Forsyth County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Forsyth County is located in the central portion of North Carolina and was named for Colonel Benjamin Forsyth, a state legislator who fought and died in the War of 1812.

County Courthouse
Forsyth County Courthouse 102 W 3rd Street PO Box 20639 Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Phone: 316-727-2903 Forsyth County Website Register of Deeds has birth, marriage and death records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1849.

Populated Places
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:

Bible Records

 * Bible Records at NCGenWeb
 * Bible Records at North Carolina Digital Archives - index and images

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images Also at: Ancestry ($)

Church Records

 * 1700-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Dunker
 * Fraternity Church of the Brethren, near Clemmons, N.C. Established about 1775. Previously located in Surry and Stokes counties.

Lutheran
 * Nazareth Church aka Old Dutch Meeting House Organized about 1778 by German settlers. Formerly located in Surry and Stokes counties.

Moravian List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Friedberg Church Begun 1759; organized 1773. Formerly located in Surry and Stokes counties.
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1862-1870   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1863-1872   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Land and Property Records

 * Deeds: 1849-1965, Forsyth County Register of Deeds online search.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Forsyth County Maps (NC Maps project)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War 
 * 1778-1833 Delamar Transcripts of Revolutionary War Petitions at North Carolina Genealogical Society - index ($)
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - 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  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


 * - 2nd Battalion, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 2nd Battalion, North Carolina Infantry, Company G
 * - 4th Battalion, North Carolina Junior Reserves, Company B
 * - 7th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Captain Eli E Holland's Company
 * - 7th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Captain George F Fisher's Company
 * - 7th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company B

World War I 
 * 1914-1918 World War I Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 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  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC
 * 1799-1893 Forsyth County marriages. May be included throughout 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 searchable. Available on the North Carolina Digital Collections website.
 * Forsyth County newspapers. Listing of newspapers published in the county &amp; libraries that hold them. (Library of Congress)
 * Forsyth County residents in the newspaper. Name listing of people from the county as located in misc. newspaper articles; time span varies. Articles indexed in the NC People in the Papers database.
 * Forsyth County deaths. County area deaths reported in various newspapers; dates range from late 1700s to 1900s.

Obituaries

 * Misc. Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Other Records
County Records
 * 1833-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; random records; index and images. (incomplete); Also at: Ancestry ($)

Voter Registration
 * 1868-1898 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1720-1960  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1763-1968 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; random records; index and images. (incomplete); Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * 1833-1969 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1833-1969 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1842-1932  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1842-1969 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1849-1868 (*); County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1849-1968 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1907 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1932 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1875-1903 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1882-1893 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1946-1953 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * North Carolina Probate Records tips

School Records
Yearbooks 
 * Wake Forest University: 1903-2008
 * Wake Forest University School of Medicine Yearbooks: 1943-2011
 * Salem College: 1902-1983
 * Forsyth County students at North Carolina colleges. Yearbook Index. (NCGenWeb)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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.

Vital Records

 * 1800-2000 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at Findmypast
 * 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1759-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and imag
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Forsyth County Marriages (USGenWeb Archives)

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch - 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  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

Family History Centers

 * Winston-Salem North Carolina Family History Center

Libraries
Forsyth County Public Library: North Carolina Collection Central Library 660 W. Fifth St. Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Telephone 336-703-3070 Website

Societies

 * Forsyth County Genealogical Society PO Box 30187 Winston Salem, NC 27130-0187 Email: [mailto:forsythgensoc@gmail.com forsythgensoc@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * NCGenWeb: Forsyth County - part of the USGenWeb Project
 * – 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.