Bland County, Virginia Genealogy
Guide to Bland County, Virginia ancestry, family history and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, immigration records, and military records.
| Bland County, Virginia | |
| Map | |
| |
 Location in the state of Virginia | |
 Location of Virginia in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | 1861 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Bland |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Bland County Virginia History
- 3 Places/Localities
- 4 Bland County Virginia Genealogy Resources
- 5 Bland County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries
- 6 Bland County Virginia Genealogy Websites
- 7 Bland County Virginia Genealogy References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Bland County is located in the Southwest portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia sharing a border with West Virginia. Bland County was named after Richard Bland, a leader of Colonial Virginia[1].
Bland County Virginia Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Bland County Courthouse
612 Main Street, Suite 104
Bland, VA 24315
Phone: 540-688-4562
Clerk Circuit court has marriage, probate and land records 1861
and divorce records from 1900[2]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1861 | 1861 | 1861 | 1861 | 1861 | 1861 | 1810 |
General compliance year is unknown. | ||||||
Bland County Virginia History[edit | edit source]
The county was named after Richard Bland (1710-1776), Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress in 1774 and 1775.[4]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1861--Bland County was created 30 March 1861 from Giles, Tazewell and Wythe Counties.
County seat: Bland [2]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Virginia county boundary changes, Rotating Formation Virginia County Boundary Maps (1617-1995) may be viewed at MapofUS.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1888 Most loose papers were destroyed by a courthouse fire in 1888. Bound volumes, and some of the chancery papers remain.[5]
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
- Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill. Online at: Family History Circle.
- When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle. Online at: Tennessee Genealogy Blog.
- Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[6]
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Suburbs | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
Bland County Virginia Genealogy Resources[edit | edit source]
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
- A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Bland County. By John Frederick Dorman. The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1961):77-78. CD available at: New England Ancestors ($).
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Images of the Virginia Historical Society's family Bible collection have been digitized:
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| 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 | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Virginia Cemeteries for more information. | ||
For a more detailed list, including addresses and external links, see Bland County, Virginia Cemeteries.
The following is a list of cemeteries in Bland County: [7]
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|
Census[edit | edit source]
For tips on accessing Bland County, Virginia Genealogy census records online, see: Virginia Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1870 | 4,000 | — |
| 1880 | 5,004 | 25.1% |
| 1890 | 5,129 | 2.5% |
| 1900 | 5,497 | 7.2% |
| 1910 | 5,154 | −6.2% |
| 1920 | 5,593 | 8.5% |
| 1930 | 6,031 | 7.8% |
| 1940 | 6,731 | 11.6% |
| 1950 | 6,436 | −4.4% |
| 1960 | 5,982 | −7.1% |
| 1970 | 5,423 | −9.3% |
| 1980 | 6,349 | 17.1% |
| 1990 | 6,514 | 2.6% |
| 2000 | 6,871 | 5.5% |
| Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Chancery Court[edit | edit source]
- Indexed images of Bland County, Virginia Chancery Records 1874-1928 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. The online indexes continues from 1928 through 1938, but at present does not include images. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.[8]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
- History of Bland County, Virginia. c1961. By Bland County Centennial Corporation. Radford, Virginia : Bland County Centennial Corporation. At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Little Walkers Creek : A History of the Land and Its People. c2005. By Rebecca Cox Sowers. Franklin, Tennessee : American History Imprints. At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Military[edit | edit source]
War of 1812[edit | edit source]
- 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... 1883. Washington, DC : Government Printing Office. Online at: Internet Archive, Google Books. See Vol. 5, Virginia, Bland County, p. 64.
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers 1861-1865
- 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers 1861-1865
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 Ancestry
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
Bland County men most often served in regiments (and companies) from their home county. At times, however, individuals and small groups can be found serving in regiments from neighboring counties. Later in the war, Confederate units often reorganized.
- - 8th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company F (Bland Rangers)[9]
- - 36th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate).
- - 45th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (Sharpshooters).[10]
- - 47th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company B.[11]
- - 51st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (or K).[12]
- History of Bland County, Virginia. c1961. By Bland County Centennial Corporation. Radford, Virginia : Bland County Centennial Corporation. At various libraries (WorldCat). Includes names of units from this county and a roster of the men who served in these units on pages 259-277.
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1940-1945 - Virginia, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images
Miscellaneous Records[edit | edit source]
- 1607-2007 - Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
The Virginia Newspapers Project identifies local Bland County, Virginia Genealogy newspapers.
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Taxation[edit | edit source]
- 1890 - Bland County, Virginia Property Tax Records. 2004. By Denise A. Smith. Signal Mountain, TN : Mountain Press. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Indexes to Bland 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[edit | edit source]
- 1853-1866 - Virginia, Slave Birth Index, 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1861-1896 - Bland County, Virginia Births: 1861-96. 2000. By Beth Fridley. Provo, UT : The Generations Network, Inc. Online at: Ancestry ($).
- 1912-1913 - Virginia, Birth Certificates, 1912-1913
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1660-1959 - Virginia, United States Marriages Online at: FindMyPast ($)
- 1861-1929 - Bland County Marriage Index 1861-1929. Batch M868575.[13]
- 1936-1988 - Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1918-1988 - Virginia, Divorce Records, 1918-1988
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1912-1987 - Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987
Vital Record Substitutes[edit | edit source]
 |
For birth, marriage, and death record substitutes, see Bible Records, Cemeteries, Church Records, Newspapers, and Probate Records. |
Bland County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.
- For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map
Bland County Virginia Genealogy Websites[edit | edit source]
- Bland Co., VAGenWeb. Part of the USGenWeb Project. Maps, name indexes, history.
- Bland County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Cyndi's List
Bland County Virginia Genealogy References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ https://www.blandcountyva.gov/page/history-of-bland-county/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Bland County, Virginia. Page 711 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Bland County, Virginia . Page 710-723 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 715-720.
- ↑ Wikipedia Contributors, "Bland County, Virginia," in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bland_County, accessed 13 January 2012.
- ↑ Lost Records Localities: Counties and Cities with Missing Records, 4, in Library of Virginia (accessed 4 April 2014).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bland_ County,_Virginia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bland_County,_Virginia accessed 16 Decamber 2019.
- ↑ USGS Map, Topozone.com
- ↑ "Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index Availability," Library of Virginia (accessed 26 January 2010).
- ↑ Jack L. Dickinson, 8th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1986). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 25.
- ↑ J.L. Scott, 45th Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1989). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 58.
- ↑ Richard L. Armstrong, 26th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1994). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 110.
- ↑ James A. Davis, 51st Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1984). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 9; A Guide to Virginia Military Organization 1861-1865, 287.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Online at: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/3/37/Igivirginia.pdf.
