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United States   Virginia   Greensville County

Location of Greensville County, Virginia

Greensville County Boundary Map

County Courthouse

Greensville County Courthouse, Emporia, Va.

History

Sir Richard Grenville (1542-1591)

The county is believed to have been named after English explorer Sir Richard Grenville (1542-1591).

Parent County

1780--Greensville County was created 16 October 1780 from Brunswick and Sussex Counties.
County seat: Emporia ^[1]

Boundary Changes

Variant Spellings

• Greenville^[2]

Record Loss

• Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

Places/Localities

Populated Places

Neighboring Counties

Resources

African American

• Heinegg, Paul. "Greensville County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1830," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]

Biography

• Brown, Douglas Summers. Historical and Biographical Sketches of Greensville County, Virginia, 1650-1967. Emporia, Va.: The Riparian Woman's Club, 1968. FHL Collection 975.5572 H2h

Cemeteries

Census

1890 Union Veterans

• Turner, Ronald Ray. Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. Available online, courtesy: Prince William County Virginia website. [Includes residents of this county.]

Church

Church of England

See also Meherrin Parish
See also St. Andrew's Parish

Court

County Court

• Goodwyn, Dora Hedges. "Notes from the Records of Greensville County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Jul., 1913):31-38. Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). [Partial abstracts of Greensville County Court Order Book 1.]
• Goodwyn, W. Samuel. "Officers Recommended and Qualified for the Militia of Greensville County, Virginia, 1782-1815,"
  The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Oct., 1918):96-103; Vol. 27, No. 3 (Jan., 1919):176-184 . Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). [Abstracted from Greensville County Court Order Books.]

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]

General

As of November 2010, a query for individuals born in Greensville, Virginia at World Connect, results in more than 5,000 entries.

• D.A.R. Hicksford Chapter (Emporia, Va.). Biographies of the Revolutionary War Ancestors and History of the Hicksford Chapter: National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Va.: Hicksford Chapter, NSDAR, 1992. FHL Book 975.5573 D3b.
  
• Doyle, Stuart W. Roots Exposed the Lineage and Interrelationships of 15 Family Branches from Virginia's Sussex, Southampton and Greensville Counties. [Orlando, Fla.?]: S.W. Doyle, 2002. FHL Collection 929.273 D772ds [Includes Clanton, Graves, Heath, Hill, Hunnicutt, Maine, Massenburg, Reese, Seaborne, Smith, Vaughn, West, Wright and related families.]
• Joyner, Ulysses P. They Crossed the Blackwater: The First Settlers of Southampton County, Virginia. Orange, Va.: U.P. Joyner, 2001/2003. FHL Book 975.5552 H2j 2003.
  
• 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 Greensville County, see discussion of cited sources.] FHL US/CAN CD-ROM no. 3887. Purchase at Virginians.com.

Bibliography

• [Batte] Hamiln, Charles Hughes. "Batte and Allied Families: Genealogical Research Reports to a Client," The National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 60, No. 1 (Mar. 1972):8-12; Vol. 60, No. 2 (June 1972):103-107; Vol. 60, No. 3 (Sep. 1972):207-212. FHL Book 973 B2ng v. 60
• [Harris] Wiggins, Kathryn. The Harris Papers: A Genealogical Notebook. Camarillo, Calif.: K. Wiggins, 1968?. FHL Book 929.273 H24w
  
• [Howse] Mitchell, Mary Ann. The House of Howses. Jackson, Tenn.: M.A. Mitchell, 1988. FHL Book 929.273 H847m
  
• [Jackson] Staubach, Emilee Mills. Mills, Jackson Families: Early Court Records, Southside Virginia, Brunswick, Greensville. MSS., Clayton Library, Houston, Texas. FHL Collection 1317275 Item 1
• [Lanier] Ingersoll, Louise. Lanier: A Genealogy of the Family Who Came to Virginia and Their French Ancestors in London. Washington, D.C.: Goetz Printing Company, 1965. Digital version at World Vital Records ($).
• [Mills] Staubach, Emilee Mills. Mills, Jackson Families: Early Court Records, Southside Virginia, Brunswick, Greensville. MSS., Clayton Library, Houston, Texas. FHL Collection 1317275 Item 1
• [Price] Roach, Henry A. Levi Lloyd Price, 1842-1920, and Descendants. 1978. FHL Book 929.273 P931rh
  
• [Shehorn] Bell, Shirley Ann Hulett. Shehorn Family, ca. 1794-1969. Typescript. Microfilmed 2000: FHL Film 1425294 Item 2
  
• [Walton] Black, Roy W. Walton Family of Brunswick & Greensville Counties, Virginia and Morgan & Putnam Counties, Georgia. Typescript, 1955. FHL Collection 875417 Item 7
• [Watkins] Ewing, Evelyn Jones and Raymond W. Watkins. Watkins Family Information. Typescript. Microfilmed 1996: FHL Film 2055173 Item 2
  
• [Woodruff] Woodruff, Audrey Lee Wagner. Tall Trees in the Forest: The Woodruff Family of Virginia, Alabama, and Missouri. Kansas City, Mo., 1966. FHL Book 929.273 W86b
• [Woodruff] Woodruff, Howard W.The Woodroof-Woodrough-Woodruff Family: of Surry, Brunswick, Greensville counties, Virginia, 1700-1825, and Some Branches Who Migrated to Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, Texas, 1820-1985. Independence, Mo.: A.L. Woodruff, 1985. FHL Collection 929.273 W86w; digital version at Internet Archive. [Revised and updated version of Tall Trees in the Forest (1966).]
• [Wyche] Town, Jan Wyche. Wyche Family History. Burleson, Texas: J.W. Town, 1989. FHL Book 929.273 W971t
  

Immigration

• Ljungstedt, Milnor. "Items from Southern Records" [Showing Family and Trade Connections with Northern Colonies and the Home Countries], The American Genealogist, Vol. 15 (1938):95-104. Available at New England Ancestors. [Greensville Co., VA surname: Harris.]

Land

Grants and Patents

• Hudgins. 694 patents dated 1715-1800 in what is now Greensville County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper, 2000. [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.]

Local Histories

• Brown, Douglas Summers, Virginia Lee Baker, Eleanor Little Eanes, and L. Ralph Slagle eds. Historical and Biographical Sketches of Greensville County, Virginia, 1650-1967. Emporia, Virginia: The Riparian Woman's Club, 1968. Free Lookups Available! Reviewed by Herbert C. Bradsham in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 77, No. 4 (Oct., 1969):506-507. Review available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).
• Sketches of Greensville County, Virginia, Second Edition, 1968-2000. Free Lookups Available!

Maps

Migration

• Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1976):199-208. Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Greensville County's 1788 Delinquent List appears on pp. 127-128.]
• Elliott, Katherine B. Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 2 vols. South Hill, Virginia: K.B. Elliott, 1966. Vol. 1 of original edition available at FHL; 1983 reprints (both volumes) available at FHL; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) also available at FHL. [Includes individuals who migrated out of Greensville County to other parts of the country.]

Military

Revolutionary War

• Douthat, James L. 1782 Greensville County, Virginia Property Valuation Impressed During Revolutionary War. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2010. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.
• 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 versions at U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: FHL Collection 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Greensville County on page 130.]
• 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 Collection 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

Militia

• Goodwyn, W. Samuel. "Officers Recommended and Qualified for the Militia of Greensville County, Virginia, 1782-1815," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Oct., 1918):96-103; Vol. 27, No. 3 (Jan., 1919):176-184 . Available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($). [Abstracted from Greensville County Court Order Books.]

War of 1812

• 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 Collection 975.5 M2djL. [Includes Greensville 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 Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Greenville County [sic], p. 82. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Newspapers

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 the Virginia Gazette and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia.

Probate

Research Guides

• "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Greensville County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 12, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1968):107-108. Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors ($).

Taxation

 How can Virginia tax lists help me?

• [1782-1830] Heinegg, Paul. "Greensville County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1830," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
• [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 at FHL. [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Greensville County is included in Vol. 1.]
• [1788] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1976):199-208. Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records identify migrants who left the county and often their intended destinations. Greensville County's 1788 Delinquent List appears on pp. 127-128.]
• [1789, 1798] Indexed images of the 1789 and 1798 Personal Property Tax Lists of Greensville County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
• [1800] Tax List, 1800, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr. 1982); Vol. 26, No. 3 (Jul. 1982). Available at FHL.
• [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. Greensville County is included in Vol. 2.]

Vital Records

Societies and Libraries

Websites

• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• Family History Library Catalog

References

1. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
2. ↑ 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), Vol. 5, p. 82. FHL Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive.