Onslow County, North Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Onslow County, North Carolina ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse


Onslow County North Carolina 109 Old Bridge St Rm 107 Jacksonville, NC 28540 Phone: 910-347-3451 Register of Deeds has birth and death from 1914, marriage records from 1893 and land records from 1734, Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and  court records from from 1915 earlier records at Dept of Archives Raleigh, NC 27602  Register of Deeds 109 Old Bridge Street Room 107 Jacksonville, NC 28540 Telephone: 910-347-3451 Fax: 910-347-3340 Website  Clerk of Superior Court 625 Court St Jacksonville, NC 28540 Telephone: (910) 478-3600

History
Visit the Onslow County Web Page to learn more.

Parent County
1734--Onslow County was created from New Hanover County. County seat: Jacksonville

Boundary Changes
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.

Record Loss
1752, 1755, 1786--Storms destroyed many records.

Populated Places
Half Moon, Holly Ridge, Jacksonville, North Topsail Beach, Piney Green, Pumpkin Center, Richlands, Sneads Ferry, Swansboro

Neighboring Counties

 * Carteret
 * Duplin
 * Jones
 * Pender

Church Records

 * Union Chapel beginnings - the oldest church in the county
 * Church records - via NCGenWeb Archives

Baptist

 * New River. Established by 1758.

Church of England

 * St. John's Parish. Established by 1741.

Court

 * Onslow County court information - via NCGenWeb Archives

Directories

 * Onslow County business directory - area business information; via Onslow County NCGenWeb

Education

 * Onslow County students at NC colleges - via the NCGenWeb Yearbook Index

Genealogy
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General
"Tucker meticulously chronicled the history of coastal North Carolina and particularly Onslow County and the Swansboro area"--Foreword, v. 6:


 * Littleton, Tucker Reed and Coastal Genealogical Society. The Tucker Littleton Notes. 10 vols. Swansboro, N.C.: Coastal Genealogical Society, 1998-2008.

A county heritage book is available:


 * Onslow County History Society. The Heritage of Onslow County, 1983. Winston-Salem, N.C.: Onslow County Historical Society in cooperation with Hunter Publishing Company, 1983.

Compiled genealogies of several Onslow families were published in:


 * Stroscio, Michael A. Some Onslow Families with Collateral Lines (Onslow County, North Carolina). 1976; reprint, Columbia, Md.: M.A. Stroscio, 1980.
 * Stroscio, Michael A. Some Onslow Families with Collateral Lines - Andrews, Bishop, Burnett, Ennett, Fisher, Horne, King, Lane, Lloyd, Mason, McClammy, McDaniel, Redd, Sidbury, Stockley, Stroscio, Thompson, Triscuizzi, Walker (Onslow County, North Carolina). Raleigh, N.C.: M.A. Stroscio, 1999. ; digital version at.

Land

 * Onslow County deeds - via NCGenWeb Archives

Local Histories
For a Brief History of Onslow County visit: http://www.onslowcountync.gov/Onslow_County/History.aspx

http://www.genealogyinc.com/northcarolina/onslow-county/

A Teacher's Guide to Onslow County in the Civil War: http://www.onslowcountync.gov/uploadedFiles/Museum/Education_and_Tours/Civil%20War%20Teacher%27s%20Guide.pdf

Maps
For maps showing the evolution of Onslow County from since 1731:  http://www.carolana.com/NC/Counties/onslow_county_nc.html

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Onslow County for European settlers included:


 * Atlantic Ocean
 * King's Highway about 1704
 * Secondary Coast Road late 1730s

Military

 * Onslow County NCGenWeb Military page
 * Life Before Camp Lejune - area history compiled by Jane Hoveland

Revolutionary War

 * 1779 - 1782 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 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)
 * 1885 - 1953 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * - 3rd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 3rd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company E
 * - 3rd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company G
 * - 3rd Regiment, North Carolina State Troops, Company E
 * - 3rd Regiment, North Carolina State Troops, Company G
 * - 41st Regiment Volunteers - 3rd Cavalry, Company B
 * - 41st Regiment Volunteers - 3rd Cavalry, Company H
 * - 8th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry (Partisan Rangers), 5th Company

World War I

 * 1917 - 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * 1940 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Onslow County newspaper information - via Onslow County NCGenWeb

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1660 - 1790 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1663 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1665 - 1998 - North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1735 - 1970 - at FamilySearch.org — images
 * 1760 - 1800 - North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry.com — index and images


 * Pre-1790  - Pre-1790  Wills stored at the North Carolina State Archives are online - free. Website tips.
 * 1765 - 1961 - have been digitized by FamilySearch - free.
 * Abstracts of Wills 1740 - 1760; Images of Wills and Estates 1790 - 1836 in Court of Common Pleas; 1827 - 1837 in Court of Common Pleas North Carolina Pioneers ($)

Taxation

 * Onslow County tax records - via NCGenWeb Archives
 * 1769 - Tax Lists, Onslow County, 1769 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1770 - Tax Lists, Onslow County, 1770 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1771 - Tax Lists, Onslow County, 1771 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1790 - Tax Lists, Onslow County, 1790 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1792 - Tax Lists, Onslow County, 1792 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1793 - Tax Lists, Onslow County, 1793 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * 1815 - Tax Lists, Onslow County, 1815 (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections
 * Undated - Tax Lists, Onslow County, undated (images) online at North Carolina Digital Collections

Vital Records
Uncertified copies of vital records can be ordered for a small fee from the Onslow County Register of Deeds. Check their website for more information.

Birth Records

 * 1800 - 2000 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1866 - 1964 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * Onslow County North Carolina Birth Records at USGenWeb - free.

Marriage Records

 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1799 - 1893 - NC Marriages as reported in Carrie Broughton's 6-volume index of the Raleigh Register &amp; State Gazette newspaper (1799-1893). Marriages are listed by year and PDF files are searcheable. Available on the North Carolina Digital Collections website.
 * 1741 - 1867 - Onslow County Marriage Bonds 1741-1867 at USGenWeb Archives - free.
 * 1741 - 2004 - North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1759 - 1979 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1762 - 1979 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1763 - 1868 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Divorce Records

 * 1926 - 1975 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1958 - 2004 - North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $

Death Records

 * Onslow County Deaths - list of county area deaths reported in various newspapers; dates range from late 1700s to 1900s
 * 1982 - 2006 - Onslow County Death Index 1982-2006 - via the Register of Deeds
 * 1898 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1906 - 1930 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1908 - 2004 - North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1909 - 1975 - North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1931 - 1994 - at FamilySearch.org — index

Wills

 * Onslow County wills - includes will books A, B &amp; C; via Onslow County NCGenWeb

Societies and Libraries
Coastal Genealogical Society PO Box 1421 Swansboro, NC 28584 Website Onslow County Genealogical Society PO Box 1739 Jacksonville 28541-1739


 * Onslow County Historical Society
 * Onslow County Public Library

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Jacksonville North Carolina Family History Center

Websites

 * Onslow County, NC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * Onslow, NCGenWeb - free genealogy resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project
 * Onslow County Museum
 * Swansboro History- blog dedicated to Swansboro