Bertie County Genealogy
- Formed 1722
- Parent county / earlier Chowan
- County seat Windsor
- Neighbors Hertford, Northampton, Halifax, Martin, Washington, Chowan
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Flagship hub: Albemarle Sound plantation and free Black communities.
- Formation 1722 from Chowan — for pre-formation events, use the parent jurisdiction’s paper (not later Anson-only catalogs).
- Seat: Windsor · Neighbors: Hertford, Northampton, Halifax, Martin, Washington, Chowan.
- Methods: Start here · Formation · Master guide.
Bertie County was formed in 1722 from Chowan. The county seat is Windsor. Neighboring counties include Hertford, Northampton, Halifax, Martin, Washington, Chowan.
This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. For events before the county’s formation year, open the parent jurisdiction that owned that year—not a later statewide vital series or Anson-only catalog.
The county was formed as Bertie Precinct in 1722 from the part of Chowan Precinct of Albemarle County lying west of the Chowan River. It was named for James Bertie, his brother Henry Bertie, or both, each having been one of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina.
In 1729 parts of Bertie Precinct, Chowan Precinct, Currituck Precinct, and Pasquotank Precinct of Albemarle County were combined to form Tyrrell Precinct. With the abolition of Albemarle County in 1739, all of its constituent precincts became counties. In 1741 parts of Bertie County became Edgecombe County and Northampton County. Finally, in 1759 parts of Bertie County, Chowan County, and Northampton County were combined to form Hertford County, and Bertie was reduced to its present size. NCpedia / formation references (verify with Corbitt)
The County seat of Bertie County is Windsor. Bertie County is divided into the following townships: Colerain, Indian Woods, Merry Hill, Mitchells, Roxobel, Snake Bite, Whites, Windsor, and Woodville. It also includes the following unincorporated communities: Elm Grove, Gatlinsville, Greens Cross, Hexlena, Perrytown, Pine Ridge, Sans Souci (with Sans Souci Ferry, the county's only ferry), Spring Branch, Woodard, Baker Town, Whites Cross, Rosemead, and Todds Cross.
Attractions in Bertie County include Hope Plantation, The Freeman Hotel, Sans Souci Ferry, The Windsor Historic Walking Tour, Cashie Wetlands Walk and the Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Hope Plantation includes the King-Bazemore House, Samuel Coxe House and Roanoke-Chowan Heritage Center.
Bertie County Government Site
PO Box 530
County Courthouse
Windsor, NC 27983
Tax Records
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
History notes
Bertie County (formed 1722 from Chowan; seat Windsor) is a distinctive research problem: Albemarle Sound plantation and free Black communities. Genealogists who treat every NC county the same will miss how windsor seat on cashie river shapes the paper trail here—and how northeastern parent gravity for later counties changes which record class to open first.
Pin the decade before the courthouse. Record the jurisdiction as cited in the original deed, estate, or church book—then map it to modern hubs. Neighbor FAN clubs frequently spill into Hertford, Northampton, Halifax, Martin, Washington, Chowan.
This county rewards a fixed order: census clusters with neighbors → land and probate in the correct years → church and cemetery substitutes for pre-vital generations → newspapers and directories around Windsor for 19th–20th century moves. Use the record matrix on this hub as a planning tool, not a catalog.
Session order: write person + year + place as written → formation/parent check → census FAN club → land/probate → church/cemetery → newspapers/directories when town-era → neighbors listed above. Free path: Start here · formation guide · Master NC research guide. Statewide substitutes: State Archives of North Carolina · DigitalNC · NCGenWeb — Bertie.
Record availability matrix
| Record type | Coverage | Years (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal census | good | 1790–1950 | Federal schedules for NC; place each household in the correct county for that decade. Before 1722, people will not be labeled Bertie—use Chowan. Parent-jurisdiction notes apply only to pre-formation events—not to post-formation federal census rows. Township and city-ward labels change; re-pin every decade. |
| Birth records | sparse | 1913– | Statewide NC birth registration is late (roughly 1913–1915 for civil strength). Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier Bertie generations—not parent-county “civil vitals.” |
| Marriage records | partial | 1741– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries after formation (1722); earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, newspapers, or Chowan. Confirm event-year jurisdiction vs modern address. |
| Death records | partial | 1913– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration (~1913–1915+). Earlier Bertie deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1722– | Record-loss / thin-series note: Early Albemarle/Chowan-context research. Pre-modern labels and neighbor pulls (Hertford, Northampton, Martin) matter more than a single loss event. Bertie deed/Register of Deeds series typically begin near formation (1722); pre-1722 land lives under Chowan. Colonial grants/plats may predate the county at State Archives of North Carolina. Always verify book/page gaps; abstract witnesses and neighbors. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1722– | Record-loss / thin-series note: Early Albemarle/Chowan-context research. Pre-modern labels and neighbor pulls (Hertford, Northampton, Martin) matter more than a single loss event. Wills, administrations, inventories, and equity are core after 1722; pre-formation estates under Chowan. Abstract bondsmen, sales, and widows’ petitions for FAN clubs. Pair thin years with newspaper legal notices and Archives microfilm. |
| Church & parish | partial | varies | Church coverage varies by denomination and survival. Baptisms, membership, and burial registers often beat early civil vitals; check local societies and denominational archives. |
| Newspapers | varies | varies | Windsor and local weeklies, plus larger regional papers for legal notices and obituaries. Verify actual title runs on DigitalNC and Chronicling America before citing continuous coverage—do not invent a “County Herald” without holdings. |
| Military | good | 1775– | Revolutionary through 20th-century service may generate pensions, CMSRs, militia notes, and wartime claims. Pair unit research with Bertie place context and neighboring counties when companies recruited across lines. |
| Cemeteries | partial | varies | Published surveys, Find a Grave, churchyards, and family plots. Unmarked burials are common—use obituaries, church books, and land descriptions. |
| Court records | partial | 1722– | Record-loss / thin-series note: Early Albemarle/Chowan-context research. Pre-modern labels and neighbor pulls (Hertford, Northampton, Martin) matter more than a single loss event. Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation (1722); equity may sit with or near probate. Pre-1722 under Chowan. |
| Tax lists | sparse | varies | Tax lists can substitute for missing census years and thin deed decades. Coverage is uneven by locality and year—check State Archives of North Carolina and published abstracts. |
Newspapers
Cemeteries & burial research
- Windsor / county-seat churchyards
- Bertie County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Vital records
North Carolina statewide vital registration expanded in the early 20th century. For many Bertie County families you will rely on marriage bonds, church registers, Bible records, newspapers, delayed births, and probate—not only a modern certificate.
Research starting points
Courthouse & contacts
The county seat is Windsor. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Albemarle Regional Library — Bertie
Record-loss / series note: Early Albemarle/Chowan-context research. Pre-modern labels and neighbor pulls (Hertford, Northampton, Martin) matter more than a single loss event.
If not found here, try…
- Formed 1722
- Parent / earlier jurisdiction Chowan — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).
Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):
Local history & events
Sources & further reading
- NCpedia — Bertie County
- David Leroy Corbitt, The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663–1943
- William S. Powell, The North Carolina Gazetteer
- State Archives of North Carolina
- DigitalNC — Bertie County
- Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
- FamilySearch Wiki · NCGenWeb