmond, Oklahoma: L.C. Whitesell, 1986. Available at FHL.
 * [Davis] Davis, Thomas Edward. The Davis Family of Bedford County, Virginia, from 1698 to 1898. n.p.: T.E. Davis, 1898.
 * [Dierdorff] The Descendants of Anthony Dierdorff (Deardorff) Sr., of Germany and Germantown, Philadelphia Co., Pa. Later Generations Removed to York County, Pa., Bedford, Virginia and Ohio.
 * [Doss] Murphy, Nathan W. Descendants of Azariah Doss and His Wife Lydia (Ayres) Doss: Information Regarding Over 1000 Descendantsof Azariah Doss (1754-1820) and His Wife Lydia (Ayres) Doss (1758-1831). Hanson, Kentucky: David W. Murphy &amp; Associates, 1998. Available at FHL; purchase at David W. Murphy Books.
 * [Douglas] Harris, Ruth Eleanor Poole. Ruth Eleanor Douglas Journal: With Genealogies of Douglas, Noell, Callaway, Clemens, Moorman and Other Related Bedford County, Virginia Families, also Genealogies of Douglas Families of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri. Nashville, Tennessee: Douglas Family Publishers, 1979. Available at FHL.
 * [Downing] Williams, Frank L. The Downing Family from Montgomery and Bedford Counties, Virginia, to Lincoln County, Missouri, by Way of Lincoln County, Kentucky. MSS., available at the Urbana Free Library, Illinois, and at FHL.
 * [Field] Lacy, Carole Field. James Field Papers, 1781-1874, Bedford County, Virginia. Carole Field Lacy Publications, 2008.
 * [Foster] See Bright.
 * [Fowler] See Crumpacker.
 * [Franklin] See Bright.
 * [Frost] Roberts, Snyder E. Descendants of Joseph Frost, Sr.: From Amherst, Bedford, &amp; Washington Counties, Va. to Anderson County, Tn. and Elsewhere. n.p.: S.E. Roberts, 1989. Available at FHL.
 * [Gray] See Bright.
 * [Hackworth] Hackworth, William M. William Hackworth of Bedford County, Virginia: Revolutionary Soldier. W.M. Hackworth, 1995.
 * [Hancock] Childs, J. Rives. "The Hancock Family of Lower Norfolk, Henrico, and Bedford Counties," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Oct. 1924):413-416. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Hancock] "Tracing Our Roots through Military Pension Records: Revolutionary Pension Application of Edward Hancock," Bedford Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Aug. 2008):42.
 * [Higginbotham] Shrader, B.R. Descendants of Roderick Higginbotham of Taylor's Mountain, Bedford County, Virginia. 2008.
 * [Houston] See Abshire.
 * [Hubbard] Hubbard, Louisa Dexter and Sarah D. Clapp Hubbard. Life in Virginia in 1868: The Diary of Louisa Dexter Hubbard, Wife of Henry Hubbard Jr., in the First Year of the Family's Residence in Bedford County, Virginia. 1974.
 * [Hubbard] Hubbard, William David. John Hubbard Descendants from Body Camp Creek, Bedford County, Virginia. Swift Print, 1991.
 * [Huddleston]See Bright.
 * [Hunter] Hunter, Walter Marvin. The Hunters of Bedford County, Virginia: Notes and Documents on the Family of James Hunter, Regulator Leader of North Carolina, Including Forebearers in Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Louisiana and Texas. Cottonport, Louisiana: Polyanthos, 1973. Available at FHL.
 * [Jackson] Williams, Lyle Keith et al. Joseph Jackson, 1705-1774 of Bedford and Goochland Counties, Virginia and Descendants. Fort Worth, Texas: L.K. Williams, 1991. Available at FHL.
 * [Johnson] Johnson, Marion C. Johnston/Johnson Deeds of Franklin County, Virginia, February 1st, 1786-September 12, 1831: And Deeds for the Earlier Patrick Johnson of Bedford County, Virginia, 1765/1776/1778. M. &amp; V. Johnson, 1998.
 * [Johnston]See Johnson.
 * [Lawhorn] See Bright.
 * [Leftwich] Hopkins, Walter Lee. Leftwich-Turner Families of Virginia and their Connections. Richmond, Virginia: J.W. Fergusson &amp; Sons, 1931. Available at FHL; digital book available at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).
 * [Leftwich] Weaver, Oliver C. Captain John Leftwich of Bedford County, Virginia, and Oglethorpe County, Georgia (Died Feb. 26, 1797): And Allied Hammett and Reynolds Families of Wilkes, Oglethorpe, and Greene Counties, Georgia with Connecting Links to Barge and Reynolds Families of Butler and Wilcox Counties, Alabama. Birmingham, Alabama: Oliver C. Weaver Jr., 1996. Book available at FHL; digital book available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [McGeorge] See Bright.
 * [McGhee] Biggerstaff, Virginia Rice. Rice and McGhee Families of Bedford County, Virginia: A Record of Tales Remembered and Trails Explored. V.R. Biggerstaff, 1982.
 * [Meador] Newton, Jane Meador and Wathena Kennedy Miller. Descendants of Ambrose Meador, Bedford County, Virginia, to Breckinridge County, Kentucky, 1733-1988. McDowell, 1988.
 * [Meriwether] Glover, Ann Rucker. Meriwethers of Bedford County, Virginia: Ancestors and Descendants of "Sholto." A.R. Glover, 1994.
 * [Moore] Moore, Charles R. The Moore Family of Central Virginia: Covering the Counties of Albemarle, Amherst, Bedford, Buckingham, Campbell, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange, Virginia. Charlottesville, Virginia: C.R. Moore, 1985. Available at FHL.
 * [Moorman] See Douglas.
 * [Moseley] Stevenson, Estelle Moseley. George Cabell Moseley of Ingleside, Bedford County, Virginia and His Mother Elizabeth Winston Moseley: A Compilation of Family History and Genealogy. Typescript, copy in possession of Sara Gregory Slaydon, Deland, Florida, 1960. Available at FHL.
 * [Moseley] Moseley, George Carrington. Genealogy of Moseley Family of Bedford County, VA. Digital book available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Myers] Snider, Donald A. The Myers Family of Botetourt, Montgomery and Bedford Counties, Virginia. D.A. Snider, 2003.
 * [Neal] Miller, Chester I. Neals of Bedford Co., Va, and Family of Walter Neal Sr., of Lawrence and Gallia Counties, Ohio. London, Ohio: C.I. Miller, 1992. Available at FHL.
 * [New] Manahan, John E. "New Light on Old Charles City County," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 64, No. 4 (Oct., 1956):458-473. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Noell] See Douglas.
 * [Oglesby] See Crumpacker.
 * [Overstreet] Overstreet, Bob. Overstreets in Virginia, 300 Years of Bedford County: A Workbook Compilation of Outline Descendants Trees. Everett, Washington: B. Overstreet, 1999. Available at FHL; digital book available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Overstreet] Overstreet, Bob. Overstreets from Virginia: Thomas Overstreet (1720-1792) &amp; Agnes: 6 Generations -- Bedford County, Virginia and Westward. Everett, Washington: B. Overstreet, 2001. Available at FHL.
 * [Overstreet] Overstreet, Bob. Overstreets from Virginia: James Overstreet (1740-?) &amp; Frances Eubank (1740-1780); 7 Generations - Bedford County, Virginia and Westward. Everett, Washington: B. Overstreet, 2002. Available at FHL.
 * [Pagan] Shover, Elizabeth Nadine Pagans. The Pagan Family of Franklin and Bedford Counties, Virginia and Allied Families 1745-1996. E.N.P. Shover, 1996.
 * [Page] Page, Richard Channing Moore. Genealogy of the Page Family in Virginia. Also a Condensed Account of the Nelson, Walker, Pendleton and Randolph Families, With References to the Bland, Burwell, Byrd, Carter, Cary, Duke, Gilmer, Harrison, Rives, Thornton, Wellford, Washington, and Other Distinguished Families in Virginia. New York: Press of the Publishers' Printing Co., 1893. Available at FHL; digital version at Google Books (full-view).
 * [Parker] See Bright.
 * [Parker] Cox, Helen Goggin. "Who was Robert William Parker?" Bedford Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 2 (May 2008):26-27.
 * [Payne] Wilson, Jerald A. A Compilation of the Joseph and Phoebe Payne Family of Bedford County, Virginia. J. Wilson, 1990.
 * [Payne] Wilson, Jerald. Addendum to Joseph and Phoebe Payne of Bedford County, Virginia.
 * [Pullen] Pullen, William E. Tide-water to Blue Ridge: Pullen-Walker Families of Bedford County, Virginia. Hollywood, Florida: W.E. Pullen, 1977. Available at FHL.
 * [Quarles] See Bright.
 * [Rice] See McGhee.
 * [St. Clair] See Bright.
 * [Saunders] Saunders: The Saunders Family of Bedford County, Virginia. n.p.: n.p., n.d. Available at FHL.
 * [Sharp] Montgomery, Anne Deubery. Sharps of Augusta County, Virginia, Bedford County, Virginia and Three Soldiers of the Revolution Came to Kentucky. San Francisco, California: Ann Deubery Montgomery, 1971. Available at FHL.
 * [Shrewsbury] See Bright.
 * [Shrewsbury] "Nathaniel Shrewsbury: Bedford County Pastor," Bedford Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Feb. 2009):12-13. Taken from Harold B. Oyer's History Morgans Baptist Church 1771-1971.
 * [Taylor] Weber, Anne Taylor. William Taylor of Bedford County, Virginia: Also Burton, Powell. Huntington, West Virginia: A.T. Weber, ?1990. Available at FHL.
 * [Thurman] Crouch, Kenneth E. The Thurman Family: Ancestry of John S. and Bevie Saunders Thurman and Allied Families of Bedford County, Virginia. 1956.
 * [Turner] See Doss and Leftwich.
 * [Vaughn] Anderton, Donna L. Vaughn. "The Vaughn Family of the Peaks of Otter," Museum News: Bedford Museum &amp; Genealogical Library, No. 3 (Fall 2009):3-5.
 * [Vincent] Murphy, Nathan W. Early Families of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Vincent, Wright, McElwain, Wilkins and Jarvis; Historical Information and Sources for more than 2,000 Descendants of Charles Vincent, William Wright, George McElwain, John Wilkins, and John Jarvis, Whose Numerous Progenitors Make Up a Large Portionof the Present Population of Muhlenberg County. Hanson, Kentucky: David W. Murphy &amp; Associates, 1999. Available at FHL; purchase at David W. Murphy Books.
 * [Wade] Arnott, Mary Edith Wade. Wade Family of Virginia - Bedford County: Records, Letters, Notes, Etc. MSS., available at FHL.
 * [Walker] See Pullen.
 * [Watts] See Bright.
 * [Wiggenton] See Bright.
 * [Wilkerson] Jordan, Janie Moseley Garraghty. The Descendants of Joseph Wilkerson (12 May 1729-15 March 1829) and Allied Families of Bedford County, Virginia. Lynchburg, Virginia: Warwick House, 1995. Available at FHL.
 * [Wilkes] Wilkes, Harry. Letters, Day Books and Records of the Wilkes Family of Bedford County, Virginia, about 1790-1871. MSS., available at FHL.
 * [Wood] Snider, Donald A. The Wood Family of Goose Creek, Bedford County, Virginia. D.A. Snider, 2000.
 * [Woodson] Descendants of Dr. John Woodson from England to Virginia in 1619: Jane Woodson Married Ambrose Bramlitt, of Bedford County, Va. in 1768.
 * [Wright] See also Abshire, Burroughs, Cowgill, and Vincent.
 * [Wright] Wright, Jay B. Joseph and Elizabeth Wright of Bedford County, Virginia, and Columbiana County, Ohio. DeWitt, New York, 1974. Available at FHL; digital book available at Ancestry ($).
 * [Wright] Wright, Pauline Williams. The Wright Book: Worthy Heritage, Enduring Challenge; Being the History of Someof the Descendants of John Wright, 1745-1814, Bedford County, Virginia. Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, 1974. Available at FHL.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Untangling Some of the Wrights of Bedford County, Virginia. n.p.: n.p., 1977. Available at FHL.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Marriage Records, Bedford County, Virginia: Revised as of February 3, 1998. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1998. Available at FHL.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Birth Records in Bedford County, Virginia: Revised as of February 3, 1998. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1998. Available at FHL.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Land Records (Surveys, Patent Deeds, Land Grants and Grant Deeds), Bedford County, Virginia: Revised as of September 9, 1998. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1999. Available at FHL; purchase at Heritage Books.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Death, Cemetery and Probate Records, Bedford County, Virginia: Revised as of February 4, 1999. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1999. Available at FHL.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Census Records, Bedford County, Virginia, 1810 to 1900: Revised as of August 31, 1999. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2000. Available at FHL; purchase at Heritage Books.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Records, Personal Property Tax Lists, Bedford County, Virginia 1782 to 1850: Revised as of October 17, 1999. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2000. Available at FHL; purchase at Heritage Books.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Records, Land Tax Lists, Bedford County, Virginia, 1782 to 1850: Revised as of December 2, 1999. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2000. Available at FHL; purchase at Heritage Books.
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Sorting Some of the Wrights of Southern Virginia: Part 1: 1763 Thomas Wright of Bedford County, His Wife Mary (_____) Wright, and their Descendants. 6 vols. Menlo Park, California: R.N. Grant, 2003. Available at FHL.

Immigration

 * [http://www.immigrantservants.com/search/advancedResults.php?surname=&givenName=&varientSurnameSpellings=&gender=&dateOfBirthDay=&dateOfBirthMonth=&dateOfBirthQuantifier=&dateOfBirthYear=&placeOfBirthParish=&placeOfBirthTown=&placeOfBirthCity=&placeOfBirthCounty=&placeOfBirthColony=&placeOfBirthNation=&occupations=&religions=&orphan=&familyPosition=&immigrationYearQualifier=&immigrationYear=&portOfDepartureTown=&portOfDepartureCity=&portOfDepartureCounty=&portOfDepartureNation=&placeOfArrivalTown=&placeOfArrivalCounty=&placeOfArrivalColony=&shipName=&convict=&yearOfIndentureQualifier=&yearOfIndenture=&lengthOfIndentureYears=&lengthOfIndentureMonths=&yearOfFreedomQualifier=&yearOfFreedom=&placeOfIndentureTown=&placeOfIndentureCity=&placeOfIndentureCounty=Bedford&placeOfIndentureColony=Virginia&agentSurname=&agentGivenName=&agentTitle=&masterSurname=&masterGivenName=&masterTitle=&residenceParish=&residenceTown=&residenceCity=&residenceCounty=&residenceColony=&residenceNation=&landowner=&literate=&spouseSurname=&spouseGivenName=&spouseMarriageDateDay=&spouseMarriageDateMonth=&spouseMarriageDateQualifier=&spouseMarriageDateYear=&spouseMarriageLocationParish=&spouseMarriageLocationCounty=&spouseMarriageLocationColony=&spouseMarriageLocationNation=&deathDateDay=&deathDateMonth=&deathDateQualifier=&deathDateYear=&deathLocality=&deathCounty=&deathColony=&deathState=&testate=&proofServantStatus=&proofConvictStatus=&headright=&preServitudeSources=&postServitudeSources=&comments=&family=&sourceCitations=&interestedResearchers= List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe] who served labor terms in Colonial Bedford County, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.

Land
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. Digital versions at Ancestry ($) and Google Books (full-view).

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):113-118. Available at FHL; digital version at New England 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.]
 * Elliott, Katherine B. Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 2 vols. South Hill, Virginia: K.B. Elliott, 1966. Vol. 1 of original edition available at FHL; 1983 reprints (both volumes) available at FHL; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) also available at FHL. [Includes individuals who migrated out of Bedford County to other parts of the country.]

Military
French and Indian War


 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FHL. [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 FHL; 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 FHL; 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 FHL.

Revolutionary War


 * Chilton, Ann. Revolutionary War Pensions, Bedford Co., VA. Signal Mountain, Tennessee : Mountain Press, 1988. Available at FHL.
 * 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.

War of 1812


 * Douthat, James L. Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. Signal Mountain, Tennessee: Mountain Press, 2007. Available at FHL. [Includes Bedford County.]

Newspapers

 * Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette(1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburgwebsite. 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

 * 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 England 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. Available at [[*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 New England Ancestors ($).

Probate

 * 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. Available at FHL; digital versions at Access Genealogy and Ancestry ($).
 * Rowland, D. Buford. Bedford County, Virginia Index of Wills from 1754 to 1830. New York: William M. Clemens, 1917. Digital book at Google Books (Full-view).
 * Whitten, Joida. Abstracts of Bedford County, Virginia, Wills, Inventories and Accounts, 1754-1787. Dallas, Texas, 1969. Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1970):36. Review available at New England Ancestors ($).

Research Guides

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

Taxation
At first glance, researchers might conclude that Virginia tax lists contain very little family history data, though one soon learns that valuable genealogical conclusions can be drawn from these records, nicknamed "annual censuses," such as: relationships, approximate years of birth, socio-economic status, identification of neighbors, the ability to distinguish between persons of the same name, evidence of land inheritance, years of migration, and years of death.

Virginia began enumerating residents' payments of personal property and land taxes in 1782. These two types of taxation were recorded in separate registers. Personal property tax lists include more names than land tax lists, because they caught more of the population. The Family History Library has an excellent microfilm collection of personal property tax lists from 1782 (or the year the county was organized) well into the late nineteenth century for most counties, but only scattered land tax lists. Microfilm collections at The Library of Virginia include land tax lists for all counties and independent cities for the years 1782 through 1978, as well as personal property tax lists for the years 1782 through 1930 (and every fifth year thereafter). Taxes were not collected in 1808.

Some tax records are available online or in print, though published abstracts often omit useful details found only in the original sources. Statewide indexes can help genealogists identify specific counties where surnames occurred in the past, providing starting points for research.


 * [1764] "Bedford County Tithables, 1764," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 46, No. 2 (May 2008):89-90.
 * [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. Available at FHL. [1782 personal property tax list of Bedford County.]
 * [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. Available at FHL. [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Bedford County is included in Vol. 1.]
 * [1787] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):113-118. Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Bedford County's 1787 Delinquent List appears on pp. 114-115.]
 * [1789, 1800] Indexed images of the 1789 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Bedford County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1795] "Bedford County Insolvents, 1795," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 46, No. 3 (Aug. 2008):203-204.
 * [1800] "Bedford County, Virginia 1800 Tax List," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1963):65-70; Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1963):118-124; Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1963):167-172. Available at New England Ancestors ($)
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at FHL. [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Bedford County is included in Vol. 2.]
 * [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.]

Vital Records
Marriage


 * 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 ($). [Taken from Mrs. R.B. Claytor's abstracts published in the Louisville Courier Journal.]
 * Dennis, Earle S. Marriage Bonds of Bedford County, Virginia, 1755-1800 .... Bedford, Virginia: E.S. Dennis and J.E. Smith, 1932. Digital book available at Ancestry ($).

Societies and Libraries

 * Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library, Bedford, Virginia

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Family History Library Catalog