Buckingham County Historical Records

Buckingham County genealogy records go back to 1761, offering family history researchers more than 260 years of documentation from this central Virginia county. The Circuit Court Clerk in Buckingham holds marriage, land, probate, divorce, and court records that are open to the public. Buckingham County was carved from Albemarle County in 1761, so researchers with ancestors in the area before that date should also check Albemarle County records to complete their family history search.

Buckingham County Circuit Court Clerk

The Buckingham County Circuit Court Clerk's office maintains all court records, land records, marriage licenses, and probate records from 1761. Land records are open to public search in the clerk's office. You can visit the courthouse in Buckingham during regular business hours to look through deed indexes, will books, and other original documents.

Buckingham County was created in 1761 from Albemarle County, and parts of Prince Edward County were added in 1772. The county seat is Buckingham, which is also the name of the county itself. The courthouse serves as both the administrative center and the repository for all historical records. If your ancestor lived in Buckingham County at any point from 1761 onward, the clerk's office is the primary source for original documentation.

Marriage license applications require both parties to be present with valid photo identification for new licenses. Probate records including wills and estate administrations are also maintained in the clerk's office. Most records from 1761 to the present are open to the public.

Searching Buckingham County Genealogy Records

To search Buckingham County records in person, go to the courthouse at the address above. The clerk's staff can help you find the indexes and locate specific volumes. Land records and will books are indexed by name, which makes searches manageable even for people new to courthouse research. If you know approximately when your ancestor lived in the county, that narrows down which deed books and will books to check.

The Buckingham County government website at buckinghamcountyva.org has information about county offices and services. For older digitized records, the Library of Virginia holds microfilm of Buckingham County deeds, wills, and court records. Many of these films can be searched through the LVA's online catalog, and some are available through the interlibrary loan system.

The Virginia Memory digital portal offers free access to some Buckingham County records including land tax records and chancery case indexes. Chancery suits can be especially useful for genealogists because they often involved family property disputes and contain detailed statements about family relationships.

Note: The clerk's office can provide certified copies of specific documents but does not conduct genealogical research for visitors. You need to identify the specific record you want before requesting a copy.

Types of Records in Buckingham County

Marriage records in Buckingham County begin in 1761 and include both marriage bonds and marriage registers. The bonds were signed before the ceremony and name the bride, groom, and a bondsman who guaranteed the marriage was legal. These are useful because the bondsman was often a relative. Marriage registers, kept by the clerk after the ceremony, record the date and sometimes the minister or officiant. Together, these two sources can confirm and date a marriage event.

Land records are among the most complete and consistent genealogical sources in Buckingham County. Deed books from 1761 onward document every land transfer, and grantee and grantor indexes allow you to search by name. Related records include deeds of trust, surveyor's plats, and lease agreements. These land records can help you plot your ancestor's movements through the county over time and identify neighbors who may have been relatives.

Probate records include wills and estate administrations from 1761. Wills are particularly valuable because they name beneficiaries directly and can prove or suggest family relationships. Estate inventories list personal property in detail and can confirm the approximate date of death. Guardian accounts appear when a parent died leaving minor children, and these records often continue for years, tracking the children's ages and finances.

Court records from 1761 include order books and case files from both civil and criminal proceedings. Divorce records are also maintained by the clerk. The Virginia Genealogical Society has published indexes and research guides that cover Buckingham County and can help you navigate these collections more efficiently.

Vital Records and Additional Resources

Virginia began statewide vital registration in 1912, which means birth and death certificates from that year onward are held by the Virginia Department of Health Vital Records office rather than the county courthouse. For Buckingham County births before 1912, you need to search church registers, family bibles, and census mortality schedules. The 1880 census mortality schedule lists people who died in the year before the census was taken and can be a useful death record substitute.

The Find A Grave database has entries for Buckingham County cemeteries. Gravestone inscriptions document deaths and sometimes include birth dates, spouse names, and family epitaphs that provide genealogical information not found in court records. Buckingham County has many small rural cemeteries on family land, and cemetery transcription projects have captured many of these for online searching.

For federal records, the National Archives holds pension files, bounty land applications, and military service records for Buckingham County residents who served in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Pension files in particular can be rich genealogical sources because they sometimes include a veteran's personal account of their service, family details, and sworn statements from neighbors who knew the family.

Buckingham County Images

The Buckingham County government website provides information about the Circuit Court Clerk and public records access. The image below was captured from buckinghamcountyva.org, the official county government site.

The county website links to the clerk's office information and gives you contact details for planning a research visit.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Buckingham County. Each has its own Circuit Court Clerk with genealogy records.