Pender County Genealogy
- Formed 1875
- Parent county / earlier New Hanover
- County seat Burgaw
- Neighbors new-hanover, onslow, duplin, sampson, bladen, columbus, brunswick
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
- Formation 1875 from New Hanover — search parents for earlier events.
- Seat: Burgaw · Library: Pender County Public Library.
- Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
Pender County was formed in 1875 from New Hanover. The county seat is Burgaw. Neighboring counties include new-hanover, onslow, duplin, sampson, bladen, columbus, brunswick.
This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. Always search parent jurisdictions for pre-formation events.
Pender County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 41,082. Its county seat is Burgaw. Pender County is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The county was formed in 1875 from New Hanover County. It was named for William Dorsey Pender of Edgecombe County, a Confederate general mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. It is in the southeastern section of the State and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and New Hanover, Brunswick, Columbus, Bladen, Sampson, Duplin and Onslow counties. The present land area is 870.76 square miles (2,255.3 km2) and the 1990 population was 28,855. The county commissioners were ordered to hold their first meeting at Rocky Point. The act provided for the establishment of the town of Cowan as the county seat. In 1877 an act was passed repealing that section of the law relative to the town, and another law was enacted whereby the qualified voters were to vote on the question of moving the county seat to South Washington or any other place which the majority of the voters designated. Whatever place was selected, the town should be called Stanford. In 1879 Stanford was changed to Burgaw, which was by that law incorporated. It is the county seat.
Pender County is divided into the following townships: Burgaw, Canetuck, Caswell, Columbia, Grady, Holly, Long Creek, Rocky Point, Topsail, and Union.
Moores Creek National Battlefield is in Pender County.
Source: Wikipedia.
Pender County Genealogy Resources
Pender County Historical Society
P.O. Box 1380
Burgaw, NC 28425
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)
Hampstead Historical and Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 8
Hampstead, NC 28443
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Pender County Government
Pender County Government - Official Site
Pender County Register of Deeds (Online Records)
Holly Building
PO Box 43 300 E Fremont St. Burgaw, NC 28425
Pender County Public Library
Central Library
103 S. Cowan Street
PO Box 879
Burgaw, NC 28425
Phone Numbers:
Phone:
910-259-1234
Fax
910-259-0656
Hours:
Mon.,Wed., Fri.
10am to 6pm
Tue. & Thurs.
10am to 7pm
Saturday
10am - 2pm
Sunday
Closed
Hampstead Branch
75 Library Drive
Hampstead, NC 28443
Phone Numbers:
Phone:
910-270-4603
Fax
910-270-5015
Hours:
Mon., Wed., Fri.
10am to 6pm
Tue. & Thur.
10am to 7pm
Sat.
10am to 2pm
Sun.
Closed
Census
Cemeteries
Query Forums
Cities and Towns
* Atkinson
* Burgaw
* St. Helena
* Surf City
* Topsail Beach
* Watha
News related to Pender County, NC
Cities and towns
History notes
Pender County (seat: Burgaw) 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.
Pender County is part of North Carolina’s coastal plain documentary landscape—river towns, ports, agricultural belts, and free Black/plantation contexts. Formed in 1875 from New Hanover, early research often depends on parent counties and Albemarle or Cape Fear–era sources.
Neighboring counties—new-hanover,onslow,duplin,sampson,bladen,columbus,brunswick—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 1875.
Local history & events
- Pender County Museum preserves more than a century of local history inside Burgaw’s oldest brick building - WWAYTV3
- Wildfire continues to burn near Whitehall Plantation Game Land in Pender County - WECT
- 23rd Annual North Carolina Blueberry Festival brings thousands to Pender County - WWAYTV3
- From Basket Weaving to Oyster Reef Conservation, Gullah Geechee Women Are Preserving a Living Heritage - Smithsonian Magazine
- Brunswick, Pender county libraries receive nearly $40,000 in federal grants - WECT
- New playgrounds, nonprofit grants and emergency upgrades coming to Pender County - WECT
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 1875, 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 1875, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| Marriage records | partial | 1875– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1875, 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 1875, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1875– | Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1875, search parent jurisdiction: New Hanover. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1875– | Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1875, 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 | 1875– | Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1875, 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
- Pender County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules are foundational for Pender 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 Pender 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 Pender 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 Burgaw. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Pender County Public Library