Duplin County, North Carolina Genealogy

United States   North Carolina    Duplin County

History
Duplin County was created in 1750 from the northern part of New Hanover County and is named for Thomas Hay, Viscount Dupplin, later 9th Earl of Kinnoull. The earliest immigrants were Welsh, who arrived in the 1700′s, and soon followed by German Palatines and the Swiss in the 1730′s and 1740′s. The Scotch-Irish arrived in 1736 with Henry McCulloch, a wealthy London merchant, to settle on a rich and fertile 71,160-acre land granted to him from the British Crown. The French Huguenots and English, who migrated from Virginia along with Scottish Highlanders who came from the upper Cape Fear region, also were among the earliest settlers to the area along with African-Americans. The early settlements were primarily along the river and larger creeks as these were the best means of transportation. Henry McCulloch established several settlements. One on the east bank of the Northeast Cape Fear River named Sarecta, became Duplin’s first incorporated town in 1787. Another settlement was established on the west side of the river on Goshen Swamp, and a third at a place referred to as Golden Grove, later to become the Town of Kenansville. (Source: Duplin County History).

Parent County
1749--Duplin County was created 17 March 1749 from New Hanover County. County seat: Kenansville

Record Loss
Many court records are missing.

Neighboring Counties

 * Jones
 * Lenoir
 * Onslow
 * Pender
 * Sampson
 * Wayne

African American
The first U.S. Federal census enumerating freed slaves was taken in 1870. Their records have been published:


 * Melton, Carol K.W. and Joseph W. Wescott III. 1870 Federal Census: The African American Population of Duplin County, North Carolina. Rose Hill, N.C.: Duplin County Historical Foundation, 2000.

Church of England
St. Gabriel's Parish served Duplin County.

Surviving records include Warden's Records of the Poor (1799-1817), which are kept at the North Carolina State Archives. Microfilm copy:.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Albertson

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]

Land
The Duplin County Register of Deeds Office has a complete record of all property conveyances dating back to 1750 when the county was founded. All of the indexes to Duplin County property records from 1784 thru the present are available for searching both at the Register of Deeds Office and also remotely via their internet website: rod.duplincounty.org. Additionally, all of the property records books have been scanned and are available for viewing and downloading with the exception of books 20, 22, 33, 43, 106, 249, 276, and 318. These books are however available at the Register of Deeds Office.

A number of land records have been transcribed and are available at the following sites:


 * NCGenWeb Deeds Database - perform a Search of the deeds
 * Duplin County Deeds at NCGenWeb Archives

Newspapers

 * Duplin County newspapers - a listing of newspapers published in the county &amp; libraries that hold them; via the Library of Congress.
 * Duplin 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.
 * North Carolina Newspaper Digitization Project - contains full-text papers from 1752-1890s. Search for your Duplin County ancestors to see if they were mentioned.

Probate
The Duplin County Clerk Office is located in the city of Kenansville. The North Carolina Constitution mandates that there be a Clerk of Superior Court for each county. The clerk is elected for a period of 4 years. The responsibilities of the Clerk are numerous and varied. As the judge of probate the Duplin County Clerk handles probate of wills and the administration of estates of decedents, minors and incompetents.

Duplin County Clerk 112 Duplin St., Kenansville, NC 28349 Phone: (910) 275-7000

A number of Wills and Estate Records have been transcribed and are available at the following sites:


 * Francis Williams, 1854
 * Margaret Williams, 1861
 * Wills &amp; Estates from the NCGenWeb Archives

Vital Records
You may search Duplin County public birth, death, marriage and property records in the Office of the Register of Deeds free of charge. No appointment is necessary. You may visit our office between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday of each week excluding legal holidays. Our office is located in Room# 106 of the Duplin County Courthouse Annex at 118 Duplin Street; Kenansville, North Carolina 28349.

All records in the Register of Deeds Office are public records, except for certain health information on birth certificates, are public records within the meaning of the public records law, although access to certain other records, such as military discharges, is restricted. Thus, the public is allowed to inspect and purchase copies of the records. Additionally, all of our birth, death, marriage records, and African-American Cohabitation records as well as our property records from 1750 – present may be searched online at:rod.duplincounty.org

Yearbooks

 * Duplin County students at North Carolina colleges - a list alphabetized by surname from the NCGenWeb Yearbook Index

Societies and Libraries

 * Duplin County Historical Society Historical Society/Commission L. H. Sikes President PO Box 220 Rose Hill, NC 28458-0220

Web Sites

 * Duplin County, NCGenWeb - free genealogy resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project
 * Duplin County, NCGenWeb Archives
 * Duplin County, NCGenWeb Archives