Duplin County Genealogy
- Formed 1750
- Parent county / earlier New Hanover
- County seat Kenansville
- Neighbors wayne, sampson, pender, onslow, lenoir, jones
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
- Formation 1750 from New Hanover — search parents for earlier events.
- Seat: Kenansville · Library: Duplin County Library.
- Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
Duplin County was formed in 1750 from New Hanover. The county seat is Kenansville. Neighboring counties include wayne, sampson, pender, onslow, lenoir, jones.
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 1750 from New Hanover County. It was named for Thomas Hay, Viscount Dupplin, later 9th Earl of Kinnoull.
One of Duplin's favorite sons, John Miller, was a postmaster and merchant in Duplin. He migrated to Leon County, Florida, with other North Carolinians in the 1830s-1840s and established a successful cotton plantation called Miccosukee Plantation.
In 1784 the western part of Duplin County became Sampson County. Source Wikipedia
The county seat of Duplin County is Kenansville and the county is divided into the following townships: Albertson, Cypress Creek, Faison, Glisson, Island Creek, Kenansville, Limestone, Magnolia, Rockfish, Rose Hill, Smith, Warsaw, and Wolfscrape.
Duplin County Historical Society
P.O. Box 130
Rose Hill, NC 28458
Old New Hanover Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 2536
Wilmington, NC 28402-2536
(covers Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender and Sampson Counties)
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Duplin County Courthouse
PO Box 910
County Courthouse
Kenansville, NC 28349
Census
1784 State Census for Duplin and Sampson County
1790 Federal Census Index
1790 Federal Census Transcription Use with previous index
1790 Federal Census Transcription Indexed by last name
Cemeteries
Query Forums
Cities and towns of Duplin County:
- Albertson
- Beulaville
- Bowdens
- Calypso
- Chinquapin
- Faison
- Kenansville (County Seat)
- Magnolia
- Pink Hill
- Rose Hill
- Teachey
- Wallace
- Warsaw
News related to Duplin County, NC
History notes
Duplin County (seat: Kenansville) 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.
Duplin County is part of North Carolina’s coastal plain documentary landscape—river towns, ports, agricultural belts, and free Black/plantation contexts. Formed in 1750 from New Hanover, early research often depends on parent counties and Albemarle or Cape Fear–era sources.
Neighboring counties—wayne,sampson,pender,onslow,lenoir,jones—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 1750.
Local history & events
- Thunderstorm helps firefighters contain Duplin County wildfire; local crews clear scene - WCTI
- Duplin County wildfire remains 50% contained, no threat to public - WCTI
- Duplin entrepreneurs get leg up on competition - The Daily Reflector
- Duplin meth dealer sentenced to 10 years - The Daily Reflector
- Warsaw man extradited back to Duplin County in last year’s lottery ticket probe - WCTI
- Duplin County man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for meth trafficking - WCTI
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 1750, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| Birth records | sparse | 1915– | Statewide birth registration is comparatively late in NC. Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier generations. Before 1750, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| Marriage records | partial | 1800– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1750, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| Death records | partial | 1915– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration; earlier deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. Before 1750, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1750– | Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1750, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1750– | Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1750, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| 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 | 1750– | Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1750, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| 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. |
Cemeteries & burial research
- Duplin County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules are foundational for Duplin 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 Duplin 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 Duplin 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 Kenansville. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Duplin County Library