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Dates of Formation and Parent Counties
Compiled By Garnett
L. Hearl
Chart Format Copyright 1998 by Garnett Lee Hearl
Note: All counties which have # 1 designation were original Shires or Counties.
County #2 derived from #1 next above, #3 derived from #2 next above, #4 derived from #3 next above Etc.. "Ext" Means the County or Shire became Extinct..
1. ACCOWMACK 1634-1642 Ext.
2. ...Northampton 1642-43
3. ....Accomack 1662
1. CHARLES CITY 1634
2. ...Prince George 1703
3. ....Brunswick 1732
4. .....Lunenburg 1746
5. ......Halifax 1752
6. .......Pittsylvania 1767
7. ........Henry 1777
8. .........Patrick 1791
5. ......Bedford 1754
6. .......Campbell 1782
6. .......Franklin 1786
5. ......Charlotte 1765
5. ......Mecklenburg 1765
4. .....Greenville 1781
3. ....Amelia 1735
4. .....Prince Edward 1754
4. .....Nottoway 1789
3. ....Dinwiddie 1752
1. ELIZABETH CITY 1634-1952 Ext. Became City of Hampton,
Va.
2. ...New Norfolk 1636-1637 Ext.
3. ....Lower Norfolk 1637-1691 Ext.
4. .....Norfolk 1691
4. .....Princess Ann 1691
3. ....Upper Norfolk 1637-1646 Ext.
4. .....Nansemond 1646
1. WARWICK RIVER 1634-1642/3 Ext.
2. ...Warwick 1642/3-1952 Ext. Became City of Warwick
Note: Warwick consolidated with Newport News, Va. Now Newport
News.
1. JAMES CITY 1634
2. ...Surry 1652
3. ....Sussex 1754
1. WARROSQUYOAKE 1634-1637 Ext.
2. ...Isle of Wight 1637
3. ....Southampton 1749
1. HENRICO 1634
2. ...Goochland 1728
3. ....Albemarle 1744
4. .....Amherst 1761
5. ......Nelson 1800
4. .....Buckingham 1761
5. ......Appomattox 1845
4. .....Fluvanna 1777
3. ....Cumberland 1749
4. .....Powhatan 1777
2. ...Chesterfield 1749
1. CHARLES RIVER 1624-1642 Ext.
2. ...York 1642
3. ....Gloucester 1651
4. .....Mathews 1791
3. ....New Kent 1654
4. .....King and Queen 1691
5. ......King William 1702
4. .....Hanover 1721
5. ......Lousia 1742
1. NORTHUMBERLAND 1645
2. ...Lancaster 1651
3. ....Rappahannock 1636-1692 Ext.
4. .....Essex 1692
5. ......Caroline 1728
5. ......Spottsylvania 1721
6. .......Orange 1734
7. ........Augusta 1745 (See Separate Augusta Chart)
7. ........Frederick 1743
8. .........Berkley 1772 Now in W.VA.
9. ..........Jefferson 1801 W.VA.
10. ...........Morgan 1820 W.VA
8. .........Dunmore 1772-1778 Ext.
9. ..........Shenandoah 1778
10. ...........Warren 1836
8. .........Clarke 1836
7. ........Culpeper 1749
8. .........Madison 1793
8. .........Rappahannock 1833
7. ........Green 1838
3. ....Middlesex 1669 Formed from Lancaster county above.
2. ...Westmorland 1655
3. ....Stafford 1664
4. .....Prince William 1731
5. ......Fairfax 1742
6. .......Loudoun 1757
6. .......Alexandria 1847-1920Ext
7. ........Arlington, Va. 1920
AUGUSTA COUNTY VIRGINIA
Formed From Orange County 1738, County Government Established
1745
( Note: Assigned #1 but not an original county)
1. AUGUSTA 1738
2. ...Hampshire 1754 Now in W.Va.
3. ....Hardy 1786 W.Va.
2. ...Monongolia 1776 W.Va.
3. ....Harrison 1784 W.Va.
4. .....Randolph 1787 W.Va.
5. ......Upshlr 1851 W.Va.
5. ......Tucker 1856 W.Va.
4. .....Wood 1798 W.Va.
5. ......Wirt 1848 W.Va.
5. ......Pleasants 1851 W.Va.
4. .....Lewis 1816 W.Va.
5. ......Gilmer 1845 W.Va.
6. .......Calhoun 1856 W.Va.
5. ......Braxton 1836 W.Va.
6. .......Clay 1858 W.Va.
4. .....Barbour 1843 W.Va.
4. .....Ritchie 1843 W.Va.
4. .....Taylor 1844 W.Va..
4. .....Doddrige 1845 W.Va.
3. ....Preston 1818 W.Va.
3. ....Marion 1842 W.Va.
2. ...Ohio 1776 W.Va.
3. ....Brooke 1797 W.Va.
4. .....Hancock 1848 W.Va.
3. ....Tyler 1814 W.Va.
4. .....Wetzel 1846 W.Va.
3. ....Marshall 1835 W.Va.
2. ...Yohogania 1776-1786 Ext.
2. ...Rockbridge 1778
2. ...Rockingham 1778
3. ....Page 1831
2. ...Illinois 1778-1784 Ext.
2. ...Pendleton 1788 W.Va.
3. ....Highland 1847
2. ...Bath 1791
3. ....Pocohontas 1821 W.Va.
3. ....Alleganay 1822
2. ...Botetourt 1770
3. ....Fincastle 1772-1777 Ext.
4. .....Kentucky County 1777- 1780 Ext. Became a State.
5. ......Fayette 1780 Ky.
6. .......Bourbon 1786 Ky.
7. ........Mason 1789 Ky.
6. .......Woodford 1789 Ky.
5. ......Jefferson 1780 Ky.
6. .......Nelson 1785 Ky.
5. ......Lincoln 1780 Ky.
6. .......Madison 1786 Ky.
6. .......Mercer 1786 Ky.
4. .....Montgomery 1777
5. ......Wythe 1790
6. .......Grayson 1793
7. ........Carroll 1842
6. .......Tazewell 1800
7. ........Buchanan 1858
7. ........McDowell 1858 W.Va.
5. ......Giles 1806
6. .......Logan 1824 W.Va.
7. ........Fayette 1831 W.Va.
8. .........Raleigh 1850 W.Va.
7. ........Wyoming 1850 W.Va.
6. .......Mercer 1837 W.Va.
6. .......Bland 1861
5. ......Floyd 1831
5. ......Pulaski 1839
4. .....Washington 1777
5. ......Russell 1786
6. .......Lee 1793
7. ........Scott 1814
7. ........Wise 1856
6. .......Dickenson 1800
5. ......Smyth 1832 Note: Smyth was taken from Washington and
Wythe
3. ....Greenbrier 1776 W.Va.
4. .....Kanawa 1789 W.Va.
5. ......Mason 1804 W.Va.
6. .......Jackson 1831 W.Va.
5. ......Cabell 1809 W.Va.
6. .......Wayne 1842 W.Va.
5. ......Boone 1847 W.Va.
5. ......Putnam 1848 W.VA.
5. ......Roane 1856 W.Va.
4. .....Monroe 1799 W.Va. Formed from Greenbrier
4. .....Nichols 1810 W.Va. Formed from Greenbeier
5. ......Webster 1860 W.VA.
3. ....Roanoke 1838 Formed from Botetourt Co.
Please Note: Many counties were formed from more than one county.
The parent counties in this chart were usually the ones from which
the most land was taken....
Virginia Counties Records Status
Posted to the VAAUGUST-L list by Sue >SLUSFLAG@aol.com
Index of records available in Virginia Counties: VIRGINIA WILLS
AND
ADMINISTRATIONS by Clayton Torrence, pages IX, X (Keep in mind
that some
records or fragments have been found or returned to Virginia since
this book
was published.)
During the long course of years since 1634 many of the record
books of old
county courts have disappeared; some have been lost through destruction
by
fire; some were wantonly destroyed by invading armies, and some
have gone in
the natural order of decay of such material where it is not properly
cared
for.
In compiling this "Index" no attempt has been made to
go beyond the series of
books in which wills and inventories were actually recorded.
The following list indicates the condition of will and inventory
records as
at present preserved in the several counties of Virginia which
were organized
prior to the year 1800 which records have been used in the compilation
of
this "Index." The date following the county name indicates
the year in which
the county was organized and the word "complete" is
used to describe a
sequence in the will and inventory records of a county; the counties
marked
with an asterisk * are now in the State of West Virginia.
Accomack (1632-1642; original county; records complete)
Accomack (1663; complete)
Albemarle (1744; complete from 1749)
Amelia (1735; complete)
Amherst (1761; complete)
Augusta (1745; complete)
Bath (1791; complete)
Bedford (1754; complete)
Berkeley* (1772; complete)
Botetourt (1770; complete)
Brooke's (1797; complete)
Brunswick (formed prior to 1732; organized 1732 when records begin;
complete)
Buckingham (1761; destroyed)
Campbell (1782; complete)
Caroline (1728; destroyed)
Charles City (1634; original; one volume of general records 1655-166S;
wills and inventories prior 1769 missing; from 1769 complete)
Charlotte (1765; complete)
Chesterfield (1749; complete)
Culpeper (1749, complete)
Cumberland (1749; complete)
Dinwiddie (1752; destroyed)
Elizabeth City (1632; destroyed)
Essex (1692; complete)
Fairfax (1742; complete)
Fauquier (1759; complete)
Fincastle (1772; extinct 1777; will records in Montgomery County)
Fluvanna (1777; complete)
Franklin (1786; complete)
Frederick (1743; complete)
Gloucester (1651; destroyed)
Goochland (1728; complete)
Grayson (1793; complete)
Greenbrier* (1778; complete)
Greensville (1781; complete);
Halifax (1752; complete)
Hampshire* (1754; wills as listed under specific surnames in this
'Index")
Hanover (1721; only remaining volume 1733-35)
Hardy* (1786; complete)
Harrison* (1784; complete)
Henrico (1634; original; fragmentary: those remaining: 1677-1718,
1725-37, 1744-57, 1767 -69, 1774-82 (re-recorded], 1781-1800)
Henry (1777; complete)
Isle of Wight (1637; was under name of Warrosquyoake 1634-1637;
some
few wills during 1650s; from 1661 complete except that some of
books are
damaged)
James City (1634; destroyed)
Kanawha* (1789; complete)
King and Queen (1691; destroyed)
King George (1721; records in existence, wills 1752-1800 [some
pages
missing from the books] ; inventories 1721-1765; bonds 1739--1790
[executors, administrators, etc.] fiduciary accounts 1794-1807)
King William (1702; some fragments)
Lancaster (1651; complete)
Lee (1793; destroyed)
Loudoun (1757; complete)
Louisa (1742; complete with the exception of first pages from
the
first will book) Lunenburg (1746; complete)
Madison (1793; complete)
Mathews (1791; destroyed),-
Mecklenburg (1765; complete)
Middlesex (1673; some wills, etc in order books 1673-94; will
book
preserved 1698-1734 and 1740-1795 though a number of pages are
missing from
the volume 1713-34 and first ten pages from volume 1748-60)
Monongalia* (1776; destroyed)
Montgomery (1777; complete)
Nansamond (organized 1637 under name of "Upper Norfolk"
and changed to
Nansamond in 1642. The Nansamond records totally destroyed)
New Kent (1654; destroyed)
Norfolk (organized 1636 under name of "New Norfolk",
in 1637 became
"Lower Norfolk", and in 1691 became Norfolk* (records
continuous
from 1637, though some volumes very badly damaged, pages illegible,
etc.
gaps here and there in the record books);
Northampton (1642; complete-- these records include the records
of the
original Accomack County, 1632-1642)
Northumberland (1648; wills and inventories remain for periods:
1632-1672, 1706-20, 1710-13, 1718-29, 1738-1800)
Nottoway (1789; complete)
Ohio* (1776; complete)
Orange 1734; complete)
Patrick (1791; complete)
Pendleton (1788; complete)
Pittsylvania (1767; complete)
Powhatan (1777; complete)
Prince Edward (1754; complete)
Prince George (1702; remaining volumes 1713-29 and 1787-921; Prince
William (1731; remaining volumes cover periods 1734-1744 and 1778-1803)
Princess Anne (1691; complete)
Randolph* (1787; complete)
Old Rappahannock (1656; became extinct 1692; complete records
kept in
Essex Court)
Richmond (1692; complete 1699-1800; first will book 1692-99 missing)
Rockbridge (1778; complete)
Rockingam (1778; destroyed)
Russell (1786; destroyed)
Shenandoah (organized under name of "Dunmore" in 1772
and name changed
in 1778 to Shenandoah; records continuous from 1772, and complete)
Southampton (1749; complete)
Spotsylvania (1722; complete)
Stafford (1664; will and inventory remaining for 1699-1709, 1729-1748,
1748-1763, 1780-89)
Surry (1652; sequence in volumes to 1800, though some pages are
almost
illegible and one volume badly damaged)
Sussex (1754; complete)
Warwick 1634; destroyed)
Washington (1777; complete)
Westmoreland (1653; wills and inventories 1653-1677 and 1691-1800
appear to be complete; there is a gap in the wills, etc. between
1677
and 1690)
Wood* (1798; but no will records prior to 1800)
Wythe (1790; complete)
Yohogania (1776; major portion of territory fell within Pennsylvania
on adjustment of bountry line 1780; and other portion added to
Ohio County
in 1786)
York (1634; organized as Charles River and name changed to York
in
1642; records continuous from 1633, and complete)
The King William County records were burned in 1885. Fragments
of record picked up
after the fire are bound in 17 volumes; but these fragments include
comparatively
few items prior to 1790. and these items are very largely composed
deeds.
The will and inventory books evidently suffered almost total destruction.
"Index does not include the will records of the county
of Kentucky formed In
the Year 1777 and its subsequent divisions which in 1792 became
the State of
Kentucky. The original Accomack County (1632-1642) are in custody
of the
authorities of Northampton County. and wills and inventories entered
in this
"Index" from these records are marked "Northampton";
to save confusion.
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