Carteret County Genealogy
- Formed 1722
- Parent county / earlier Craven
- County seat Beaufort
- Neighbors Craven, Jones, Onslow
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Deepened hub: Outer Banks–sound edge research with Beaufort port density and coastal military/occupation overlays.
- Formation 1722 from Craven — for pre-formation events, use the parent jurisdiction’s paper (not later Anson-only catalogs).
- Seat: Beaufort · Neighbors: Craven, Jones, Onslow.
- Long-form topics: research path, parents/formation, neighbors, places, record stack.
- Tools: checklist · this week in Carteret history.
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. 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.
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 Historical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 481
Morehead City, NC 28557
Beaufort Historical Association
P.O. Box 1709
Beaufort, NC 28516-1709
Carteret County Courthouse
Courthouse Square
County Courthouse
Beaufort, NC 28516
Tax Records
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
History notes
Carteret County (formed 1722 from Craven; seat Beaufort) is a research problem defined by Outer Banks–sound edge research with Beaufort port density and coastal military/occupation overlays. Modern labels help late sources and mislead when the event year sat in a parent courthouse.
Jurisdiction first. Write person + event + year + place as written in a source, then open the jurisdiction that owned that year. Before 1722, expect parent paper—not a Carteret-only catalog search.
Place density differs. Beaufort and market towns generate directories, newspapers, and church clusters that rural neighborhoods do not. Treat Beaufort, Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, Newport, Cedar Island as separate paper systems sharing a courthouse label.
FAN clubs spill. Neighbor research regularly includes Craven, Jones, Onslow. Abstract adjoining owners, witnesses, bondsmen, and three neighboring census households before you declare a negative search.
Special Carteret trap: Fort Macon / coastal war; barrier-island vs mainland paper; Craven parent for early events. Keep a one-page formation log (event year → jurisdiction tried → repository → result → next action).
Session order: (1) fix jurisdiction; (2) rebuild every federal census decade; (3) land + probate with full witness abstracting; (4) church/cemetery/newspaper; (5) military and institutional series; (6) paid databases last. Methods: Start here · Master guide · Counties & formation.
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 Carteret—use Craven. 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 Carteret 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 Craven. Confirm event-year jurisdiction vs modern address. |
| Death records | partial | 1913– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration (~1913–1915+). Earlier Carteret deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1722– | Record-loss / thin-series note: Outer Banks / Core Sound research. Storms, seat moves, and thin early civil series beat “one fire” narratives—pair courthouse work with coastal newspapers and Archives. Carteret deed/Register of Deeds series typically begin near formation (1722); pre-1722 land lives under Craven. 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: Outer Banks / Core Sound research. Storms, seat moves, and thin early civil series beat “one fire” narratives—pair courthouse work with coastal newspapers and Archives. Wills, administrations, inventories, and equity are core after 1722; pre-formation estates under Craven. 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 | Beaufort 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 Carteret 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: Outer Banks / Core Sound research. Storms, seat moves, and thin early civil series beat “one fire” narratives—pair courthouse work with coastal newspapers and Archives. Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation (1722); equity may sit with or near probate. Pre-1722 under Craven. |
| 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
- Beaufort / historic town cemeteries
- Carteret County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
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.
Research starting points
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.
Public library: Carteret County Public Library
Record-loss / series note: Outer Banks / Core Sound research. Storms, seat moves, and thin early civil series beat “one fire” narratives—pair courthouse work with coastal newspapers and Archives.
If not found here, try…
- 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):
Local history & events
- History Museum commemorates America’s 250th in new exhibit - carolinacoastonline.com
- Monday, July 13th: Carteret County Speedway, East Carolina Village and Farm Museum, Be Our Guest: Larry’s Steakhouse - WNCT
- Carteret County celebrates America's 250th anniversary ahead of Independence Day - WCTI
- NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort to host 50th Annual Wooden Boat Show - carolinacoastonline.com
- Tobacco Farm Life Museum to host exhibit, program to honor 90th anniversary of the Green Book - carolinacoastonline.com
- Fifth graders discover Civil War-era bullet on Morehead City Elementary playground - WCTI
Sources & further reading
- NCpedia — Carteret 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 — Carteret County
- Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
- FamilySearch Wiki · NCGenWeb