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Montgomery County Genealogy

Last reviewed July 11, 2026

  • Formed 1779
  • Parent county / earlier Anson
  • County seat Troy
  • Neighbors stanly, davidson, randolph, moore, richmond, anson

Photos & maps

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

Historic view — Montgomery County
Historic view Nyttend · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons Source
Courthouse — Montgomery County
Courthouse Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Map — Montgomery County
Map US Census, Ruhrfisch, Dincher · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source

What’s new

In-depth topics

Towns & communities

6 places — view all town pages

Troy county seat Biscoe Candor Mount Gilead Star Ether

Montgomery County was formed in 1779 from Anson. The county seat is Troy. Neighboring counties include stanly, davidson, randolph, moore, richmond, anson.

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

Montgomery county was founded in 1779 from Anson County. The county seat of Montgomery County is Troy. Montgomery County was named for General Richard Montgomery who was killed in 1775 during the Revolutionary War attempt to capture City.

Part of Montgomery County (to the west of the Pee Dee River) was used to create Stanly County. The county is made up of the following townships: Biscoe, Candor, Mount Gilead, Star, Troy. Although the current county seat is Troy, earlier county seats (from the official Montgomery County website):"The first county seat was Tinsdale (or Tindalsville) on the west bank of the river. Among the many roving county seats are references to Blakely, Henderson, Stokes and Lawrenceville. Tindalsville was wiped out by an epidemic of typhoid fever. The roving county seats were burned and their county records lost." The division of the county by the Pee Dee river had led to the controversy over where to place the county seat since at that time travel was made VERY difficult by the dividing river. This ultimately led to the split of Stanly county on the west side of the Pee Dee River. The county was split in 1842 and the new county seat (present day Troy) was established at West Old Fields.

The current name of the county seat, Troy, was due to the prominence of a popular attorney in the judicial district, John B. Troy. Legend says that the streets of Troy were paved with gold. It seems that fill dirt from the nearby Eldorado gold mine was used during the paving of the streets. Those with a sharp eye were said to have found gold nuggets in the streets. Eldorado had been a thriving mining community to the north of Troy.

Montgomery County is also home to the Uwharrie National Forest (50,129 acres). (It extends into Randolph and Davidson Counties.)

Montgomery County Genealogy Resources

Montgomery County Historical Society
P.O. Box 161
Mount Gilead, NC 27366

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Census

Montgomery County Cemeteries

Query Forums

News related to Montgomery County, NC

Cities and towns

History notes

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

Montgomery 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 1779 from Anson, it rewards researchers who respect parent jurisdictions and neighbor FAN clubs.

Neighboring counties—stanly,davidson,randolph,moore,richmond,anson—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 1779.

Local history & events

Recent news and notices about historic sites, heritage programs, reenactments, and local history related to Montgomery 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 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Anson.
Birth records sparse 1915– Statewide birth registration is comparatively late in NC. Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier generations. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Anson.
Marriage records partial 1800– County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Anson.
Death records partial 1915– Death certificates denser after statewide registration; earlier deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Anson.
Land & deeds good 1779– Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Anson.
Probate & estates good 1779– Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Anson.
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 1779– Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Anson.
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.

Statewide newspapers guide · Libraries & societies directory

Cemeteries & burial research

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

  • Montgomery County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
    Troy
    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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Troy. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.

Montgomery County government

Public library: Montgomery County Public Libraries

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 1779
  • Parent / earlier jurisdiction Anson — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).

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

Stanly Davidson Randolph Moore Richmond Anson

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