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Carteret County Genealogy

Last reviewed July 11, 2026

  • Formed 1722
  • Parent county / earlier Craven
  • County seat Beaufort
  • Neighbors craven, jones, onslow

Photos & maps

Freely licensed images from Wikimedia Commons (and related open sources), cached locally for research context.

Historic view — Carteret County
Historic view Carl Griffith · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Courthouse — Carteret County
Courthouse Michelle Underhill · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Map — Carteret County
Map US Census, Ruhrfisch, Dincher · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source

What’s new

  • Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
  • Formation 1722 from Craven — search parents for earlier events.
  • Seat: Beaufort · Library: Carteret County Public Library.
  • Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.

In-depth topics

Towns & communities

21 places — view all town pages

Beaufort county seat Atlantic Atlantic Beach Cape Lookout National Seasho Cedar Island Davis Emerald Isle Fort Macon Coast Guard Base Gloucester Harkers Island Marshallberg Morehead City Newport Pine Knoll Shores Salter Path Sealevel Smyrna Stacy Stella Swansboro Williston

Carteret County was formed in 1722 from Craven. The county seat is Beaufort. Neighboring counties include craven, jones, onslow.

This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. Always search parent jurisdictions for pre-formation events.

Carteret County was formed in 1722 from Craven County and was named for Sir John Carteret, Lord Granville and one of the Lord's Proprietors.

Carteret County NCGenweb Site

Carteret County Historical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 481
Morehead City, NC 28557

Beaufort Historical Association
P.O. Box 1709
Beaufort, NC 28516-1709

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Carteret County Courthouse
Courthouse Square
County Courthouse
Beaufort, NC 28516

Census

1850 Federal Census Index surnames A-F
1850 Federal Census Index surnames G-L
1850 Federal Census Index surnames M-R
1850 Federal Census Index surnames S-Z
1850 Federal Census transcription Directory opens to listing of above indices and text files named by starting page number.

Tax Records

Cemeteries

USGS listing of Cemeteries in Carteret County

Query Forums

Cities and towns of Carteret County:

News related to Carteret County, NC

History notes

Carteret County (seat: Beaufort) is a core research hub for families who lived, married, worshipped, or owned land in this part of the Coastal Plain region of North Carolina.

Carteret County is part of North Carolina’s coastal plain documentary landscape—river towns, ports, agricultural belts, and free Black/plantation contexts. Formed in 1722 from Craven, early research often depends on parent counties and Albemarle or Cape Fear–era sources.

Neighboring counties—craven,jones,onslow—frequently hold the “missing” deed, marriage, or burial when households straddle lines or move a few miles for work, church, or better land. Always record the jurisdiction as named in the original, then map it onto modern county pages.

Use the panels on this hub for record availability, towns, repositories, and local history news. Pair them with the statewide Start here path and the counties & formation guide when events predate 1722.

Local history & events

Recent news and notices about historic sites, heritage programs, reenactments, and local history related to Carteret County (and statewide North Carolina heritage stories). Links open external publishers — verify details before traveling.

Updated automatically from public news feeds focused on history and heritage. See statewide local history news · Suggest an event

Research tools

Free printables for field sessions and home research nights.

Starter checklist Cheatsheet bundle Start here guide

Record availability matrix

Guidance for what tends to exist for this county—not a guarantee. Always verify at the repository. Statewide method notes: vitals, land, probate, census.

Record type Coverage Years (approx.) Notes
Federal census good 1790–1950 Federal schedules available for NC with known quirks/losses in some years. Place the household in the correct county for each decade. Before 1722, search parent jurisdiction: Craven.
Birth records sparse 1915– Statewide birth registration is comparatively late in NC. Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier generations. Before 1722, search parent jurisdiction: Craven.
Marriage records partial 1800– County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1722, search parent jurisdiction: Craven.
Death records partial 1915– Death certificates denser after statewide registration; earlier deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. Before 1722, search parent jurisdiction: Craven.
Land & deeds good 1722– Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1722, search parent jurisdiction: Craven.
Probate & estates good 1722– Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1722, search parent jurisdiction: Craven.
Church & parish partial varies Church coverage varies by denomination and survival; check local societies and denominational archives.
Newspapers varies varies Title survival varies widely. Search local weeklies plus larger regional papers; use Chronicling America and the State Library of North Carolina and DigitalNC.
Military good 1775– Revolutionary through 20th-century service may generate pensions, CMSRs, and local militia notes. Pair with county context for battles and units.
Cemeteries partial varies Published surveys, Find a Grave, churchyards, and family plots. Unmarked burials are common—use obituaries and church books.
Court records partial 1722– Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1722, search parent jurisdiction: Craven.
Tax lists sparse varies Tax lists can substitute for missing census years. Coverage is uneven by locality and year; check State Archives of North Carolina and published abstracts.

Newspapers

Selected titles and research notes for this county. Confirm runs and repositories—mastheads change often.

  • Carteret County local newspapers (verify titles by decade)
    Beaufort · Weekly/varies
    Start with DigitalNC, Chronicling America, and the county public library microfilm/digital portal. Title names change—search county + “herald”, “news”, “gazette”, “times”.
  • Regional / nearest city dailies
    Beaufort · Daily
    Many rural events appear first in larger nearby city papers (Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Asheville, Wilmington, etc.).

Statewide newspapers guide · Libraries & societies directory

Cemeteries & burial research

Starting points and portals—not a complete inventory of every graveyard in the county.

  • Carteret County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
    Beaufort
    Use Find a Grave, published surveys, churchyards, and USGS GNIS. Absence of a stone is not absence of burial.
    Find a Grave · More

Cemeteries research guide

Societies & repositories

Full societies & libraries directory

Research starting points

Census

Federal census schedules are foundational for Carteret County household reconstruction. Collect every decade, note neighbors (FAN club), and track the county name as it existed that year—especially across formation and split boundaries.

Vital records

North Carolina statewide vital registration expanded in the early 20th century. For many Carteret County families you will rely on marriage bonds, church registers, Bible records, newspapers, delayed births, and probate—not only a modern certificate.

Cemeteries (legacy notes)

Cemetery surveys for Carteret County appear in published books, Find a Grave, USGenWeb archives, churchyards, and family plots. Absence of a stone is not absence of burial—pair markers with obituaries and church books.

Courthouse & contacts

The county seat is Beaufort. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.

Carteret County government

Public library: Carteret County Public Library

If not found here, try…

North Carolina brick walls are often jurisdiction problems. Search parent districts and neighbors when deeds, probate, or vitals are missing.

  • Formed 1722
  • Parent / earlier jurisdiction Craven — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).

Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):

Craven Jones Onslow

Also use Start here, the counties & formation guide, and local history news for recent heritage context.