Nash County Genealogy
- Formed 1777
- Parent county / earlier Edgecombe
- County seat Nashville
- Neighbors edgecombe, wilson, johnston, wake, franklin, warren, halifax
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
- Formation 1777 from Edgecombe — search parents for earlier events.
- Seat: Nashville · Library: Braswell Memorial Library / Rocky Mount & Nash.
- Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
Nash County was formed in 1777 from Edgecombe. The county seat is Nashville. Neighboring counties include edgecombe, wilson, johnston, wake, franklin, warren, halifax.
This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. Always search parent jurisdictions for pre-formation events.
Nash County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 87,420. Its county seat is Nashville.
The county was formed in 1777 from Edgecombe County. It was named for Brigadier General Francis Nash, who had been mortally wounded that year at the Battle of Germantown.
In 1855 parts of Nash County, Edgecombe County, Johnston County, and Wayne County were combined to form Wilson County, North Carolina.
Source: Wikipedia
Nash County Genealogy
[ad#canvas_on_demand_square]
Nash County Government
Nash County Government
120 W Washington Stunstarred
Nashville, NC 27856
Nash County Register of Deeds
120 West Washington Street
Nashville, NC 27856-1378
(252) 459-9836
Nash County Vital Records
120 West Washington Street
Nashville, NC 27856-1378
(252) 459-9839
Brawell Memorial Library
727 North Grace Street
downtown in
Rocky Mount, NC • 27804
252-442-1951
Nash County Historical Association
100 Salem Court
Rocky Mt., NC 27804
Stonewall Manor
Location:
1331 Stonewall Lane
Rocky Mount, N.C. 27804
Mailing Address:
Stonewall Manor
P.O. Box 9028
Rocky Mount, N.C. 27804
Tar River Connections Genealogical Society
Serving "the counties of Person, Vance, Granville, Franklin, Nash, Edgecombe, Pitt, Beaufort, Warren, Halifax and Wilson which are the northeastern North Carolina counties through which the Tar River and feeder creeks flow."
Tar River Connections
PO Box 8764
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
or email
TRCGS@Braswell-Library.org
Cities and Towns of Nash County
- * Bailey
- * Battleboro
- * Castalia
- * Dortches
- * Middlesex
- * Momeyer
- * Nashville
- * Red Oak
- * Rocky Mount
- * Spring Hope
- * Whitakers
- Nashville (County Seat)
- Rocky Mount
- Spring Hope
- Middlesex
- Bailey
- Sharpsburg
- Whitakers
Census
- 1790 Federal Census for Nash County - Transcription
- 1790 Federal Census Images
- 1850 Federal Census Images - for Nash County, NC
Cemeteries
Query Forums
News related to Nash County, NC
History notes
Nash County (seat: Nashville) 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.
Nash County is part of North Carolina’s coastal plain documentary landscape—river towns, ports, agricultural belts, and free Black/plantation contexts. Formed in 1777 from Edgecombe, early research often depends on parent counties and Albemarle or Cape Fear–era sources.
Neighboring counties—edgecombe,wilson,johnston,wake,franklin,warren,halifax—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 1777.
Local history & events
- Bobby Edward Webb Obituary | Cornerstone Funeral Home And Cremations | Nashville, NC - Tribute Archive
- Multi-state drug dealer sentenced after selling cocaine, attempting to sell meth in Nash County - CBS 17
- Florida man sentenced after trafficking drugs into Nash County - WCTI
- Plan ahead this Fourth of July: Nash County’s DUI campaign begins - WNCT
- Felon who fired gun ‘wildly’ at Nash County deputies gets 7+ years in federal prison, US Attorney says - CBS 17
- 2 men kill each other in Nash County shootout in Dollar General Market in Whitakers: Sheriff - CBS 17
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 1777, search parent jurisdiction: Edgecombe. |
| Birth records | sparse | 1915– | Statewide birth registration is comparatively late in NC. Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier generations. Before 1777, search parent jurisdiction: Edgecombe. |
| Marriage records | partial | 1800– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1777, search parent jurisdiction: Edgecombe. |
| Death records | partial | 1915– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration; earlier deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. Before 1777, search parent jurisdiction: Edgecombe. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1777– | Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1777, search parent jurisdiction: Edgecombe. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1777– | Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1777, search parent jurisdiction: Edgecombe. |
| 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 | 1777– | Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1777, search parent jurisdiction: Edgecombe. |
| 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
- Nash County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules are foundational for Nash 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 Nash 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 Nash 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 Nashville. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Braswell Memorial Library / Rocky Mount & Nash