Onslow County Genealogy
- Formed 1734
- Parent county / earlier New Hanover
- County seat Jacksonville
- Neighbors pender, duplin, jones, carteret, new-hanover
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
- Formation 1734 from New Hanover — search parents for earlier events.
- Seat: Jacksonville · Library: Onslow County Public Library.
- Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
Onslow County was formed in 1734 from New Hanover. The county seat is Jacksonville. Neighboring counties include pender, duplin, jones, carteret, new-hanover.
This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. Always search parent jurisdictions for pre-formation events.
Onslow County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is included in the Jacksonville, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2006, the population was 150,673. Its county seat is Jacksonville.
European and English settlers arrived here in 1713 in what was originally part of the colonial precincts of Carteret and New Hanover. Onslow County was formed in 1734 and was named for the Honorable Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the British House of Commons. After a lethal 1752 hurricane, the county courthouse was relocated from Town Point to Wantland’s Ferry; this settlement was eventually incorporated in 1842 and named Jacksonville after President Andrew Jackson. Largely a collection of sparsely populated agrarian and maritime communities, Onslow County dramatically changed in the early 1940s with the establishment of the United States Army Camp Davis near Holly Ridge (now defunct), and the creation of Camp Lejeune in 1941.
Onslow County’s flat, rolling terrain covers 767 square miles (1,990 km2) and is located in the southeastern coastal plain of North Carolina, approximately 120 miles (190 km) east of Raleigh and 50 miles (80 km) north of Wilmington. The city of Jacksonville is the county seat, and the areas surrounding the city constitute the major population centers and growth areas in the county. The county is home to more than 150,000 people and includes the incorporated towns of Holly Ridge, Richlands, Swansboro, North Topsail Beach, part of Surf City, and unincorporated Sneads Ferry. Approximately 156,000 acres (630 km2) comprise the U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune and more than 43,000 marines and sailors are stationed there.
The structure of local government in Onslow County was established in the late 19th century and consists of a five-member Board of Commissioners, elected at large for four-year terms. The Board establishes policies and ordinances implemented by the County Manager and his staff.
Source: Wikipedia
Onslow County Genealogy Resources
Onslow County Genealogical Association
P.O. Box 1739
Jacksonville, NC 28541-1739
Coastal Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 1421
Swansboro, NC 28584
Onslow County Historical Society
P.O. Box 5203
Jacksonville, NC 28540
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)
The Onslow County Museum has a number of resources for local genealogy in
their research room. Appointments may be made by contacting the museum at
910-324-5008. The museum is located at 301 S. Wilmington St., Richlands, NC
28574. Our website is www.onslowcountync.gov/museum
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Onslow County Government
Onslow County Government - Official Site
Onslow County Register of Deeds - Some online searches available
109 Old Bridge Street
Jacksonville, NC 28540
(910) 347-3451
Onslow County Public Library
58 Doris Avenue East
Jacksonville, NC 28540
910.455.7350
Census
Cemeteries
Query Forums
Cities and Towns of Onslow County, NC
* Half Moon
* Holly Ridge
* Jacksonville
* North Topsail Beach
* Piney Green
* Pumpkin Center
* Richlands
* Sneads Ferry
* Swansboro
News related to Onslow County, NC
Cities and towns
History notes
Onslow County (seat: Jacksonville) 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.
Onslow County is part of North Carolina’s coastal plain documentary landscape—river towns, ports, agricultural belts, and free Black/plantation contexts. Formed in 1734 from New Hanover, early research often depends on parent counties and Albemarle or Cape Fear–era sources.
Neighboring counties—pender,duplin,jones,carteret,new-hanover—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 1734.
Local history & events
- Swansboro Church added to Onslow County African American Heritage Trail - WNCT
- Onslow County veteran wins Marine Corps award for preserving women Marines history - WCTI
- Onslow County Schools restores phone service and key Wi-Fi after criminal cyberattack - WCTI
- 10,000-mile walker Kyndal Edwards reaches Onslow County on mental health mission - WCTI
- Onslow County schools work to restore services after cyberattack - WNCT
- Firefighters battle 7-acre wildfire near Maysville in Onslow County, officials say - 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 1734, 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 1734, 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 1734, 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 1734, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1734– | Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1734, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1734– | Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1734, 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 | 1734– | Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1734, 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
- Onslow County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules are foundational for Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Onslow County Public Library
If not found here, try…
- Formed 1734
- Parent / earlier jurisdiction New Hanover — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).
Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):