Chatham County Genealogy
- Formed 1771
- Parent county / earlier Orange
- County seat Pittsboro
- Neighbors orange, durham, wake, harnett, lee, moore, randolph, alamance
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
- Formation 1771 from Orange — search parents for earlier events.
- Seat: Pittsboro · Library: Chatham County Public Libraries.
- Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
Chatham County was formed in 1771 from Orange. The county seat is Pittsboro. Neighboring counties include orange, durham, wake, harnett, lee, moore, randolph, alamance.
This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. Always search parent jurisdictions for pre-formation events.
The county was formed in 1771 from Orange County. It was named, like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1758, for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, who served as British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1768 and opposed harsh colonial policies.
In 1907 parts of Chatham County and Moore County were combined to form Lee County. The award winning PBS Documentary Family Name notes Chatham County as the place the relationship between the African-American and European-American branches of the Alston family originated. George Moses Horton, Historic Poet Laureate of Chatham County, North Carolina (1797?-1883) lived most of his life in Chatham County and is among the few slaves to have published material while still a slave.
Source Wikipedia
The Cape Fear river begins in Chatham County where the Haw and Deep River's join. This is below B. Everett Jordan Lake which is used for flood control and as a reservoir. It is controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers. It's also part of the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. The county is in North Carolina Slate Belt and the groundwater is full of minerals for which a resort near Mt. Vernon Springs gained renown in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The resort is gone, but the springs are owned by a local Church. Chatham county is also home to the only workable coal deposits in the state of North Carolina.
The county seat of Chatham County is Pittsboro. Chatham County contains the following townships: Albright, Baldwin, Bear Creek, Cape Fear, Center, Gulf, Hadley, Haw River, Hickory Mountain, Matthews, New Hope, Oakland, and Williams.
Sites of interest in Chatham County are the Carnivore Preservation Trust, Chatham County Historical Museuem, Jordan Lake Educational State Forest, the North Carolina Railroad Museum and the Fearrington Village and House.
Chatham County NCGenweb Site
Chatham County NCGenweb Archives (Digital Library)
Chatham County Historical Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 913
Pittsboro, NC 27312
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Chatham County Courthouse
PO Box 87
County Courthouse
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Chatham County Public Libraries
The Wren Memorial Library
500 N. 2nd Avenue
Siler City, NC 27344
Census
1800 Federal Census transcription - part 1 of 3
1800 Federal Census transcription - part 2 of 3
1800 Federal Census transcription - part 3 of 3
- 1810 Federal Census Index
- 1820 Federal Census Index - by last name only
- 1820 Federal Census transcription Directory opens to listing of text files 1820cena.txt through 1820cend.txt
- 1830 Federal Census Index - by last name only
- 1840 Federal Census Index - by last name only
- 1850 Federal Census Index - by last name only
- 1850 Federal Census and Index transcribed Directory opens to listing of text files for index *(idx .txt) and text files by page number (pg .txt)
- 1850 Federal Census Transcription - Lower regiment
- 1850 Federal Census Transcription - Lower regiment - Free blacks
1850 Federal Census Transcription - Upper Regiment
1850 Federal Census Transcription - Upper Regiment - Free Blacks
Cemeteries
Query Forums
Cities and towns of Chatham County:
- Bear Creek
- Bennett
- Bonlee
- Bynum
- Fearrington Village
- Goldston
- Gulf
- Harpers Crossroads
- Moncure
- Pittsboro (County Seat)
- Siler City
- Silk Hope
- Cary
- Apex
News related to Chatham County, NC
History notes
Chatham County (seat: Pittsboro) is a core research hub for families who lived, married, worshipped, or owned land in this part of the Piedmont region of North Carolina.
Chatham County belongs to North Carolina’s Piedmont research zone, shaped by Great Wagon Road settlement, mill and market towns, and dense 19th–20th century paper trails. Formed in 1771 from Orange, it rewards researchers who respect parent jurisdictions and neighbor FAN clubs.
Neighboring counties—orange,durham,wake,harnett,lee,moore,randolph,alamance—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 1771.
Local history & events
- Chatham County’s America 250 Celebration will feature music, history, and family fun - Chatham Journal Newspaper
- Chatham County real estate growth remains strong, but the easy boom is over - Chatham Journal Newspaper
- Advocating transparent Environmental Impact Statement deliberation for the Enbridge NC permit - Chatham Journal Newspaper
- Body found of teen who went missing on Jordan Lake in Chatham County on July 4: Deputies - CBS 17
- Chatham County Sheriff's Office: Body of Teenage Swimmer Found After Search at Jordan Lake - Chapelboro.com
- Body of missing teen swimmer who disappeared on July 4th recovered at Jordan Lake, Chatham County Sheriff confirms - ABC11 News
Research tools
Record availability matrix
| 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 1771, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Birth records | sparse | 1915– | Statewide birth registration is comparatively late in NC. Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier generations. Before 1771, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Marriage records | partial | 1800– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1771, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Death records | partial | 1915– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration; earlier deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. Before 1771, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1771– | Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1771, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1771– | Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1771, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| 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 | 1771– | Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1771, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| 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
Cemeteries & burial research
- Chatham County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules are foundational for Chatham 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 Chatham 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 Chatham 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 Pittsboro. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Chatham County Public Libraries