Augusta County Resources

Heavy migration of Scotch-Irish, Welsh, and Germans from Pennsylvania into Virginia began about 1730. Augusta County became the haven for Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. While Augusta County was officially formed from Orange County in 1738, it wasn't until 1745 that the first court was held. We are fortunate to have these early court records transcribed in Lyman Chalkley's "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745-1800." If you are new to searching Augusta County, Chalkley is the place to start.

Local Addresses Court House, Museums, Libraries, Societies (r)	Maps 1738, 1770, 1776, 1791 and present day.	Standard References What to look for offline. (r)	Census Records and Tax Lists 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1850, 1860
Chalkley's Chronicles Online transcription of court records 1745-1800 (r)	Augusta County Families Contains many primary records and the list is growing! (r)	Tinkling Spring Church The first Presbyterian Church in Shenandoah Valley. (r)	Cemeteries (r)
Manuscripts Valley Archives, James Madison University, Virginia Tech, and more. (v)	Augusta Archives Wills, Deeds, Obits Pensions Records, etc.	Other Augusta County Sites Things that don't fit other categories-- calendar, photos, confederate pensions, 1899 business directories, history, geography.	Parent Counties Earlier counties from which Augusta was formed.

Tribute to Katherine G. Bushman Augusta County Historical Society Augusta County Genealogical Society Her friends on the 'Net

Local Addresses

Augusta County Courthouse

Clerk of the Circuit Court

P.O. Box 689

Staunton, VA 24402-0689

Phone: (540) 245-5321.

Will respond only to written requests with SASE; will make copies and bill you.

Genealogical Records in the AUGUSTA COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE.

Augusta County Library

Route 2, Box 600

Fishersville, VA 22939

Phone: 540-885-3961

Located in the old Fishersville Schoolhouse, at the intersection of U. S. Route 250 and State Route 608.

Vital Records Information Virginia state and county records.

Augusta County Genealogical

Meets third Wednesday of each month, 1 - 3:30 p.m., Augusta County Library in Fisherville.

Dues are $15 per year - January to January. Contact Herman Price, 2002 Lyndhurst Road, Waynesboro, VA 22980-5226.
President - Helen Stogdale
Vice President - John Pilson
Secretary - Treva Rankin
Treasurer - Herman A. Price

Local Researchers and others specializing in Augusta County
Jane Sherman, CGRS
Certified Genealogical Records Specialist
701 Donaghe Streeet
Staunton, VA
540-885-1357

Nancy Sorrells
3419 Cold Springs Rd.
Greenville, Va 24440
540-377-6390

Charles Johnson, currently with the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Department

Augusta VAGenWeb will be happy to add the names of other local researchers upon request, but neither the Augusta County Genealogical Society nor Augusta VAGenWeb will become involved in any negotiations or any problems that might arise from the utilization of these resources.

Augusta County Historical Society

P.O. Box 686

Staunton, VA 24402.

Col. Thomas Hughart Chapter, NSDAR

Jane Sherman, CGRS, Honorary Past Regent

Certified Genealogical Records Specialist

701 Donaghe Street

Staunton, VA

Local DAR chapter assists women with their Augusta County genealogy who are interested in joining this historic war society, and helps in the seeking of Revolutionary War ancestors, especially those who were from Augusta County.

First Families and Pioneer Families of Augusta County
Janie Sherman, CGRS
Certified Genealogical Records Specialist
This program requires applicants to submit their line back to an Augusta Co. First Family (those in Augusta Co. before 1800); or Pioneer family (those in Augusta Co. between 1800-1900.) Certificates are given to approved applications. Also, there are Junior Pioneers, children or grandchildren of the applicant, who can receive a certificate, as well. :)

The Madisons of Montpelier Chapter
U. S. Daughters of 1812
Jane Sherman, CGRS
Certified Genealogical Records Specialist

Liberty Hall Chapter
National Society Colonial Dames of Seventeenth Century
Jane Sherman, CGRS
Certified Genealogical Records Specialist

The Jamestowne Society
The Shenandoah Valley Company, Harrisonburg, VA
Organizing Governor, Linda Frazier, (Mrs. Robert Y.)
Jane Sherman, CGRS
Certified Genealogical Records Specialist

Central Valley Genealogical Association

Includes Augusta County in its area.

Museum of American Frontier Culture

P.O. Box 810

Staunton, VA 24402.
Library open M-F, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., appointments preferred; (540) 332-7850.

Staunton Public Library

Augusta and Churchill Avenue

Staunton, VA 24401.

Waynesboro Public Library

600 South Waynes Avenue

Waynesboro, VA 22980.

Augusta Memorial Park

Recordkeeper: S.S. Mc Dowell

Route 2, Box 57

Waynesboro, VA 22980

Fisherville Baptist Church Cemetery

Fisherville, VA 22939

Fisherville United Methodist Church Cemetery

Route 1, Box 105

Fisherville, VA 22939

Greenville United Methodist Church Cemetery

Recordkeeper: John Brake

Box 188

Greenville, VA 24440.

Hildebrand Mennonite Cemetery

Recordkeeper: Nelson R. Burkholder

328 Lee Drive

Waynesboro, VA 22980.

Mount Solon United Methodist Church Cemetery

Route 2, Box 221-A

Mount Solon, VA 22843.

St. John's Reformed United Church of Christ Cemetery

RR#1, Box 186A

Staunton, VA 24401.

Sangerville United Methodist Church Cemetery

Recordkeeper: Mount Solon United Methodist Church

Route 2, Box 221-A

Mount Solon, VA 22843.

Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church Cemetery

Fisherville, VA 22939.

Maps of Augusta County. 1738, 1770, 1776, 1791 and present day.

Formation of Virginia Counties 1617 to 1995 (from AniMap).

Formation of Virginia Counties 1700-1890.

Animated maps showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps.

Animated Census Maps showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundries.

US Map - 1650 to 1983. This wonderful animated map unfolds to show the development of America at various periods from 1650 through 1982; developed by Ed Stephan. Here is another one that focuses on census years from the SouthEastern Genealogy Online.

Map of Virginia in 1634. Shows eight original "shires."

Beverley Manor and Borden Grant. James Raymond Hildebrand map showing meeting houses established prior to 1745. This may take a while to load but it is worth it.

The Borden Grant. A larger map of the Borden grant area.

A map of the Beverley Patent, 1736, was compiled and drawn by James Raymond Hildebrand in 1954. This map shows the plats of the original grantees. Because of the size of this map it has been broken into quarter sections. Permission to include it online was graciously given by John R. Hildebrand, son of the cartographer.
Northeast Section
Southeast Section
Northwest Section
Southwest Section

Beverley Manor Index to assist in finding your ancestors on this map.

Hard copy of this map is available at:
History Museum and Historical Society of Western Virginia
1 Market Square S.E.
Roanoke, VA 24011
Phone - (540) 342-5770

1748 lots in Staunton.

Present Day Map of Virginia showing all counties.

DAR, Colonel Thomas Hughart Chapter

First Marriage Records of Augusta County, Virginia, 1785-1913.

Ibid.

Second Marriage Records of Augusta County, Virginia, 1813-1850.

Ibid.

Supplement to the First Marriage Records of Augusta County, Virginia.

compiled by Katherine G. Bushman.

Hildebrand, John R., ed.

A Mennonite Journal, 1862-1865: A Father's Account of the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley. (Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press, 1996)

Historical Bulletins

published semi-annually by Augusta County Historical Society, 1965- .

May, C.E.

Under Four Flags in the North River Basin. 1976.

Peyton, J. Lewis

History of Augusta County, Virginia. 1882.

Reese, Peggy

Index to Augusta County Death Registers, 1853-1896. 1983.

Ruffin, Beverley

Augusta Parish, 1738-1780.

Shenanoah Valley Family Data, 1799-1813, Pastor Johannes Braun.

published by Shenandoah History, Edinburg, Virginia, P.O. Box 98.

Turner, Herbert S.

Bethel and Her Ministers. 1946.

Waddell, Jos. A.

Annals of Augusta County, Virgnia. 1871; 1901

reprinted by Carrier 1958.

Waddell, Jos. A. and Hotchkiss, Jed

Historical Atlas of Augusta County, Virginia. 1884, reprinted by Augusta County Historical Society, 1980.

Wilson, Howard McKnight

The Tinkling Spring, Headwaters of Freedom. 1954, reprinted 1976.

Ibid.

Lexington Presbytery Heritage, 1971.

Ibid.

Great Valley Patriots. 1976.

Wust, Klaus

The Virginia Germans.

Augusta County Cemeteries by Glenda Lambert-Gibson who is transcribing cemeteries for The Augusta County Historical Society.

Staunton National Cemetery Four hundred eighty-five records of burials provided by the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs .

Glebe Cemetery. Transcriptions on the tombstones at the Glebe Graveyard on the farm of Thomas Thompson.

West Augusta Cemetery

Hildebrand Mennonite Church Cemetery

Wilson Family Cemetery

Augusta County Cemeteries. From the U.S. Geological Survey National Geographic Name System.

1810 census index

1810 census images

1820 census index

1830 census index

1850 census index

1860 and 1870 census Augusta County, Virginia, 1860 and 18780 Population Census, Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War, Virginia Center for Digital History, University of Virginia (http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/ vshadow2/govdoc/popcensus.html).

Other online census images

Deeds, Wills, Obits and other primary records contained in the Augusta County Archives.

Katherine Bushman Collection. Genealogical research files of Katherine G. Bushman, including family research files, subject files, compilations, and oversize genealogical charts and maps are now at the Library of Virginia. The majority of the collection consists of family research files containing correspondence with clients for whom Bushman did research, as well as genealogical notes abstracted from court records, including deed books, order books, will books, and marriage records. Patriotic organization applications, family group sheets, extracts from published sources, Bible records, census records, and genealogical charts also appear in these files. There is a substantial amount of information on the Alexander, Bell, Bushman, Craig, Curry, Davis, Fauber, Fulkerson, Greaver, Hogshead, Kinkead, McCutchan, Polk, Rankin, Robertson, Sheets, Steele, Tate, and Wilson families. There is a surname card index to these materials filed at the end of the series. An index to the Bushman collection has been developed by Tracy Hunter and can be accessed and downloaded through his Hunter web page.

CALDWELL abstracts from Chalkley.

The CAMPBELLS of Southwest Virginia and Their Descendants. An excellent history of a prominent Augusta County family by Phil Norfleet.

The DEVER/DEVIER Family. Descendants of Hugh E. Dever (born abt. 1728) and his wife, Agnes Blain, both of Augusta County, Virginia. Webpage of Charles Vernon DeVier.

James DOAK Family from the pages of Brenda Frazier.

DOAK abstracts from Chalkley.

FRAME, MAGILL, MOORE, PATTERSON, SILLIN families, prepared by Sue Phillips.

INDEX TO FULTON PAPERS, a collection of manuscripts, Revolutionary War records, wills, and mailing list, compiled by Norma Jennings.

JACKSON, BERRY, and GRIFFIN families in Augusta County, from Shelby Jackson Berry.

MATHEWS family just outside the Borden Tract and related kin. Also good background material on migration and early church from Robert D. Ferguson.

McCaffrey, McCorkle & Woody hosted by Dave Woody. Large database; easily navigated.

THE McCLANAHAN SOCIETY has information about Augusta County and other related McClanahans. Developed by Joe McClenahan.

McDOWELL family information is available from Deanna Holm.

SCOTT surname citations in Chalkley. Courtesy of Kathy Edwards.

William SKILLMAN Descendants. About 350 descendants of William and Elizabeth (Anderson) Skillman dating from 1710 to 1997 are available from Norma Flippo.

SORRELLS surname citations in Chalkley. Courtesy of Thelma F. Prince.

Descendants of Margaret WANLESS/WANDLESS of VA & England. Courtesy of Holly Wanless Cochran.

Additional surnames for which you can find online abstracts from Chalkley include DOAK, Samuel FINLEY, GILLESPIE and HENDERSON, John HENDERSON, John TRIMBLE, and Joseph WILSON.

Early Virginia/West Virginia Genealogy from Melva Wheelwright. Contains many Augusta County families including: BELL, CRAWFORD, DOOLEY, GILLESPIE, HENDERSON, LESSLEY, McCUNE, ROBERTSON.

Augusta County Wills and Estates for PATTERSON, BURTON, CALHOON, KENNEDAY, CHRISTIAN, YOUNG, HALE, and HAWES.

The Finleys of Early Sonoma County, California. Just published in December 1997, this book traces three Finley families who settled in Sonoma County, California prior to 1900 back to their Augusta County progenitors. 257 pages includes over 100 photographs, illustrations and maps.

Descendants of John Finley (? - 1783). Contains:
Descendants
Surname List
Name Index
Downloadable GEDCOM file (299647 bytes)

Finley Family History Database. Contains citations to and many full text documents on a number of Augusta County families including: ALEXANDER, BLACK, BROWN, BRYAN, CLENDENEN, CRAIG, CHRISTIAN, DOAK, DOWNING, FINLEY, GILLESPIE, GLEAVES, HENDERSON, JOHNSTON, LEWIS, McNAIR, McPHEETERS, MOONEY, RAMSEY, RIPPEY, ROBINSON, SHIELDS, TAYLOR, TRIMBLE, TURK, WILSON. Search on Augusta County as subject to find all references. Courtesy of the Ruben Salazar Library, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA. Some full text primary documents are now available at the Augusta County Archives and the Archives ftp site. Full text transcriptions and abstracts for related documents in Pennsylvania can be found on the Cumberland County, PAGenWeb Page.

Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church was a major influence in the early settlement of the Scotch-Irish in Augusta County. This section, courtesy of Jo Thiessen, also tells a bit about the early landowners.

Tinkling Spring Photo Album.

Augusta Stone Meeting House photo. Established as a part of the Triple Forks of the Shenandoah Congregation along with Tinkling Spring in 1740. Visit the Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church, a nicely designed site which gives church history and many photos of present day church activities.

Other Augusta County Churches. Churches located by the U.S. Geological Survey National Geographic Name System.

Beverley Manor and Borden Grant. James Raymond Hildebrand map showing meeting houses established prior to 1745. This may take a while to load but it is worth it.

A map of the Beverley Patent, 1736, where Tinkling Spring was located, was compiled and drawn by James Raymond Hildebrand in 1954. This map shows the plats of the original grantees. Because of the size of this map it has been broken into quarter sections. Permission to include it online was graciously given by John R. Hildebrand, son of the cartographer.
Northeast Section
Southeast Section
Northwest Section
Southwest Section

Katherine Bushman Collection. Genealogical research files of Katherine G. Bushman, including family research files, subject files, compilations, and oversize genealogical charts and maps are now at the Library of Virginia. The majority of the collection are family research files containing correspondence with clients for whom Bushman did research, as well as genealogical notes abstracted from court records, including deed books, order books, will books, and marriage records. Patriotic organization applications, family group sheets, extracts from published sources, Bible records, census records, and genealogical charts also appear in these files. There is a substantial amount of information on the Alexander, Bell, Bushman, Craig, Curry, Davis, Fauber, Fulkerson, Greaver, Hogshead, Kinkead, McCutchan, Polk, Rankin, Robertson, Sheets, Steele, Tate, and Wilson families. There is a surname card index to these materials filed at the end of the series.

The Valley of the Shadow or the Valley Archives, based at the University of Virginia, has an excellent collection of letters and diaries, newspapers, church records, maps, and other public records on Augusta County.

Manuscripts at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Carrier Library Special Collections Department contains many manuscripts about the central Shenandoah Valley. Material specific to Augusta County can be found in the Ernest Dickerman Collection (#3085), John Forrer Collection (#1760), John Harris Collection (#2025), Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society Collection (#2095), John Heatwole Collection #2040), George Manley Collection (#Flat 2010), Shenandoah Valley Misc. Ledgers (#2005), and the Staunton Academy Papers (#1758).

Manuscripts at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. The Special Collections Department of the University Libraries contains several manuscripts that may be of interest to Augusta County researchers. They include the 1862 correspondence of William Smith Hanger BAYLOR; diaries, books, and letters of various members of the BEAR family (1823-79); and COCHRAN family letters (1860-61).

Manuscripts at Washington and Lee University contain many genealogical connections to Augusta County and are widely included throughout all the files but especially in the Youel and Diehl collections.

Manuscripts at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, contain papers, ledgers, account books, poor records, Civil War, and other records of early Augusta County.

Diary of Joseph Waddell. From Joseph Waddell, "Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871." Contains entries during the second year of the Civil War.

Peggy S. Joyner, St. John's Church Register, German Reformed and Lutheran, Augusta County, Virginia (l748) l786-l872. (Elverson, PA: Olde Springfield Shoppe, l995), xv + l58 pp., soft cover, index, $25 + $3 p&h.; Translated from the original German register, this book contains numerous birth / baptismal entries, some death records, confirmation and communicant lists. St. John's is between Staunton and Middlebrook in Augusta County where there was a large settlement of Germans.

Virginia Newspaper Project Exhibits. The newspapers currently under examination by the Project include the collections of: the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary, the Library of Virginia, and the Virginia Historical Society.

Augusta County Calendar, lists reunions and other events.

Augusta County Photo Album. Photos of historic buildings and the countryside.

Providence and Timber Ridge Congregation, 1753 from The Draper Manuscripts.

Augusta County Searchable Databases. Contains 1860 census of Augusta households and searchable rosters of men from Augusta County, from Valley of the Shadow.

1909 Augusta County Confederate Pension List. Gives names of disabled Confederate soldiers and Confederate widows who received pensions. Copies of the actual pensions are available at the Library of Virginia.

1899 Staunton Business Directory

1899 Augusta County Business Directory, A-L

1899 Augusta County Business Directory, M-Z

Augusta County Rivers and Streams. One hundred thirty-six rivers and streams located by the U.S. Geological Survey National Georgraphic Name System. Articles on migration and the Augusta Parish by Bob Ferguson.

1850 Augusta County Census Microfilm Book. S-K Publications offers indexed printed copies of census records. Will also do Quicksearch for specific households by e-mail.

Antient Press has recently added Augusta Tax Lists for 1782 - 1788 and 1788 - 1790 to their available books.

Last updated Friday, 09-Sep-2005 09:49:22 MDT