Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy

United States Genealogy

Virginia

Halifax County

Guide to Halifax County, Virginia ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, immigration records, and military records.

Virginia Online Genealogy Records

Halifax County, Virginia
Map
Location in the state of Virginia, United States Genealogy
Location of Virginia in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	1752
County Seat	Halifax
Courthouse

County Information

Description

Halifax County is located in the South-Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with North Carolina. Halifax County was named for the Second Earl of Halifax, George Montagu Dunk, a friend of Virginia’s colonial governor Robert Dinwiddie.

Halifax County Virginia Courthouse

Halifax County Courthouse
P O Box 729
Halifax, Virginia 24557
Phone: 804-476-6221

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1853	1753	1853	1752	1761	1762	1810
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1912. General compliance year is unknown.

Halifax County Virginia History

George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax (1716-1771)

Halifax County, Virginia is named after George Montagu-Dunk, the second Earl of Halifax (1716-1771). (The same can be said for Halifax County, North Carolina Genealogy.) He was a British statesman and was president of the Board of Trade from 1748 to 1761. He was also a friend of Robert Dinwiddie, who was governor of the colony of Virginia.

The first county seat was Peytonsburg (now in Pittsylvania County). The current county seat of Halifax County is Halifax, which has served as such since 1800. The county was established in May, 1752 from Lunenburg County. Halifax County originally extended as far west as the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The counties of Henry, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties were formed out of Halifax County, as well as the southern half of Franklin County. In addition, parts of Bedford and Floyd Counties were formed from Halifax.

Pittsylvania County was formed in 1766 or 1767 (sources differ) as a subdivision of Halifax. The other counties mentioned were then formed out of Pittsylvania. At the time that Pittsylvania County broke away from Halifax County, the latter county took on its present outline.

The boundaries of Antrim Parish were identical to those of Halifax County when the county was formed in 1752. After Pittsylvania County was formed, the boundaries of Antrim Parish were adjusted to match those of the present form of Halifax County.

For animated maps illustrating Virginia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Virginia County Boundary Maps" (1617-1995) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Parent County

1752--Halifax County was created 27 February 1752 from Lunenburg County. 

County seat: Halifax

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

• Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1810, 1890

Halifax County, Virginia Places/Localities

 

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:

Towns
Clarksville Halifax	Scottsburg South Boston	Virgilina
Unincorporated communities
Alton Crystal Hill Ingram	Midway Midway	Paces Vernon Hill
Census-designated places
Clover Cluster Springs	Mountain Road Nathalie	Riverdale

Halifax County Virginia Genealogy Resources

Research Guides

• Dorman, John Frederick. "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Halifax County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1968):184-187. Available at FHL; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

African American

In 1860, Halifax County had the largest enslaved population in the state (14,897 slaves). Ten years late in 1870, it had one of the largest African American populations in Virginia (16,266).

• 1935-2009 Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009, index and images, incomplete
• Heinegg, Paul. "Halifax County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1832," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records. This list also includes some families with Native American ancestry.]
• Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized images of African Americans of Halifax County.

Bible Records

Images of the Virginia Historical Society's family Bible collection have been digitized:

• Virginia Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007.

Cemeteries

Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Tombstone Transcriptions in Print	List of Cemeteries in the county
Findagrave.com	Family History Library	Findagrave.com
VAGenWeb	WorldCat	Billion Graves
VAGenWeb Archives
Tombstone Project
Virginia Gravestones
Billion Graves
See Virginia Cemeteries for more information.

Additional Cemetery Resources

• 1800-1986 - Virginia, Jewish Cemetery Records Index, ca. 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — index
• Barksdale Cemetery Tombstone Photographs (US GenWeb Archives)
• Halifax County, Virginia Cemeteries (Cemetery Census)
• Halifax County, Virginia Cemeteries (U.S. Cemetery Project)

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	14,722	—
1800	19,377	31.6%
1810	22,133	14.2%
1820	19,060	−13.9%
1830	28,034	47.1%
1840	25,936	−7.5%
1850	25,962	0.1%
1860	26,520	2.1%
1870	27,828	4.9%
1880	33,588	20.7%
1890	34,424	2.5%
1900	37,197	8.1%
1910	40,044	7.7%
1920	41,374	3.3%
1930	41,283	−0.2%
1940	41,271	−0.0%
1950	41,442	0.4%
1960	33,637	−18.8%
1970	30,076	−10.6%
1980	30,599	1.7%
1990	29,033	−5.1%
2000	37,355	28.7%
2010	36,241	−3.0%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1782 Enumeration

• Halifax County Heads of Families - 1782 at U.S. Census Bureau - free. County begins on page 22.

1785 Enumeration

• Halifax County Heads of Families - 1785 at U.S. Census Bureau - free. County begins on page 87.

1790 

• Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation

1800 

• Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation

1810 

• Halifax is one of 18 VA counties for which the 1810 census was lost when the British occupied Washington and burned census reports. Tax lists are available; see Taxation.

1820 

• 1820 Census (Ancestry.com)
• 1820 Census Index (S-K Publications)
• Exists, but is defective. See "Halifax County, Virginia, 1820 Census: A Comment," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1959):26. Available at FHL; digital version at American Ancestors ($). [Explains that in 1820, census takers skipped entire Halifax County communities.]
• Williams, Mike K. 1820 Halifax County, Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, TN: Mountain Press, 1989. WorldCat

1850

• 1850 census (scroll to "Census" section) (US GenWeb Archives)
• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. 1850 Census of Halifax County, Virginia. Nathalie, VA: Clarkton Press, 1982. WorldCat

1860

• 1860 census (selected; scroll to "Census" section) (US GenWeb Archives)

1870

• 1870 census (images; scroll to "Census" section) (US GenWeb Archives)

1900

• 1900 census (partial; scroll to "Census" section) (US GenWeb Archives)

Church Records

Baptist

Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):

1. Arbor (1785)
2. Buffaloe (1776)
3. Catawba (1773)
4. Childrey (1783)
5. County Line aka Sandy Creek. Some records and membership lists for the 1780s were published in Piedmont Lineages, Vol. 16, No. 2 (May 1994) and in Vol. 20, No. 2 (May 1998). FHL Book 975 D25b.
6. Dan River (1802)
7. Hunting Creek (1775)
8. Liberty (1802)
9. Mayo (1774)
10. Millstone (1787)
11. Miry Creek (1803)
12. Musterfield (1779)
13. Polecat (1790)
14. Twelve Corner (1803)
15. Wynn's Creek (1773)

10,000 name petition (dated: 16 October 1776) signed by Baptists and Baptist sympathizers from all over Virginia, asking for an end to persecution of Baptists by the established church. A digitzed copy can be viewed at the Library of Congress website. Hall's transcription of the petition can be read in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vols. 35-38, with annotations in Vol. 39, (Richmond, Virginia: Virginia Genealogical Society, 1983-) available at Ancestry ($); or at the Family History Library: FHL Book 975.5 B2vs v. 35-39. After locatiing your ancestor in the transcription, proceed to the Library of Congress website to see the original images.

Halifax County fell within the bounds of the Roanoke Association.

Church of England

• Antrim Parish, Halifax County, 1752-1767
• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. Vestry Book of Antrim Parish, Halifax County, Virginia, 1752-1817. Athens, GA: Iberian Publishing Co., 1983, 1997. WorldCat
• For more regarding Antrim Parish, see also Antrim Parish

Quaker

Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):

• Banister Monthly Meeting (1758-1811) aka Halifax aka Kirby's

• Brown, Jane Douglas Summers and Jones Memorial Library. Jane Douglas Summers Brown (1903-) Quaker Records: Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Virginia); MS 1515. MSS, Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, Va. Available on 26 microfilms at FHL. [Includes records of Halifax County Quakers; Brown assisted "William Wade Hinshaw in the writing of the Virginia volume of the Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy."]

Court

• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. Plea Book 1, Halifax County, Virginia, 1752-1755. Nathalie, VA: Clarkton Press, 1988. WorldCat
• Court Records (scroll to "Court" section) (US GenWeb Archives)
• Halifax County, Virginia Court Orders. Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1992, 2000. WorldCat
• Halifax County, Virginia Court Orders, 1759-1762 (Plea Book No. 3). Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1998. WorldCat
• Halifax County, Virginia Court Orders, 1763-1764 (Plea Book No. 4). Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1998. WorldCat
• Halifax County, Virginia Court Orders, 1767-1770 (Plea Book No. 6). Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 2000. WorldCat
• Library of Virginia's Chancery Record Index can be used to search digital images of Halifax County chancery records for the years 1753-1913.

Funeral Homes

• 1935-2009 Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009, index and images, incomplete

Genealogy

Compiled Genealogies by Surname

• See Halifax County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of 250+ published books and articles, or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Families

• Pritchett, John W. Southside Virginia Genealogies. CD-ROM. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Free online index, courtesy: Virginians - The Family History of John W. Pritchett. [Includes a great deal of information about residents of Halifax County, see discussion of cited sources.] FHL CD-ROM no. 3887; purchase at Virginians.com.

Immigration

• List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe who served labor terms in Colonial Brunswick County are online at: Immigrant Servants Database.

Land and Property

General

• Dodson, Roger C. Property Lines from an Old Survey Book: Halifax County, Virginia, 1741 to 1901. Danville, VA: VA-NC Piedmont Genealogical Society, 1998. At other libraries

Grants and Patents

Land patents (pre-1779), land grants (after 1779) and surveys are available online at the Library of Virginia website. For step-by-step instructions on retrieving these records, read the Virginia Land and Property article.

• Abercrombie, Janice L., and Richard Slatten. Halifax County (Virginia Publick Claims series). Athens, GA: Iberian, 1991?. At other libraries

• Hudgins and Wells. 782 patents dated 1738-1853 in what is now Halifax County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2006. [Names of those who received land patents, dates, land descriptions, and references may be viewed free of charge (click "Index" next to the county listing); however, in order to view the maps, it is necessary to purchase Direct Line Software's DeedMapper product.]

Deeds

• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. Deed Book 7, 1767-1770, Halifax County, Virginia. Athens, GA: New Papyrus, 2005?. WorldCat
• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. Halifax County, Virginia Deed Book 1, 1752-1759. Nathalie, VA: Clarkton Press, 1985. WorldCat
• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. Halifax County, Virginia Deed Book 7, 1767-1770. Nathalie, VA: Clarkton Press, 1990. WorldCat
• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. Halifax County, Virginia Deed Books. Nathalie, VA: Clarkton Press, 1985, 1986. WorldCat
• Deeds (scroll to "Deeds" section) (US GenWeb Archives)
• Halifax County, Virginia Deed Book 9, 1773-1775. Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1990. WorldCat
• Halifax County, Virginia Deed Book 10, 1775-1778. Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1991. WorldCat
• Halifax County, Virginia Deed Book 15, 1790-1793. Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1996. WorldCat
• Halifax County, Virginia Deed Book 16 (1793-1796). Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1997. WorldCat
• Halifax County, Virginia Deeds. Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1989, 1997. WorldCat
• Hamlin, Charles Hughes, comp., Virginia Ancestors and Adventurers, 3 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1973. Reprinted in one vol., Baltimore: Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. This title includes a number of Halifax County, Virginia land records. Google Books link with preview.

Local Histories

• Aaron, Larry G.. The Race to the Dan: The Retreat that Rescued the American Revolution. Halifax County, Virginia: Halifax County Historical Society, and Lynchburg, Virginia: Warwick House Publishing, 2007. At the Library of Virginia.
• Altman, Forrest. Adventures in the Dan River Basin (pdf)
• Carrington, Wirt Johnson. A History of Halifax County [Virginia]. Richmond, Virginia: Appeals Press, 1924; Baltimore: Regional Publishing Co., 1969. FHL | 1959 reprint at FHL | WorldCat. Digital editions: Ancestry ($) | World Vital Records ($). Index at EveryNameIndex.com - free.
• Edmunds, Pocahontas White. History of Halifax. 2 vols. Halifax, Virginia: P.W. Edmunds, 1978. Reviewed by Susan L. Bracey in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 87, No. 3 (Jul., 1979):365-367. Review available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).
• Estabrooks, Henry L. Adrift in Dixie or, a Yankee Officer Among the Rebels. South Boston, Virginia: South Boston-Halifax County Museum of Fine Arts and History, 2007. At the Library of Virginia.
• "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Halifax County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 12, No. 4, 1968.
• Halifax County Chamber of Commerce. The Halifax County Story. Lynchburg, VA: Progress Publishing, 1974. WorldCat
• Halifax County, Virginia Heritage 1752-2007, Waynesville, NC: County Heritage, Inc., 2007. WorldCat | Library of Virginia.
• Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina from the Colonial Period to About 1820, 5th ed., 2 vols. Despite the title, this work discusses Native American families of Halifax County as well as African-American families. Google Books links with previews: Vol. 1 | Vol. 2. Discussed in Genealogical.com. An updated edition of this publication is available for free at FreeAfricanAmericans.com.
  
• The History of Halifax County
• History of Halifax County, Virginia (YouTube video)
• The History of Halifax County, Virginia 1750-1940
• A History of the Halifax County Assembly, 1975. WorldCat
• History of the Indians of Halifax County, Virginia
  
• Young, Henry Preston. Country Folks: The Way We Were Back Then in Halifax County, Virginia: A Collection of Stories. Lawrenceville, VA: Brunswick, 1999. WorldCat

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Libre Map Project (detailed online topographic maps of Halifax County)

Migration

• Bell, Mary McCampbell. "Some Migrations from Virginia to South Carolina," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Summer 1981): 143-144; Vol. 9, No. 4 (Fall 1981): 183-190; Vol. 10, No. 1 (Winter 1982): 37-42; Vol. 10, No. 2 (Spring 1982): 70-77. Includes records of Halifax County residents who migrated to South Carolina. Links to digital versions on South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research.
• Elliott, Katherine B. Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 2 vols. South Hill, Virginia: K.B. Elliott, 1966. Vol. 1 of original edition at FHL; 1983 reprints (both volumes) at FHL; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) also at FHL. (Includes individuals who migrated out of Halifax County to other parts of the country)
  

Military

French and Indian War

• Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FHL. [Identifies some Halifax County militia officers and veterans; see place name index.]
• Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at FHL; digital version at Google Books. [Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch [French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War] with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Halifax County, see pp. 83-85, 108-110.]
• Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 975.5 M2c; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Halifax County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.]

Revolutionary War

Regiments. Service men in Halifax County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Halifax County supplied soldiers for the:

- 7th Virginia Regiment

- 14th Virginia Regiment

Additional resources:

• Abercrombie, Janice L. and Richard Slatten. Virginia Publick Claims: Halifax County. Athens, Ga.: Iberian Publishing Company.
• Carrington, Wirt Johnson. "Revolutionary Soldiers, Halifax County Records, Court of Pleas, 1774-1777," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan., 1927):60. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). [Recommendations for military officers.]
• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital version at Google Books. 1967 reprint: FHL Book 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Halifax County on page 131.]
• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FHL Book 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]
• Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War. By J.T. McAllister. 1913. Hot Springs, Va.: McAllister Pub. Co. Online at: Internet Archive

War of 1812

Halifax County men served in the 69th and 84th Regiments.

• Douthat, James L. Roster of War of 1812, Southside, Virginia. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2007. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. FHL Book 975.5 M2djL. [Includes Halifax County.]
• 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. FHL Book 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Halifax County, pp. 82-83. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

• 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 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)

Regiments. Service men in Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy:

- 1st Regiment, Virginia Artillery (Confederate). Company C (3rd) (Halifax Light Artillery)

- 3rd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company C (Black Walnut Dragoons or Light Dragoons), Company H (Catawba Troop).

- 6th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company G (Flournoy Troop).

- 14th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company G (Mount Vernon Guard), Company H (Meadville Greys), and Company K (Dan River Rifles).

- 20th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company H (Clover Rifles) and Company K (South of Dan Rebels).

- 23rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Brooklyn Grays).

- 34th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (Halifax Heavy Artillery).

- 38th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Pittsylvania Regiment) (Confederate). Company F (Davis Rifle Guards).

- 53rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies A (Halifax Light Infantry) and C (Edmunds Guards).

Civil War Battle

The following Civil War battle was fought in Halifax County.

• June 25, 1864 = Staunton River Bridge, also known as Blacks and Whites or Old Men and Young Boys

Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

World War II

• Halifax County, Virginia World War II Casualties, Army and Air Force (Access Genealogy)

Miscellaneous Records

• 1607-2007 - Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images

Native Americans

• Halifax County, Virginia Native Americans (Saponitown Forum)
  
• History of the Indians of Halifax County, Virginia (Old Halifax)
• Lumbee Indians and Goins Family: Halifax County, VA Early Records
• The Native Americans of Halifax County, Virginia & the Early Explorers (Old Halifax)
  
• Saponi Descendants Association (includes Halifax County)
• The Saponi in Halifax County (Searching for Saponitown)
  
• Sappony (includes Halifax County)
• Searching for Saponitown (includes Halifax County)

Newspapers

The Virginia Newspapers Project identifies local Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy newspapers.

• Halifax County, Virginia Obituaries

• Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette (1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburg website. In addition, Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in this source and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia. These newspapers are valuable resources for all regions of Virginia.
• South Boston News & Record

Periodicals

The Blount Journal

Genealogical articles with abstracts of Halifax County, Virginia records have been published in The Blount Journal, the publication of the Blount County Genealogical and Historical Society. Began in 1985, still in print. An index is available online. Purchase back issues through the society. The Family History Library has acquired most volumes FHL 976.8885 B2b.

Probate Records

A free index to Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy wills and administrations (1753-1800) is available at the Library of Virginia.

• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. Will Book 0, 1752-1773, Halifax County, Virginia. Nathalie, VA: Clarkton Press, 1982. WorldCat

• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. Will Book 1, 1773-1783, Halifax County, Virginia. Nathalie, VA: Clarkton Press, 1984. WorldCat
• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. Will Book 2, 1783-1792, Halifax County, Virginia. Nathalie, VA: Clarkton Press, 1989?. WorldCat
• Chiarito, Marian Dodson, and James Hadley Prendergast. Halifax County, Virginia Will Book 2, 1783-1792. Athens, GA: Iberian, 1996. WorldCat
• Chiarito, Marian Dodson, and James Hadley Prendergast. Will Books, Halifax County, Virginia. Nathalie, VA: Clarkton Press, 1984. WorldCat
• Halifax County, Virginia Wills, 1792-1797. Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1991. WorldCat
• Digital Images of Halifax County Wills 1792-1797; 1798-1804. See names of Testators. Virginia Pioneers

Online Probate Records

• 1639 – 1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry.com — index to transcribed records, incomplete, $
• 1773 - 1854 Images of Wills, Inventories, Accounts Virginia Pioneers ($)
• 1783 – 1792; 1792 – 1797; 1798 – 1804 – Images of Wills and Estates. Virginia Pioneers ($)
• 1753 – 1772; 1773 – 1782 – Images of Wills and Estates. Virginia Pioneers ($)

Taxation

How can Virginia tax lists help me? 

• General: Warren, Mary Bondurant. Halifax County, Virginia Colonial Poll and Tithables Lists. Danielsville, GA: Heritage Papers, 1991. WorldCat
• [1752-1790] Tithables, 1752-90, Southsider [Charlotte Court House, Va.], Vol. 19, No. 1 (2000). (Note: This article lists only totals of tithables from the plea books, no names.)
• [1755-1780] Warren, Mary Bondurant. Halifax County, Virginia Colonial Poll [1764-1769] and Tithables Lists [1755-1780]. Danielsville, Georgia: Heritage Papers, 1991. Available at FHL.
• [1771] Halifax Tithables, 1771, Piedmont Lineages, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Aug. 2001).
• [1771] Tithables, 1771, Southside Virginian, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Jan. 1985); online at Internet Archive - free.
• [1782] 1782 Halifax County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List; index online at New River Notes - free.
• [1782-1821] Halifax County Personal Property Tax Lists 1782-1821 (images); digital version in Tax List Club at Binns Genealogy ($).
• [1782] 1782 Tax List (US GenWeb Archives)
• [1782] Tax List, 1782, District 2, Halifax County Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Dec. 2001). [Halifax County, Virginia or North Carolina? check]
• [1782] Weaver, Jeffrey C. 1782 Halifax County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List. Saltville, VA: New River Notes Books, 2005. WorldCat
• [1782-1791] Halifax County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists, 1782-1791. Miami Beach: T.L.C. Genealogy, 1998. WorldCat
• [1782-1832] Heinegg, Paul. "Halifax County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1832," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records. This list includes some families with Native American ancestry as well.]
• 1783 - Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783; index online at Revolutionary War Service website - free.
• [1787] Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available through the FamilySearch Catalog ; FHL. [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Halifax County is included in Vol. 1.]
• [1789, 1798] Indexed images of the 1789 and 1798 Personal Property Tax Lists of Halifax County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
• [1800] Tax List, 1800, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Oct. 1982); Vol. 27, No. 1 (Jan. 1983); Vol. 27, No. 2 (Apr. 1983); Vol. 27, No. 3 (Jul. 1983); Vol. 27, No. 4 (Oct. 1983). Available at FHL.
• [1810] Schreiner-Yates, Netti. A Supplement to the 1810 Census of Virginia: Tax Lists of the Counties for which the Census is Missing. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1971. Available at FHL. [The source for this publication is the 1810 personal property tax lists. Halifax County is included because the 1810 Census for that county has been destroyed.]
• [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at FHL. [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Halifax County is included in Vol. 2.]
• [1867] Internal Revenue Tax Warning Notice, 1867, Piedmont Lineages, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Aug. 2007).
• [1901] Delinquent Tax List, 1901, Piedmont Lineages, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Aug. 2007).

Vital Records

Indexes to Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy births, marriages, and deaths are available online. These collections are incomplete, but are easy to search. Most records can also be ordered electronically online as well. Courtesy: FamilySearch. See also How to order Virginia Vital Records

Birth

• 1853-1871 - Halifax County Birth Index 1853-1871. Batch C868762 at FamilySearch - free.
• 1853-1866 - Virginia, Slave Birth Index, 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1912-1913 - Virginia, Birth Certificates, 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage

• 1660-1800 - Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 (Ancestry) ($).
• 1660-1959 - Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).
• 1750s-1780s - "Halifax County Marriage Bonds" [1750s-1780s], The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Jan., 1912):202-204. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR - free.
• 1753-1800 - Knorr, Catherine Lindsay. Marriage Bonds and Ministers' Returns of Halifax County, Virginia, 1753-1800. Pine Bluff, AR: C.L. Knorr, 1957. Hathi Trust's - free.
• 1750-1800 - Marriage Records, Halifax County, Virginia, c. 1750-1800. Chatham, VA?: Daughters of the American Revolution, 1981. WorldCat
• 1753-1905 - Halifax County Marriage Index 1753-1905. Batch M868761 at FamilySearch - free.
• 1753-1854 - Ricks, Joel. Halifax County, Virginia Marriage Bonds 1753-1854. Salem, MA: Higginson Book Co., 1997. WorldCat
• 1755-1825 - Ridlen, Colleen. Halifax County, Virginia Marriages, 1755-1825. Beech Grove, IN: Self-published, n.d. WorldCat
• 1756-1800 - Gioe, Joan Colbert. Halifax County, Virginia Marriages, 1756-1800: Plus Parents' Consents. Indianapolis: The Researchers, 1993. WorldCat
• 1773-1854 - Virginia Pioneers ($)
• 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry.com ($) — index
• 1801-1831 - Chiarito, Marian Dodson, James Hadley Prendergast, and Catherine Lindsay Knorr. Marriages of Halifax County, Virginia, 1801-1831. Nathalie, VA: Clarkton Press, 1985. WorldCat
• 1853-1935 - Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, County Marriage Registers, 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1936-1988 - Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images

Divorce

• 1918-1988 - Virginia, Divorce Records, 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy deaths are online in the Library of Virginia's Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, sponsored by Virginia Genealogical Society.

• 1853-1912 - Halifax County Death Index 1853-1912 at FamilySearch - free.
• 1912-1987 - Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — index and images

Vital Record Substitutes

The Virginia Historical Society's Marriage and Obituary Index, 1736-1820 (newspaper abstracts) is available at FamilySearch. Images of the original index cards are browseable, arranged alphabetically by surname.

Voting

• Chiarito, Marian Dodson. Lists of Voters for Elections of Burgesses, 1764-1769, Halifax County, Virginia. Nathalie, VA: Self-published, 1986. WorldCat
• Warren, Mary Bondurant. Halifax County, Virginia Colonial Poll [1764-1769] and Tithables Lists [1755-1780]. Danielsville, Georgia: Heritage Papers, 1991. Available at FHL.

Halifax County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

• Clarksville Regional Museum (Virginia is for Lovers website)
• Halifax County Historical Society
• Halifax County Regional Library: Halifax Public Library, Main St., Halifax, VA 24558
• Halifax County Regional Library: South Boston Public Library, 509 Broad St., South Boston, VA 24595
• L.E. Coleman African-American Museum, 3011 Mountain Road, Halifax, VA 24558
  
• South Boston-Halifax County Museum of Fine Arts and History, 1500 Wilborn Ave., South Boston, VA 24592
• South Central Virginia Genealogical Society, Inc. Facebook Home, Rt. 1, Box 66-G, Pamplin, VA 23958
• The Virginia-North Carolina Piedmont Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 2272, Danville, VA 24541

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Halifax County Virginia Genealogy Websites

• Halifax County, Virginia USGENWEB
• The Crossing of the Dan Exhibit (The Prizery)
• FamilySearch Catalog
• Halifax County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
• Halifax County, Virginia (Census Bureau "Quick Facts")
• Halifax County, Virginia (official county government website)
• Halifax County, Virginia (Wikipedia)
• Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy (Halifax.com)
• Halifax County Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Virginia Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
• Halifax County, Virginia GenWeb
• Halifax County, Virginia GenWeb Archives
• The History of Halifax County
• History of Halifax County, Virginia
• The History of Halifax County, Virginia 1750-1940
• The Native Americans of Halifax County, Virginia & the Early Explorers
• Old Halifax
• Cyndi's List
• Virginia Pioneers ($)

Halifax County Virginia Genealogy References

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