Rockingham County, North Carolina Genealogy

United States   North Carolina    Guilford County

History
On December 29, 1785, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation that created Rockingham County from the northern half of the Guilford County. The assembly chose to name the new county for Charles Watson-Wentworth, second Marquess of Rockingham (1730-1782). Rockingham was a leading Whig and was Prime Minister of Britian from 1765 to 1766 and again in 1782. His popularity in America was assured when he secured repeal of the hated Stamp Act in 1766 and led the ministry that initiated negotiations to terminate the Revolutionary War. From 1768 to 1781 he had been the leading Parliamentary opponent of both the government's American policy and the war.

Parent County
1785--Rockingham was from Guilford County. County seat: Wentworth

Record Loss
Some of the court records are missing.

Neighboring Counties

 * Alamance
 * Caswell
 * Forsyth
 * Guilford
 * Henry County, Virginia
 * Pittsylvania County, Virginia
 * Stokes

Research Guides

 * Sweeney, Alice J. "Bassett Historical Center," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Aug. 2002):1-3. Available at ; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website.

Societies and Libraries

 * Bassett Historical Center, Bassett, Virginia. Website includes descriptions of collections. Excellent resource for family history research in Henry, Patrick, Floyd, Franklin and Pittsylvania counties in Virginia, the city of Martinsville, Virginia, and Rockingham, Stokes and Surry counties in North Carolina.

Web Sites

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