Smyth County, Virginia Genealogy

United States   Virginia    Smyth County Southwest Virginia county.

County Courthouse
County Courthouse 109 West Main Street, Room 144 Marion, VA 24354

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage div probate

court and land record from 1832

Parent County
1832--Smyth County was created 23 February 1832 from Washington and Wythe Counties. County seat: Marion

Record Loss

 * Lost census: 1890

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Smyth County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1978):213-215. Available at New England Ancestors ($).

Census
1840


 * Douthat, James L. 1840 Mountain Empire of Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2001. 975.5 X2d 1840. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. [Includes Smyth County.]

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.]

Genealogy
More than 25 genealogies have been published about Smyth County families. To view a list, visit Smyth County, Virginia Genealogy.

Local Histories

 * Boyd, Charles Rufus. Resources of South-west Virginia: Showing the Mineral Deposits of Iron, Coal, Zinc, Copper and Lead, also the Staples of the Various Counties, Methods of Transportation Access, Etc. New York: J. Wiley, 1881. [Includes Smyth County.]
 * Presgraves, James S. Smyth County Families and History. Wytheville, Va.: J. Presgraves, 1974.
 * Sheffey, John P. General Resources and Advantages of Smyth County: In the Most Attractive Section of Appalachian Virginia. n.p.: n.p., 1907. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Wilson, Goodridge. Smyth County, History and Traditions. Kingsport, Tenn.: Kingsport Press, 1932. 547258 Item 2;  975.5723 H2w 1976 reprint; Sturgill, Kenneth Lee. A Complete Researchers Index to "Smyth County History and Traditions." Marion, VA: K. L. Sturgill, 1986. Index:  975.5723 H2w index and  6103880; digital version at Ancestry ($); World Vital Records ($).

Revolutionary War

 * Kegley, Mary B. Revolutionary War Pension Applications of Southwest Virginia Soldiers. n.p.: M.B. Kegley, 1997. [Includes Smyth County pensioners.]
 * 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, Western District, Smyth County on page 136.]
 * 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." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

War of 1812

 * 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, Smyth County, p. 104. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War
Civil War service men from Albemarle County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Albemarle County.


 * Information about the companies from Smyth County is found:

(1)  Smyth County History and Traditions, pages 237-239

(2) titled A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations 1861-1865

- 4th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate)

- 45th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate)

- 48th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate)

- 50th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate)

- 8th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate)

- 21st Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate)

- 23rd Battalion, Virginia Infantry Reserves (Confederate)

- Marion Home Guard from Smyth County composed of about fifty men between the ages of 45-72 was organized in April 1861 according to information found on page 209 of the preceding reference (2).

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 Marion watchmakers.]

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1832-1850] Land Tax Books of Smyth County, Virginia, 1832-1850. Original records, Smyth County Courthouse, Marion, Va., microfilmed reproduction available at.
 * [1832-1850] Personal Property Tax Lists of Smyth County, Virginia, 1832-1850. Original records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va., microfilmed reproduction available at.
 * [1832] Personal Property Tax List, 1832, Virginia Appalachian Notes. Roanoke VA: Nov 1985. Vol. 9 Iss. 4.

Vital Records
Birth

Beth Fridley has published abstracts of the following Smyth County birth records online at Ancestry:


 * Smyth County, Virginia Births, 1875-78 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Smyth County, Virginia Births, 1879-84 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Smyth County, Virginia Births, 1885-96 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).

The original records covering 1853-1896 and an index covering 1853-1917 are available on microfilm at the.

Death


 * Smyth County, Virginia Death Registers 1853-1896 and Index 1853-1917. Original records, Smyth County Courthouse, Marion, Va., microfilmed reproduction at.

Societies and Libraries
Smyth County Genealogical Society: www.smythcountygs.org

Smyth-Bland Regional Library: www.sbrl.org

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

 * Smyth Co., VAGenWeb. Part of the USGenWeb Project. Maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: SW_VA-L (Topic: Southwest Virginia)
 * Cyndi's List
 * Cyndi's List