Martin County Genealogy
- Formed 1774
- Parent county / earlier Halifax, Tyrrell
- County seat Williamston
- Neighbors Bertie, Washington, Beaufort, Pitt, Edgecombe, Halifax
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Flagship hub: Williamston Roanoke/Tar plain.
- Formation 1774 from Halifax, Tyrrell — for pre-formation events, use the parent jurisdiction’s paper (not later Anson-only catalogs).
- Seat: Williamston · Neighbors: Bertie, Washington, Beaufort, Pitt, Edgecombe, Halifax.
- Methods: Start here · Formation · Master guide.
Martin County was formed in 1774 from Halifax, Tyrrell. The county seat is Williamston. Neighboring counties include Bertie, Washington, Beaufort, Pitt, Edgecombe, Halifax.
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.
Martin County was formed in 1774 from parts of Halifax and Tyrrell Counties. The county seat of Martin County is Williamston. The county was named for the last royal Governor of North Carolina, Josiah Martin (Governor from 1771-1775). Probably due to the popularity of Governor Alexander Martin (twice Governer 1782-1784 and 1789-1792), this namesake county was not abolished like those of his predecessors, Tryon and Dobbs.
The following townships are in Martin County: Bear Grass, Cross Roads, Goose Nest, Griffins, Hamilton, Jamesville, Poplar Point, Robersonville, Williams, and Williamston.
Overlooking the Roanoke River is the Fort Branch Civil war site, known as "the best preserved earthwork Civil War Site east of the Mississippi." The first of November is when an annual re-enactment is held. Fort Branch Civil War Site.
Martin County Historical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 468
Williamston, NC 27892
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
History notes
Martin County (formed 1774 from Halifax, Tyrrell; seat Williamston) is a distinctive research problem: Williamston Roanoke/Tar plain. Genealogists who treat every NC county the same will miss how parent halifax/tyrrell contexts shapes the paper trail here—and how northeastern farm estates 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 Bertie, Washington, Beaufort, Pitt, Edgecombe, Halifax.
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 Williamston 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 — Martin.
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 1774, people will not be labeled Martin—use Halifax, Tyrrell. 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 Martin generations—not parent-county “civil vitals.” |
| Marriage records | partial | 1774– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries after formation (1774); earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, newspapers, or Halifax, Tyrrell. Confirm event-year jurisdiction vs modern address. |
| Death records | partial | 1913– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration (~1913–1915+). Earlier Martin deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. |
| Land & deeds | partial | 1774– | Record-loss / thin-series note: 1862 fire. Coastal plain—use Halifax/Tyrrell parents for early events and newspapers/Archives for wartime gaps. Martin deed/Register of Deeds series typically begin near formation (1774); pre-1774 land lives under Halifax, Tyrrell. Colonial grants/plats may predate the county at State Archives of North Carolina. Always verify book/page gaps; abstract witnesses and neighbors. |
| Probate & estates | partial | 1774– | Record-loss / thin-series note: 1862 fire. Coastal plain—use Halifax/Tyrrell parents for early events and newspapers/Archives for wartime gaps. Wills, administrations, inventories, and equity are core after 1774; pre-formation estates under Halifax, Tyrrell. 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 | Williamston 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 Martin 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. In thin/burned courthouse decades, cemeteries and funeral notices become higher priority. |
| Court records | sparse | 1774– | Record-loss / thin-series note: 1862 fire. Coastal plain—use Halifax/Tyrrell parents for early events and newspapers/Archives for wartime gaps. Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation (1774); equity may sit with or near probate. Pre-1774 under Halifax, Tyrrell. |
| Tax lists | partial | 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. Especially valuable where courthouse series burned or moved. |
Newspapers
Cemeteries & burial research
- Williamston / county-seat cemeteries
- Martin County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Vital records
North Carolina statewide vital registration expanded in the early 20th century. For many Martin 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 Williamston. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Martin Memorial Library / Williamston
Record-loss / series note: 1862 fire. Coastal plain—use Halifax/Tyrrell parents for early events and newspapers/Archives for wartime gaps.
Record series note: 1862 fire on the coastal plain; Halifax/Tyrrell parents for early events.
If not found here, try…
- Formed 1774
- Parent / earlier jurisdiction Halifax, Tyrrell — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).
Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):
Local history & events
- Hickory Ridge History Museum to celebrate Independence Day with several activities - The Daily Reflector
- New Bern's role in history highlighted through U.S. Colored Troops reenactment - WCTI
- Reenactors bring Revolutionary War history to life for July Fourth weekend - Watauga Democrat
- State History Museums, Including Kenly Site, To Standardize Hours - JoCo Report
- Battlefield Adventure Day returns to New Bern Battlefield Park April 11 - WCTI
- Saluda Depot Museum to welcome railroad historian Larry Neal for June Train Tales program - The Tryon Daily Bulletin
Sources & further reading
- NCpedia — Martin 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 — Martin County
- Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
- FamilySearch Wiki · NCGenWeb